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How do you design an organisation for success?
Here are 10 insights to help you:
Here are 10 insights to help you:
1/ Organisations cannot be "designed" up-front.
Instead, you should focus on the conditions that enable an effective design to emerge.
Instead, you should focus on the conditions that enable an effective design to emerge.
2/ Organizations are implicitly optimized to avoid changing the status quo middle- and first-level manager and “specialist” positions & power structures.
Therefore, don't be surprised when the system pushes back to any changes that threaten the status quo.
Therefore, don't be surprised when the system pushes back to any changes that threaten the status quo.
3/ Organisations are complex, adaptive organisms, rather than mechanistic and linear systems.
This means you should change through rapid experimentation rather than big up-front designs.
Any attempt to change the organisation may lead to surprising results.
This means you should change through rapid experimentation rather than big up-front designs.
Any attempt to change the organisation may lead to surprising results.
4/ Organisations are 'Sociotechnical Systems'.
The interaction of social and technical factors creates the conditions for successful (or unsuccessful) organizational performance.
As such, when exploring change explore the relationships between the technical and social system.
The interaction of social and technical factors creates the conditions for successful (or unsuccessful) organizational performance.
As such, when exploring change explore the relationships between the technical and social system.
5/ The purpose of a system is what it does (POSIWID).
If the system, in your opinion, is working ineffectively, it's likely by design. It's meeting the needs of some people.
Don't ignore this fact and find what needs the existing system is meeting before trying to change it.
If the system, in your opinion, is working ineffectively, it's likely by design. It's meeting the needs of some people.
Don't ignore this fact and find what needs the existing system is meeting before trying to change it.
6/ You need to be Situationally Aware.
Parts of your organisation may be at different stages of evolution. As such, components should be managed based upon context.
"Agile" may not be suitable for everything and everyone across the organisation.
Parts of your organisation may be at different stages of evolution. As such, components should be managed based upon context.
"Agile" may not be suitable for everything and everyone across the organisation.
7/ If you are optimising for the flow of value there are only 4 team topologies required.
- Stream Aligned Teams
- Platform Teams
- Complicated Sub-System Teams
- Enabling Teams
- Stream Aligned Teams
- Platform Teams
- Complicated Sub-System Teams
- Enabling Teams
8/ When you have defined products in a customer-centric manner, with a long view in mind, and as broadly as possible, structure follows the product.
As such, if you want an effective Product-Centric Organisational Structure, define the Product first.
As such, if you want an effective Product-Centric Organisational Structure, define the Product first.
9/ To create great teams focus on these 6 conditions:
- Real Team
- Compelling Purpose
- Right People
- Sound Structure
- Supportive Context
- Team Coaching
- Real Team
- Compelling Purpose
- Right People
- Sound Structure
- Supportive Context
- Team Coaching
10/ You cannot "optimise" a complex adaptive system.
Instead, explore through experimentation how the system is currently disposed and then 'nudge' it towards a new direction.
Always understanding the system may respond in surprising ways.
Instead, explore through experimentation how the system is currently disposed and then 'nudge' it towards a new direction.
Always understanding the system may respond in surprising ways.
11/ You can learn more via my blog and weekly newsletter.
You'll find references plus additional insights covering:
- Behaviour Change
- Change Management
- Measuring Change
- Culture Change
- Leadership https://www.tobysinclair.com/post/curated-insights-organisational-change
You'll find references plus additional insights covering:
- Behaviour Change
- Change Management
- Measuring Change
- Culture Change
- Leadership https://www.tobysinclair.com/post/curated-insights-organisational-change
