Rethinking ReOrgs
The call usually starts the same way.
"We need a new org chart."
It might sound like a simple request, but almost every time, it’s a stand-in for something more complex. Misaligned teams. Unclear roles. Decision-making bottlenecks. Turf wars that have quietly calcified. A reorg is rarely about structure alone; it’s about trying to fix what’s not working.
Over the years, we’ve learned that if you jump too quickly to redrawing lines and renaming roles, you miss the real work.
Behind the Reorg: What They’re Really Asking For
When a leader says they want a new org design, what they’re often looking for is something deeper:
A fix for dysfunction. People aren’t collaborating. Deadlines are slipping. Accountability feels slippery. The hope is that new reporting lines will magically solve it.
A clearer path for decision-making. Leaders are making decisions in silos, or not making them at all. Everyone's confused about who owns what.
A way to resolve long-standing tensions. A reorg feels like a way to "reset" team dynamics without having to directly address difficult relationships or legacy conflicts.
And look, sometimes structure does need to change. But when structure is the first move, instead of the outcome of deeper exploration, it usually misses the mark.
The Mistakes We See Most Often
We’ve walked into a lot of org redesigns in motion, and here are the patterns that show up again and again:
Copying and pasting models from other orgs. Just because it worked for another university, nonprofit, or startup doesn’t mean it fits your culture, capacity, or mission.
Leaving people out until the end. Leaders often worry that involving too many voices early on will slow things down. But rushing to a top-down announcement creates resistance, confusion, and often rework.
Assuming structure will fix relationships. If trust is broken, if norms are unclear, if performance hasn’t been addressed, no org chart will save you. Those are people issues, not placement issues.
Designing for today instead of tomorrow. Good org design should reflect not just where you are now, but where you’re trying to go. It should be in service of your strategy, not separate from it.
Creating an org chart based on people and not purpose.
🔧 Try this: Host a "Future State" Visioning Session
Before jumping into structure changes, bring a cross-section of your team together for a focused session on your organization’s future state.
Ask:
- What do we want collaboration to look like a year from now?
- What decisions should be easier?
- What outcomes should we be able to achieve if we get this right?
This helps anchor the design in a shared strategic direction, not just current frustrations.
What Works Better
We’ve learned to pause before we dive into models and diagrams. Here’s what we do instead:
Start with listening. We use organizational effectiveness studies to gather the honest truth: what’s working, what’s breaking, what’s unspoken. This gives us a 360-degree view of the dynamics at play.
Design with, not just for. We don’t show up with a template. We co-create solutions with the people who have to live in them. That means interviews, focus groups, working sessions, and feedback loops.
Make the implicit, explicit. We surface decision-making patterns, informal power dynamics, and hidden tension so they can be addressed head-on, not hidden behind new titles.
Think like systems thinkers. Structure, culture, processes, and people are all connected. If you move one piece, others will shift. Good design anticipates that.
🔧 Try this: Run a “Decision Mapping” Exercise
Map how key decisions are currently made—from budget allocations to hiring or program direction. Who’s involved? Who has authority? Where does it get stuck?
Then ask a different question: How should these decisions be made in a well-functioning future state? This surfaces gaps in clarity and reveals where structure is compensating for missing norms or trust.
What a Good Reorg Actually Feels Like
It doesn’t feel like a neat reveal or a perfect pyramid.
It feels like shared ownership. Like hard questions being asked and finally answered. Like trust being rebuilt in real time.
Yes, there’s discomfort. There are probably sticky notes. But there’s also clarity, possibility, and a renewed sense that we can do more, and do it better, because we’re doing it together.
The best reorgs aren’t about hierarchy. They’re about readiness.
And the best structures don’t just clarify roles, they enable people to do their best work.
Ready to rethink how your organization is structured?
We specialize in organizational effectiveness studies and people-driven reorganizations that prioritize clarity, alignment, and long-term impact, not just lines on a chart. If your team is navigating complexity or considering what’s next, we’d love to help. Reach out and let’s start a conversation about how we can move your organization forward, together.
