It used to be that an employee worked for a company their whole career, retired, was given the gold watch at a retirement dinner and that was that. Often the employee had toiled away – either at the factory floor or at a desk job seemingly never noticed. For sure it was most likely the first time that those in upper management ever spoke to the now retiring employee directly. Previously now that was done via middle management whose role was the communication of information - from the top down and then up again to confirm and sometimes if not seldom negotiate terms.



Now it's different in a number of respects. First of all much of the decision making and actual authority is delegated to the people at the front line – that is the people in the know who actually are “interfacing” with the customers and clients directly. It used to be that any trends changed very slowly in the marketplace. Management had lots of time to gather data, create a strategy and work towards implementation and follow up. Not now changes are done in a flash across the world. Not only that but another set of preferences and rules may be introduced again, even before the first one has jelled. It's the workers on the front lines who are often given the authority now to directly deal with situations. On top of that the call always was for the “manager” if you wanted action or the ability to have any authority what so ever to “get things done” and bends a few rules in your favor. Now this is often done by those more at the front lines who previously had no flexibility what so ever and whose only job really was to “tell you the rules”, in an effort to placate you – that was until you loudly announced that “I want to see the manager”.

Computers and computer technologies have worked towards these changes. Middle management's role was to convey information downwards and upwards. This was well the left over role from earlier simpler times, when any of a number of languages and even illiteracy on the part of front lines workers created this then vital role for middle management. Not so today. Emails can be simply sent to be read, RSS feeds can be used. Group ware allows for the sharing of information, research and product development in a flash. Changes to products, submissions and product or service tenders can be done instantaneously across the board in moments. There is none of old logistical delays of paper trails , time spent in old snail mail and even the inefficient delays of mail and papers simply sitting on worker's or manager's desk waiting to be read and processed and sent onwards. Interestingly enough it's not the top of the management chain – on the top floor were you get action to solve your problems in many if not most cases now. Upper management to a great degree has even been relegated to a role of a figurehead trying to find out its real purpose – all the while giving it large raises and bonuses.

What does the future hold for ordinary workers on the front lines? Certainly uncertainty in the workplace is one ongoing factor. Yet if the company does not make its product or sell its service it will cease to exist. Workers and front line workers are the life blood of any industry and service. Stay tuned for more developments.