SPAN OF CONTROL

Span of control is a theory that says a person can control seven to ten people effectively. Span of control is important if you are a project manager because you may have to appoint leads to supervise other team members.

You can have wide and narrow spans of control. Ideally, you want an optimum level, somewhere between high and low. Beyond ten people, the degree of control degrades. A wide span of control entails controlling a large amount of people. On organization chart, it appears like a flat pancake with a bubble on top of it. The bubble, of course, is the person in charge, and the remainder are the people supporting him.

Effective span of control offers two advantages. It provides the right level of overseeing. It also ensures the efficient and effective use of resources.

for Developing an Effective Span of Control

• Identify the number of people on the team.
• Evaluate the leadership qualities of the individuals.
• Divide the team into subgroups, not to exceed ten people and no less than two.
• Assign individuals with the best leadership qualities as leads over a subgroup.