With the managers gone, workers have to take on more responsibilities. In today's flatter organization, engineers, technicians, factory staff and salespeople work together in teams to develop products. They organize themselves, assign work, make decisions and set goals. These multi-disciplinary teams are the new building blocks of organizations, and they require a different kind of manager and worker. It isn't enough to be good at just one task - running the machine that shapes the light bulb, for instance, or managing a production schedule.
Teamwork requires good communication and people skills for all workers and managers.
It requires the ability to be analytical, solve problems and be open to innovative thinking. Another change occurred as companies cut back on their work forces and looked for ways to bring costs down. They began to contract out work that could be done by outsiders. For example, a company might contract out its janitorial needs to a cleaning service, or its data-entry work to a data processing firm. The core work force is shrinking while contracting and part-time jobs are on the increase.