Reed Deshler

The right organization alignment tools and methodologies are indeed valuable; they can help you see things you can’t otherwise, and provide a framework for solving problems. However, the right tool in the wrong hands won’t lead to success. When building capability in others, consider these factors to help them learn to use available tools in a way that makes sense for the organization.

In a recent post, we addressed the topic of linkages within an organization. Linkages, or informal relationships within an organization, make up the organization’s “unseen,” informal structure: how people relate to and work with each other across organizational boundaries. Linkages often have as much or even more impact on organizational alignment and the way an … Building Communities of Practice for Impact

Any organization, regardless of its size, type, or industry, must constantly undertake change and transformation. With the need for change comes the need for effective organization design and change transformation management to support these initiatives and ensure that they meet with success. While these functions can be and often are outsourced, many companies are setting … Trends and Best Practices for Your Transformation COEs

The design of commercial organizations inside of companies brings unique organization alignment challenges for executives and practitioners alike.  Because most sales and marketing functions touch the end-customer in very real and tangible ways, the design of these functions must create an extraordinary experience for customers and also deliver differentiated marketplace value for the company. Organization … Take the Design of Your Commercial Organization to the Next Level

Over time, every industry develops its own set of truisms. In organization design circles, two that come to mind are: “Organizations are a reflection of the collective logic of the organization’s leadership,” and “Organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they’re getting.” Put the two together, and you can infer that if an organization … Facilitating Breakthrough Thinking

By taking the time to plan the linkages you can avoid wasting a lot of resources trying to adjust your formal structure to deal with what could easily be addressed in your company’s informal structure.

Manage change—or it will manage you. Leaders in today’s organizations are faced with this reality on a regular, if not daily, basis. In a rapidly changing world, the health of an organization depends on its ability to respond timely and appropriately to emerging opportunities, new threats, and societal and marketplace trends. Leaders who know how … 4 Key Change Management Principles Successful Leaders Must Master