Chapter 1. The Five Milestones

ORGANIZATION DESIGN WORK NEEDS A ROAD MAP. Although the process is not strictly linear, we have found it useful to think about five steps that we call the five milestone process of organization design. Each design project will have its own unique path, with iterations and digressions from the flow that we present. There is no foolproof recipe that one can follow step-by-step to design the three-dimensional and invisible construct that is an organization. Organization design is both an art and a science.

That said, having worked across a range of industries, countries, and cultures, and for companies, government entities, and nonprofits of all sizes, we know that organizations can learn from each other and can use ...

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