Skip levels
Skip Levels
Skip levels are meetings or interactions where a senior leader connects directly with employees who report to their direct reports, effectively "skipping" a managerial layer. These sessions help bridge communication gaps, provide unfiltered insights from different levels of the organization, and foster transparency.
Benefits of Skip Levels
By engaging in skip levels, leaders can:
- Gain firsthand knowledge of team challenges, morale, and workflow efficiency.
- Identify emerging talent and potential future leaders.
- Reinforce company culture and strategic vision directly with broader teams.
- Encourage open dialogue and surface concerns that might not reach them through middle management.
Best Practices for Effective Skip Levels
To be effective, skip-level meetings should:
- Be structured to encourage honest feedback.
- Avoid undermining middle managers.
- Lead to actionable follow-ups that demonstrate value to all involved.