Leading Organization Design: How to Make Organization Design Decisions to Drive the Results You Want

Chapter 14. Navigate the Transition

COMPANIES THAT FINISH THE PLAY ON ORGANIZATION design are distinguished by executive teams that do the hard work of leading the transition all the way through. One chief executive made the case to his executive committee recently, "The framing is up on our new organization. But as I see it, the plumbing and electrical systems will take another year to install, and then there will be adjustments required for another year after that." He dedicated nearly one full staff meeting every month to managing the transition for the first year after people were realigned in new roles, and he kept transition topics on every agenda for a second full year to adjust power relationships in the complex matrix the team was putting ...