Amazon seeks flatter management and increased employee ownership

Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy recently spoke about his plans to change the company's management structure. He wants to reduce the number of managers and focus more on a merit-based culture. Jassy believes that having fewer layers of management will help the company move faster and make it easier for employees to take ownership of their work. During an internal meeting, Jassy told employees that building large teams is not the key to getting promoted at Amazon. He encouraged them to think and act like owners of the company. He emphasized that some of Amazon's most successful projects started with small teams and that employees should be more resourceful. Amazon previously announced a goal to boost the number of individual contributors compared to managers by 15% by the end of March. In line with this, some managers were asked to take on more direct reports and make fewer senior hires. An Amazon spokesperson stated that while some changes were made, it did not involve cutting 15% of manager positions. The company has also introduced a "No Bureaucracy" email where employees can report unnecessary processes. Jassy mentioned he had read over a thousand emails from employees and that they had made more than 375 changes based on feedback. He stated that as Amazon grows, the focus should be on improving the customer experience, rather than on adding more managers. Jassy urged employees to move quickly and act as if they own the company, stressing the competitive landscape they face from other tech companies and startups. He encouraged them to stay aware of industry trends and the work of other companies to inspire innovation at Amazon.