If It Ain’t Broke, Improve It

“When examining an organization’s structure, the critical question for organizational leaders to ask: Are you serving the structure or is the structure serving you and your organization”?

The structure of an organization is so critically integral to how it functions it can sometimes receive more deference that it is due.  We can think of examples where an existing structure is jealously guarded by organizational leaders simply because it has worked in the past. Likewise we can think of examples of a new leader looking to make a name for her/himself by “shaking things up” structurally.  Where then, does the right balance exist between these two extremes?

When looking at an organization’s structure, perhaps it is not so much finding a mid-point between protecting the status quo and change for its own sake, but to focus on flexibility and how the organization meets its objectives.  This is part one of a three-part series on Questions Every Organizational Leader Should Ask.

Part 1: What is Key, What is Status Quo?

The status quo, while it needs to be constantly challenged and interrogated, is not inherently wrong. The key question when organizational leaders are considering their current structure is what is most important to the organization and in what ways does staffing and reporting structure support what is most important?

For example, if on-going relationships and the experience of customers are most important to the organization. Questions organizational leaders should ask might be:

• Are we sufficiently staffed based on the likely expectations of our customers (service levels, duration of typical interaction, etc.)?
• Does our front line staff have the appropriate supervision and leadership – does the supervisor to staff ratio need to be considered based on the need for on-going coaching?
• How are the critical tasks being assessed to ensure consistent quality of the customer experience?
• Are the appropriate number of staff positions (non-supervisory) supporting training, assessment and facilitating technology?
  • Are specialist needed or are some of these roles most appropriate for supervisors to perform?

When examining an organization’s structure, the critical question for organizational leaders to ask: Are you serving the structure or is the structure serving you and your organization? Structures and systems are put in place to make things easier for staff and more critically to move the organizational goals of servicing their constituents forward.  An organization’s structure should be viewed as another tool toward that end.

There is always room for improvement, even if that improvement is in the form of taking a close look at your structure and determining that the status quo is currently yielding the best outcomes.

Is the status quo ever the best option or should organizations always make changes toward improvement?  What might be most effective for you when considering potential changes in your organization’s structure? Let me know in the comments below.

Visit thyrone.com where you can read past blog posts and we can connect on LinkedIn and other media.  Follow me on Twitter @thyrone and if you are in the Columbus, OH area @careercolumbus and I will let you know when parts two and three of this series are posted.