AIBU to think claims of no workplace hierarchy are unrealistic?

[Coffeeistheway]

AIBU to think that people who say that there is no hierarchy in the workplace are deluded? Of course, collaboration and consultation should be encouraged wherever possible, but sometimes agreement and buy-in from everyone is just not possible.

I briefly worked in a “flat structured consensus based collective” and it was just social hierarchy without titles so YANBU

Yeah you can’t really run a business without some hierarchy. It has to be clear who sets the ultimate agenda and who has responsibility.

But some businesses are more hierarchical than others. I work in a client facing business and we allow our junior staff to have access to clients from a relatively early stage. There are firms similar to ours where they have to have worked in a role for at least three years and to have had a job change before they are allowed to pick the phone up to a client.

AIBU to think that people who say that there is no hierarchy in the workplace are deluded?

Who is saying there is no hierarchy in the workplace?

I recently joined a team that has a structured hierarchy which is ignored, other than for line management. The team manager is very blinkered about priorities and decisions being determined by the whole team. I'm finding that this leaves the team without clear priorities and no decisions being made. There are lots of meetings where things are discussed, but no actions or decisions taken from them. After a few short months I'm already looking to move on.

i have been reading some older threads about workplace issues between managers and direct reports, and many people are saying that managers should be endlessly consultative and that “hierarchy” is a dirty word that belongs back in the 1950s.
I wholeheartedly agree that managers should listen to their team, nor would I ever use the word “hierarchy” with them. However, the structure is there for a reason and to ignore that reality would be doing a disservice to everyone.

We have a hierarchy, of which i’m near the top for our unit (certainly not for whole organisation) and ultimately what I decide goes (if my bosses ok too) but I do like to consulate with my team leaders and we always ask the people who do the work for ideas and feed back solutions. I find it leads to a much nicer place to work. I hate people who are very gradeist.