Flat hierarchies: positions, not bosses.
We have no boss and no org chart. We have positions. Everyone knows where they stand, what they're responsible for and who they pass the ball to. That's how a football team works, and that's how we work.
What does a flat hierarchy mean?
A flat hierarchy has few or no management layers between the people who decide and the people doing the work. Decisions are made closer to the work, paths are shorter, and responsibility sits with the people themselves instead of a chain of managers.
The opposite is a steep hierarchy with many layers and long approval paths.
No hierarchies. Because we don't need them.
Flat or steep hierarchy?
| Steep hierarchy | Flat hierarchy |
|---|---|
| Decisions travel through three layers | Decisions are made where the work happens |
| Information arrives filtered | Information flows directly |
| The boss is always right | Whoever knows best has the floor |
| Responsibility through titles | Responsibility through roles |
| Slow but predictable | Fast, but needs clear agreements |
Our positions.
No hierarchy, but clear roles. Like in football.
The Quarterback
Knows both sides of the field and adjusts the play during the game.
The Offensive Line
Clears the way: data silos, broken processes, software nobody wants to touch.
Special Teams
Targeted play when a project is stuck.
The Running Back
Planning stops, doing starts.
The Jersey
Never outsiders, never spectators.
As a Team
Everyone knows what the other person needs right now.
How you can tell a flat hierarchy works.
Works: Everyone knows their role
Doesn't work: Everyone does everything, nobody knows who
Works: Decisions get made, even without a boss
Doesn't work: Decisions wait until someone important is around
Works: Disagreement is welcome
Doesn't work: Volume replaces arguments
Works: Information is open to everyone
Doesn't work: Knowledge stays with individuals
Works: Every task has an owner
Doesn't work: Responsibility spreads until nobody has it
A flat hierarchy doesn't run itself.
No boss doesn't mean no structure. Where nobody decides, the loudest person decides in the end, or nobody does. Flat hierarchies therefore need clear roles, one owner per task and a culture where disagreement is welcome. How owners work is covered under ownership.
In large organisations flat hierarchies hit their limits. Beyond a certain size you need coordination, otherwise everyone talks to everyone. That's why a football team has a quarterback: not a boss, but someone who reads the game and calls the play.
What you want to know about flat hierarchies.
The pros: faster decisions, shorter paths, more responsibility with the people doing the work. The cons: without clear roles the loudest person decides, responsibilities blur, and large organisations quickly lack coordination. Flat hierarchies therefore only work with clear roles and one owner per task.
Flat hierarchy generally describes having few management layers. Holacracy is a defined organisational model with circles, roles and written rules, developed by Brian Robertson. Every holacracy is flat, but not every flat hierarchy is a holacracy. We work with positions and a playbook instead of a fixed rulebook.
Yes, but not without structure. Large companies use small, autonomous teams with clear roles and decision rights that work together through few interfaces. Beyond a certain size it doesn't work without any coordination. What matters is that decisions are made as close to the work as possible and don't travel through many layers.
Want faster decisions with fewer layers?
Read how we work, or tell us where things get stuck for you.