Bayer is getting rid of bosses and asking staff to ‘self-organize’ (fortune.com)

Article summary

Bayer, a pharmaceutical giant, is eliminating middle management and adopting a 'self-organizing' approach, where employees will work in teams without traditional bosses. The goal is to save $2.15 billion and increase efficiency. The company's CEO, Bill Anderson, believes that this new approach will liberate employees and allow them to make decisions more quickly. The move is part of a larger effort to turn the company around after a series of struggles, including a disastrous acquisition of Monsanto.

Main themes

• Corporate restructuring
• Self-organizing teams
• Middle management elimination
• Cost savings
• Innovation and efficiency
• Leadership and management

What commenters say

• The self-organizing approach is likely to end in disaster due to the lack of clear leadership and decision-making structures.
• The elimination of middle management is not a new concept and has been tried before with mixed results, and its success depends on the company's specific context and culture.
• Self-organizing teams can lead to a situation where the most charismatic or dominant individuals take control, rather than the most qualified or knowledgeable ones.
• The approach may work if the company has a clear task and alignment on why it needs to be done, but it still requires someone to set expectations and resolve conflicts.
• The idea of self-organizing teams is often used as a smokescreen for the strong or lucky to establish unquestioned hegemony over others, and can lead to hidden power structures.
• Some companies have successfully implemented self-organizing teams, but it requires a careful consideration of the potential risks and challenges, and a well-designed system to mitigate them.
• The success of self-organizing teams depends on the ability of employees to work together effectively and make decisions collectively, which can be difficult to achieve in practice.
• The elimination of middle management can lead to a lack of support and guidance for employees, and can result in a situation where employees are expected to do more with less resources and supervision.