With spans and layers, the only way a person can realistically become a manager is by already having experience. The associate manager roles, where you could manage maybe 3 people, were a great training ground for newbies, but now EVERY manager must have at least 7 directs, and that number is being moved even higher to 10. If you aspire to be a manager and don't already have experience, it'll be a horrible situation for both you and the bank, trying to take that on.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???