Too Many Direct Reports?

“How many direct reports should I have?” It’s a question that arises often when I’m doing organizational design projects and in my coaching with senior pastors and executive pastors. The answer, of course, depends on a number of factors, including organizational context and the individual’s capabilities and other duties. A general guideline to start the conversation is:

• 1 to 4 direct reports is appropriate for someone who is a “player-coach” (described below) and/or who is not a strong manager.
• 5 to 8 direct reports is a typical number, assuming that the person’s primary role is managing others and that he/she has good supervisory skills.
• 9 or more is too many in most circumstances.​

What contextual and personal factors need to be considered? Many church and ministry leaders are in “player-coach” roles. This occurs when they have hand-on responsibilities (“player”) and also supervise others (“coach”). Youth and children’s ministry directors are often player-coaches. They may supervise other staff and have their own duties in the ministry, such as teaching, creating curriculum, and recruiting volunteers. Senior pastors are unique examples of the player-coach role. They are responsible for preparing sermons on a weekly or regular basis. They are the primary vision developer and vision caster for the church. These duties limit the amount of time that a senior pastor has available for managing staff. In addition, senior pastors have a second group of “direct reports” that are often overlooked – the key lay leaders in the church’s governance structure. Even though these individuals don’t “report” to the senior pastor in the same way as a staff member, these vital relationships require attention and time, just like a direct report. One reason that people end up with too many direct reports is the “as long as …” fallacy. “I can supervise this many people as long as everyone does their job.” This statement implies that every direct report is a high-capacity, self-starting, relationship-savvy individual. While it’s wonderful if you can build a staff full of these sorts of people, it is completely unrealistic to build an organization structure on this assumption. As you think about the number of people that report to you, consider these four self-assessment questions: Are your hands-on (“player”) responsibilities being ignored? Are your direct reports getting the time that they need from you? Do you provide the constructive correction and coaching that will help them develop? Are you able to meet with your direct reports regularly, even when there isn’t a pressing need or a specific project? Honestly answering these questions may say a lot about whether you have too many direct reports. Click here to learn more about my organizational design consulting.]]>