Move

Chapter 9Organize for OutcomesCreate the Ideal, Blank-Sheet Org Chart

You've come to terms with the fact that your existing organization structure is not the right one for the future.

You've decided to make some changes. So you take out a copy of your org chart and start thinking about moving people around, choosing your strong performers and worrying about others. You need to think about scaling but are not certain that everyone on your team can scale. You can't quite figure out how to have the conversation with them, because they each probably think that they can scale. They would not want to report to someone new or get pushed down a level. They will react badly if they don't continue to report to you. Then you start to worry that there may be other people on your team who no longer have a role at all in the new structure. You might need to hire for one or two new positions, but you're not sure you'll be able to get the approval for a new hire. This is so stressful!

What Is the Business Motivation for Organizational Change?

Take a deep breath. Organization change is never easy. It makes everyone nervous, including the leader who is making the change!

Often, leaders make the mistake of thinking about organization changes in terms of moving the existing people around. A better approach, when you are at these crossroads and you need to make a change, is to first focus on the business outcome, and then decide what the ideal organization would be to achieve that business outcome. ...