When I was a teenager, I had a running joke with my friend’s parents about shortcuts. They got quite a giggle out of us talking about this shortcut and that shortcut for getting from one social engagement to another. Mind you, this penchant for the quickest route didn’t apply to getting to school … you know, the place for developing the critical capabilities for our future selves! The longest possible route was the goal there. Nevertheless, we had places to be and friends to see. This reminds me that FOMO existed well before the internet and social media.
The False Promise of Org Design Shortcuts
Fast forward to the world of work. The perceived need to get from one place to another in the fastest possible way has grown exponentially as competition, technology, and uncertainty have skyrocketed for organizations. Often, clients call us when they need help getting from one part of their organizational journey to the next. They have a vision in mind, but the interdependencies and constraints make it difficult to parse through the complexities to achieve their intended goals.
At AlignOrg Solutions, our passion is helping clients define and align the systemic elements of their organization. We see organizations as puzzles to solve. Like a Rubik’s Cube, changing one element can cause all other elements to become misaligned. By applying practical approaches and processes that address strategy, work, structure, metrics, people, and leadership, we help leaders define their value proposition and realign their organizations to deliver results.
That need for speed and FOMO on the next business cycle sometimes leads to us being asked to shortcut our process. This might sound familiar if you’re in any sort of facilitation or presentation role: you are supposed to have an hour for your session. You’ve carefully and thoughtfully designed every minute, only to be asked (usually at the last minute) if you can cover your topic in half the time. It’s not a great experience. More importantly, you know that the full experience is the most meaningful and productive way to help the audience achieve their goals.
Fortunately, our methodology and team are agile, and we strive to meet clients where they are in their journey. However, there are always trade-offs. As a skilled presenter or facilitator of your expertise, you know that leaving context and activities on the cutting room floor impacts the result.
One of the most common shortcuts we see leaders attempt to take is jumping straight to structure. Sometimes they are in a rush to get to the answer without doing the homework of defining the business need, defining the work, or experimenting objectively on ways to organize the work. This is like the teenage-me, short-cutting my way across town to my friend’s house, only to hit every stoplight, ultimately making my journey longer. A core principle of our org design approach is that strategy informs key capabilities and work; work drives structure.
The Power of Putting In the Work
We’ve seen what happens when organizations commit to the process instead of looking for the easy way out. One group started with the business need, design criteria, and the work. They put in the hard work of defining how the work informed roles and experimented with the art of the possible. They debated, knowing that each way of organizing the work and roles had pros and cons. They first solved for the 80 percent, rather than getting stuck on the exceptions. They put their agendas to the side and focused on what was best for the organization in the long run. After a couple of hours of trying multiple options and debating the ups and downs, they came back to the full group with a viable draft. Success!
Another group did the thing we advise against and started with their current state org chart, complete with names. It might seem like a good idea to skip defining the current and future-state work and go straight to the current structure view. The debate and experimentation of how work could be configured might feel like a waste of valuable time at first. However, starting with boxes and wires significantly constricts the formulation of other options. This group got stuck immediately. Their shortcut landed them in a ditch that they couldn’t dig their way out of. They were not able to navigate the variables and constraints or envision any other possibilities. After three hours, they came back to the full group with, ‘This is impossible.’ But it wasn’t impossible. FOMO became reality!
We have the privilege and challenge of helping organizations with complex challenges, such as M&A, growth, optimization, and defining an operating model to operationalize strategy. We bring a holistic framework that considers the interconnectedness of strategy, structure, people, and processes, helping leaders visualize and adapt to changes effectively.
Effective organization design is a journey, not a linear dash to the finish line. While our methodology helps leaders navigate the complex nature of organization design, it’s challenging work. There are not many useful shortcuts.
A Route to Redesign Success
So, what can you do to help your organization be successful in its organization design journey? As a sponsor, business leader, or HR Leader, here are some ideas:
- The adage of “slow down to speed up” applies. Take the time to set the context, define the why, bring the right people into the conversation, and develop a well-defined charter for the work.
- Mindset matters. When undertaking a complex business problem, one of my favorite leaders would gather his team with this direction. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a challenge ahead of us. We are imagining a world that does not yet exist. I’m looking to you as senior leaders to challenge the status quo and to utilize your intellect, wisdom, and influence to explore the art of the possible.”
- Expect to feel uncomfortable. Meeting the demands of our fast-paced, competitive environment requires developing new technical and leadership capabilities. Even those in the room defining the future state of the organization will feel uncomfortable if and when their role looks different. Take a deep breath and lean into what could be. Also, remember the feeling of becoming aware of the journey ahead. Soon, you will be responsible for bringing others along, and empathy for that first ah-ha can inform how you lead.
Shortcuts in organization design will not get you to a better result faster. Truly successful designs require the long route! Embrace and enjoy the journey, for this is where your organization’s differentiation and ability to execute are ultimately found.
