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Organizational Design Guide

Enable HR and organizational leaders to navigate the complexities of organizational design.

  • Despite recognizing the importance of organizational design, many organizations struggle with outdated operating models and structures that hinder agility.
  • This discrepancy often results in operational inefficiencies, siloed departments, and a lack of alignment between organizational strategies and day-to-day operations.
  • Without a proactive approach to organizational design and effective change management, organizations risk stagnation, missed opportunities for efficiency, and increased employee turnover.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Organizational design is not only about restructuring; it is about aligning every aspect of the organization – from strategy and workflows to people and culture. This alignment ensures the organization operates efficiently, adapts to change, and maximizes its potential for continuous improvement and sustainability in an ever-changing business environment.

Impact and Result

  • Establish organizational design foundations to ensure strategic alignment, effective governance, and the embodiment of guiding and design principles.
  • Conduct a current-state assessment of the operating model, structure, people, culture, and external landscape to inform strategic decisions and have a positive impact on the organization.
  • Develop a future-state operating model and create a supporting organizational structure with defined accountabilities and responsibilities.
  • Measure the organizational design’s effectiveness and sustainability.

Organizational Design Guide Research & Tools

1. Organizational design foundations

Explore the foundations of organizational design, including change management, strategic alignment, governance, and guiding and design principles.

2. Current-state assessment

Conduct a current-state review by analyzing the current operating model, structure, and culture to inform strategic decisions.

3. Operating model & structure

Develop the operating model and design the supporting organizational structure with defined accountabilities and responsibilities

4. Communication & sustainment

Plan for communication and change sustainment and prepare to measure the design’s effectiveness.

Organizational Design Guide preview picture

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Talk to an Analyst

Our analyst calls are focused on helping our members use the research we produce, and our experts will guide you to successful project completion.

Get Advice From a Specialist

Each call will focus on explaining the material and helping you to plan your project, interpret and analyze the results of each project step, and set the direction for your next project step.

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Contributors

  • Allison Graham, Strategic Advisor on Workforce Resilience & Networking, Elevate Biz with Allison Graham
  • Brittany Lutes, Research Director Research Development, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Carlene McCubbin, Associate Vice President Research Development, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Hilary Marsden, Change Coach, Telus
  • James Felton, Manager VCOM and Support Services, Peel Police
  • Dr. Julie Cincotta, Principal, CLA Organizational Solutions LLC
  • Lindsey Micael Fenton, Organizational Design Consultant, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Tanya Liblik, Director Consulting, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Tony Ventura, Director Information Technology Services, Peel Police
  • Usama El Saman Mohamed, Vice President Consulting, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Youssef Kamar, Director Consulting, Info-Tech Research Group
  • 5 anonymous contributors