Why it’s time to ‘reboss’ and embrace the B-suite

I can’t speak to the virality of the “Great Unbossing”, but I can address why HR leaders need to pay attention, writes Rebecca Houghton.

In the past few years, we’ve heard and seen it all: the “Great Resignation”, “quiet quitting”, and even the farcical “bare-minimum Mondays”. Just when it seemed the buzzword well had run dry, a new term has emerged: the “Great Unbossing”.

Have you come across it yet?

At first, I was tempted to roll my eyes and dismiss it as just yet another catchphrase, a mere symptom of our collective catchphrase fatigue. However, this trend warrants consideration.

But first, what exactly is “unbossing”? Companies are reportedly dismantling traditional management structures, excising middle management in favour of decentralised, autonomous teams where employees communicate directly with senior executives.

This is hardly revolutionary. Since the 1980s, organisations have wielded the axe against middle management under euphemisms like “rightsizing”, “downsizing”, or “restructuring”. It’s a blunt, often brutal, instrument of change but an alluring one, particularly in the face of economic adversity. When the cost of doing business escalates, the labour line becomes the prime target.

According to Live Data Technologies, the proportion of middle management layoffs in the USA has surged from 26 per cent in 2018 to 50 per cent in 2023. This trend is unmistakably heading our way or is happening in stealth right before our eyes. There’s the general manager role that wasn’t replaced because they “couldn’t find the right candidate” and the team lead position that was quietly absorbed into another department.

So, if it’s always happened and is happening again, why the fuss now?

I cannot speak to the virality of the buzzword, but I can address why HR leaders need to pay attention.

The difference this time is the unprecedented role of AI. Generative AI is not just a tool for creating content; it’s poised to take over the administrative and managerial tasks that dominate so much of a middle manager’s day.

This isn’t a temporary adjustment; it’s a seismic shift in how organisations operate, driven by technology that’s advancing at breakneck speed.

Middle managers must pivot to areas where AI remains deficient: emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving, leadership, mentorship, and driving innovation.

I have a term for those who rise to this challenge: the B-suite.

B-suite leaders drive engagement, foster development, and reinforce the company’s strategic vision at every level. They aren’t worried about AI because it cannot – yet – replicate their unique human skills: emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and the capacity to galvanise people.

One cannot “unboss” what AI cannot replace.

This becomes glaringly obvious when we examine real-world attempts at “unbossing”. Companies like Google and Zappos have tested these waters. Google’s Project Oxygen initially dispensed with middle managers but promptly reinstated them. Zappos’ holacracy experiment, which boasted “no job titles, decentralised self-management”, was quietly retracted – it too, failed.

These “unbossing” attempts have demonstrated a crucial truth: while you can do without bad middle managers, you cannot do without good ones.

For HR managers and leaders, it starts with redefining the expectations and value of middle managers within your organisation.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

‘Reboss’ your workforce

The future isn’t about unbossing; it’s about rebossing ourselves with skills and qualities that technology can’t touch.

Align C-suite expectations

When expectations are loosely defined and inconsistent across the executive, your middle managers will always fail to meet unclear expectations. The first step is to ensure that the C-suite is on the same page regarding what they expect from middle management.

Define the value of a middle manager

Without a clear value proposition, middle management is easily maligned. Their distance from the top often leads to proximity bias – executives might think, “I’m great, my team is good, but those people are rubbish.” Defining and communicating the intrinsic value that middle managers bring to the table is crucial.

Benchmark your middle managers

Utilise tools to assess and measure the effectiveness of your middle management. This not only helps in recognising their worth and identifying gaps based on global standards but also prevents the mistake of discarding valuable leaders in a misguided restructuring effort.

Rebecca Houghton is a middle management expert, author, and founder of BoldHR.