If you want to evaluate whether or not your business’s organisational design is as effective and efficient as it could be, there are 3 simple questions you should ask yourself.
How to Check if Your Company’s Design Is on Point
Answering a handful of quick questions can help you spot whether your organization is in the right shape, needs a little revamp, or it’s time to throw it out the window and rebuild.
- Everything’s working smooth? – The structure is solid.
- Some areas feel stiff? – A tweak will do the trick.
- Things are just tangled? – It’s probably time for a fresh start.
Question 1: To what extent is your organisational design driven by legacy culture and practices?
Do Your People Sleep in the Same Old Bed?
Ever wondered if your team is still living in the same group hug from yesteryear? Think about it: is the way folks are grouped at work simply a relic from a time when the market was quieter or the procedures were simpler? Maybe you built a whole succession of layers to fit a process that no longer exists, and the folks in charge are too comfortable to untangle it.
Is the Structure a Castle for One or a Few?
- Did you put a whole wing of the org chart together just to make space for the wishes of a single person or a clique?
- Have “power players” nudged the design so that their own agendas feel like the company’s mission?
- What does that look like for everybody else—gets knee‑jerk approvals but no real payoff? No one’s feeling the full benefit.
When the Key Players Pack Up
Imagine this: you’ve built an entire structure around a charismatic boss who packed up within a month. The whole system starts to crumble because no one else knows the special “codes” that kept it together. Your team feels the loss, and the productivity dips.
So, what to do? Start questioning how each layer matches the real world you’re fighting in today.
Quick Pivot Checklist
• Spot the outdated – List what processes no longer exist. Remove those fictions.
• Ask the people – Are there hidden biases? Talk openly. Lighten the atmosphere with a joke—> “Did you ever think we’d still use the same mail‑relay system from the 2000s?”
• Redesign together – Include everybody in the brainstorming. Throw out the old way and create a fresh map that feels human and dynamic. No more “favor” walls.
Remember, the goal isn’t to overhaul the entire business overnight. It’s to replace creeping, unspoken influence with a structure that makes everybody feel they’re part of the win. Shake up the status‑quo—and watch your team’s energy soar.
Question 2: Does your organisational design support your business strategy?
Why “Structure Follows Strategy” Still Rocks the Business World
Back in 1977, Alfred Chandler dropped a golden nugget at Harvard Business School with his book The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business. The take‑away? Structure follows strategy. It’s the mantra that keeps organizational architects humming along.
It’s Not About Obsessive Dogma
Don’t get it twisted—this isn’t a rigid rule you must follow to the letter. Think of it as a compass pointing you toward the right direction instead of a set of shackles. The key is to keep the business’s goals front‑center when you map out teams, departments, and reporting lines.
Putting Strategy Into the DNA of Your Org
Let’s walk through a quick mental exercise. Picture your company’s big‑picture mission: To stand out by offering top‑notch customer service. Now flip the script:
- People & Placement: How many folks are dedicated to this mission? Are they spread across teams or concentrated in a single customer‑experience hub?
- Reporting Structure: Who does the team report to? Is that person focused enough on customer delight to push the agenda forward?
- Resource Deployment: What tools, training, and time are funneled into these people to optimize service delivery?
- Alignment Check: Does every step, from onboarding to day‑to‑day interactions, align with the superior service pledge?
When you answer these questions with clarity, executing that strategy feels less like wrestling a grizzly and more like riding a trusty steed. Misalignment, on the other hand, turns the journey into a messy, uphill climb.
Bottom Line
“Structure follows strategy” isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all prescription—it’s a proven framework that keeps businesses agile and focused. By weaving strategy into every thread of your organization’s design, you set the stage for smoother execution, happier teams, and—most importantly—delighted customers.
Question 3: Is your organisational design fit for future purpose?
A Sudden Twist: How 15 Years of Stability Might Have Gone Rogue
Picture this: I once had a neighbour who worked for a steel production company. He bragged that the crew he rode twelve decks with had stayed the same for fifteen solid years. Same people, same numbers, same org cone, same boss – the whole gang.
Why That’s Not the Norm (and why most of us get the opposite)
In today’s business world, organisational change is as regular as a coffee break. Every company gets a new flavour of restructure, whether they like it or not. Yet many still forget the classic rule: too much change can wreck your crew’s morale and stop you from ever getting a groove on.
What Happens When Stability Vanishes
- People feel lost, like they’ve been invited to the wrong party.
- Every spin of the wheel costs energy and mental bandwidth.
- Results drift away as the team is busy asking “who’s in charge” instead of doing the work.
So yeah, a 15‑year tenure in the same ship might drag me insane.
Thinking Ahead: Redesigning for Today and Tomorrow
When you’re about to rejig your structure, keep a future‑proof mindset. First, ask yourself the classic checks we discussed earlier – legacy fit and strategic alignment. Then add a few new questions to make sure your new design stays solid when the world changes:
Checklist for a Future‑Ready Design
- Customer Service Boost? Will you deliver more or better to fans of your product?
- Flexibility? Is the set‑up ready to handle twists and turns? (Remember Porter’s 5 Forces – that’s a good cue.)
- Clear Accountability? Who owns what, and how do outcomes get measured?
- Cross‑Functional Chat? Does your org vibe like a team chat, not a siloed office?
- Processes & Infrastructure? Do you have the tools to run the new org smoothly?
- Spans & Control Levels? Are managers keeping numbers realistic, or is the chain of command a tangled mess?
Feel free to toss in more items if you think they fit, but this lineup should fork your thoughts in the right direction.
Wrap‑Up
So, dear reader, if you’re planning to re‑shape your organisation for the next decade, keep an eye on stability, balance change with continuity, and always ask the questions that keep the crew humming. A little foresight goes a long way, and it’ll save everyone from the chaos of endless pivoting.
Getting it Right
Who’s Really Worth Your Money?
In every business, the best and most expensive asset you can’t replace in a hurry is people. The real trick is decking them out in the right spot in the org chart—exactly how a new job interview would feel like a well‑timed joke.
When a hiring spot opens, run these three questions through your head in order:
1. “It isn’t?”
Ask yourself if the role actually exists. Are you simply filling the void after a volatile departure or is there a genuine skill gap you’re trying to correct? If the answer is “no,” you’re wasting time, money, and maybe a whole team’s patience.
2. “It does.”
Next, prove the value. Will that role bring new revenue, unlock a process, or secure a competitive edge? If it’s a solid win for the business, go ahead and keep that job ad lively.
3. “It is.”
Finally, make sure the culture vibe fits. The résumé may look amazing, but the candidate needs to feel the mission and thrive day‑to‑day. Everyone loves a good fit; just the corner musician wants the right melody.
Make it work, and you’ve got the gang in place. Fail? It’s time to revisit the org design, tweak the pulse of the workplace, and get the team on the same wavelength.