Organisational Architecture
Few organisations design their organisational structures and systems with reinforcement of their organisation culture as an objective. They just don’t think about it. Structures range from the very mechanistic functionally driven hierarchy right to the end other end of the scale to the organic and almost anarchic self managed environment with less hierarchy and more autonomy.
It is however, really important to consider carefully what the best structure and design of your organisation should be. Not only to succeed in delivering what you do, but also to ensure you are able to do it with minimum disruption and diversion. Failure to do so will most likely deliver every kind of HR issue you can imagine.
To illustrate the importance of considering your design…
Self managed teams are often viewed as an ideal in empowerment and staff engagement model. This may possibly be exactly what is needed in a highly creative, market focused organisation looking to develop new and innovative products in a very competitive arena. Few rules and locked-in processes. Few managers and fast decision making.
Consider how this might work instead in a highly regulated and publicly scrutinised Government agency such as Justice, or Environmental protection for instance. Strict processes and high levels of beauracracy are necessary to ensure that consistency and fairness is applied to all situations. It does slow down decision making but this is a necessary thing as stakeholder views and input are critical in ensuring democratic rights are preserved. You won’t get these from a structure such as self managed teams. There is a great deal of management required to put systems checks and balances etc in to ensure the wheels run smoothly.
Apply this thinking to the type of culture that you need in each of the situations described above.
- What are the behaviours you want from your workforce?
- Does your structure and corresponding approval processes etc help or hinder those behaviours?
- What should we do?
Vitale has real expertise in taking a systems approach to organisational design to assist you in maximising the communication networks, process flows, team structures and asset use (architecture) to enable your enterprise to function to its absolute maximum. We know how culture is linked to organisational architecture and can help to develop a blueprint that will greatly enhance your business.
If you would like to discuss Organisational Architecture and how Vitale can help please contact us.