That's fascinating. 3 seems like a good average number.
I think there are minimums too. It depends on whether your reports are experienced or not. If they're experienced, any number is fine. However, if they're inexperienced (i.e. interns, or fresh out of college), you really need to manage 2 or more. 1 is weirdly a bad number.
Managing a single inexperienced direct report is truly challenging and suboptimal, both for the manager and the report. Having no peers to calibrate themselves to, the report feels insecure and is either too eager to please or becomes overly dependent. It's hard for the manager to know how to manage too -- you want to avoid micromanaging but everything you do is going to carry undue emotional weight on the report because they have no other reference points because they have no peers. If I had to do it again, I'd rather have at least 2 direct reports or none at all. 1 is just not good.
I think there are minimums too. It depends on whether your reports are experienced or not. If they're experienced, any number is fine. However, if they're inexperienced (i.e. interns, or fresh out of college), you really need to manage 2 or more. 1 is weirdly a bad number.
Managing a single inexperienced direct report is truly challenging and suboptimal, both for the manager and the report. Having no peers to calibrate themselves to, the report feels insecure and is either too eager to please or becomes overly dependent. It's hard for the manager to know how to manage too -- you want to avoid micromanaging but everything you do is going to carry undue emotional weight on the report because they have no other reference points because they have no peers. If I had to do it again, I'd rather have at least 2 direct reports or none at all. 1 is just not good.