industry & policy
determine the right areas to look at for reorganisation and
preserve what you do well.
3
Develop your options
You can’t just have one option as the going-in reorganisation
position. You’ll need a plan B. What if markets change or the
reorganisation has unintended consequences? The critical step
is to develop multiple options and properly consider them with
your leadership. If we do option A, how will that impact our
brand versus option B? What are we giving up with option A?
Your organisation may not be completely broken, so you may
need to only focus on certain areas. If your leaders have a say
in these options, then help them focus on what’s good for the
organisation and let them own the outcome. The idea is to do
away with self-interest, and your people can then determine if the
reorganisation journey is the right path for them.
4
Translate the organisational design into an
implementation plan
Next, translate the impact of the reorganisation on your people.
Identify bottlenecks, risks and dependencies. How are you
going to get to the new state, which may involve new skills,
new processes, new ways of working, etc? Where the whole
organisation is involved, how does the change impact discrete
teams? Develop an implementation plan by engaging as
widely as possible.
A critical outcome of any reorganisation is to keep
the right people, but there’s always a risk the good ones will
go. With a bigger picture in mind, it’s easier to manage the
disruption on a day-to-day basis as you know what the end
game is. Develop the metrics to monitor the outcomes and
behaviours you need to evaluate your progress.
5
Reflect and gather feedback
Lastly, review progress over a sustained period to embed
your new structure, people and processes. What went well
and what didn’t? Feedback from all stakeholders will be
critical. Develop a way to capture problems and lessons
learned and use this information to have more meaningful
conversations about how you are tracking.
Key takeaways
Don’t restructure without making sure it’s the best thing for
your organisation. If reorganisation is essential, make sure
you set yourself up for success. Throughout the process
be honest and open with employees. Find the best way to
reduce the stress and uncertainty felt by your people during
a period of restructure and keep them up to date. Remember,
some things can’t be planned for, but by following the key
steps above, you’ll be more likely to succeed. ■
Bruce Mullan is CEO and founder of The Purpose Driven Group.
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