Businesses are dynamic systems and like all systems they work
best when their components are aligned and work smoothly
together.
For many businesses organic growth, opportunistic client wins and
the necessary focus on clients often results in an organisational
structure of convenience rather then a structure which is optimised
to deliver effectively. Therefore, it is important to take the time
to objectively review the structure and identify whether it remains
fit for purpose or if changes are needed.
When looking to develop your organisation's structure it may be
helpful to ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does this help me achieve my vision? - By regularly referring
back to your business vision and mission statement you will be able
to make sure that you are being consistent in the changes being
made and confident that they are going to get you a step closer to
achieving your vision.
2. What is best for the business? - A useful exercise is to
review your structure around what the business needs rather than
who's in it.
3. Does this align with the culture and values of the business?
- While sometimes change just need to happen, it will make on
boarding easier if it's consistent with what the business stands
for.
4. What do my clients want? - If you consider how your clients
buy from you and their journey through the business then you will
be helping your clients clearly understand the business and make
sure you are providing for their needs.
5. What type of service do I want to deliver? - Build your
organisational structure around the type of service you are
planning to deliver. If you deliver multiple services think about
how they can be structured to work smoothly together.
6. Is my structure helping me deliver more profitability? - Make
sure your structure allows for the efficiently delivery of your
services, with the right level of resourcing to maintain good
margins.
7. Would I be able to scale the business quickly? - Your
structure would need to allow for rapid growth if you were to win a
new client or develop a new service offering. It would also need to
be resilient enough to stand up under pressure.
Any changes that need to be made must either be aligned to fit
with the existing business systems or the systems will need to be
modified to accept the changes, for example your HR processes.
Therefore take the time to carefully plan any changes to minimise
disruption. By going through a systematic process, the logic behind
the changes will be clearer, make it much easier to move to the new
structure while keeping up with the day to day running of the
business.