Is your organizational structure aligned with your business strategy?

I have been lucky enough to work with some great organizations in my career. Some of the best results came from looking deep into the organization and identifying symptoms that led to a better understanding of the problem, and the solution.

While every organization is unique, there are some common symptoms that may alert you early of a disjointed organizational structure and business strategy.

Leaders spend more time managing people than managing the business. While people management is an essential part of a leader’s role, managing the business is equally important. This could show up in an organization when capable leaders are overwhelmed with management accountabilities or simply aren’t keeping up with other key business responsibilities.

Bottlenecks exist and result in stalled projects and missed deadlines. As projects and priorities are identified, it is easy in the planning process to by-pass the need to ensure that the organization is structured with clear accountabilities and resources to deliver these priorities efficiently. 

Poor decision making, or worse: no decision making. Broken decision-making or approval processes can stem from poor organizational structure and alignment. This is often a result of a lack of, or blurry communication lines and accountabilities causing delays in getting information to the right people. Organizational structure can drive and enable decision making and information flow. 

Siloed departments, no cross-organization flow of information, or collaboration. This is common in both small and large companies. Roadblocks can emerge between departments naturally as the organization grows, or as the volume of activity grows within a department.

A diagnosis with any of these symptoms, however, is not deadly. An organizational review is the first step to a healthy organizational structure that supports your business, and a smart investment in reaching your objectives.