What are the best practices for redesigning an organizational structure?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before you start redesigning your organizational structure, you need to have a clear and compelling reason for doing so. What are the drivers and objectives of the change? How does it support your strategic direction and priorities? What are the expected benefits and outcomes? You also need to define the scope and scale of the change. Which parts of the organization are affected? How will the roles, responsibilities, and relationships change? How will the change impact the culture and values of the organization?

2 Assess the current state and gaps

Once you have defined the purpose and scope of the change, you need to assess the current state of your organizational structure and identify the gaps and issues that need to be addressed. You can use various tools and methods to collect and analyze data, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, benchmarks, SWOT analysis, and force field analysis. You should involve key stakeholders and representatives from different levels and functions of the organization to get a comprehensive and accurate picture of the current situation and the desired future state.

3 Design the new structure and processes

Based on the data and feedback you gathered, you can start designing the new organizational structure and processes that will enable you to achieve your goals and vision. You should consider different aspects and dimensions of the structure, such as the hierarchy, span of control, centralization, decentralization, specialization, coordination, integration, and flexibility. You should also define the new roles, functions, teams, and reporting lines, as well as the processes, systems, policies, and procedures that will support the new structure. You should test and validate your design with your stakeholders and experts to ensure it is feasible, effective, and aligned with your strategy and culture.

4 Communicate and engage your people

One of the most critical aspects of redesigning your organizational structure is communicating and engaging your people throughout the process. You need to communicate the vision, purpose, benefits, and plan of the change to your employees, managers, customers, partners, and other relevant parties. You need to use different channels and formats to deliver clear, consistent, and timely messages that address their concerns and expectations. You also need to engage your people in the design and implementation of the change, by soliciting their input, feedback, ideas, and suggestions, and by involving them in decision-making, problem-solving, and action-planning. You should also recognize and reward their contributions and achievements, and celebrate the milestones and successes of the change.

5 Implement and monitor the change

After you have communicated and engaged your people, you can start implementing the new organizational structure and processes according to your plan. You should assign roles and responsibilities for the implementation, and provide adequate resources, support, and guidance for your people to make the transition. You should also monitor and measure the progress and performance of the change, using indicators and metrics that reflect your objectives and outcomes. You should track and report the results and feedback, and identify and address any issues, risks, or challenges that arise along the way.

6 Evaluate and sustain the change

The final step of redesigning your organizational structure is evaluating and sustaining the change. You should review and assess the impact and effectiveness of the change, using qualitative and quantitative data and feedback from your stakeholders and customers. You should compare the actual results and outcomes with the expected ones, and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the new structure and processes. You should also identify and implement the lessons learned, best practices, and improvement actions that will enhance and sustain the change. You should also reinforce and embed the new structure and processes into your culture and values, by aligning your rewards, recognition, learning, and development with the new behaviors and expectations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?