The conversation explores the relationship between the level of work and hierarchies within organizations (yes, these are two different concepts). It discusses how the wrong levels of work can lead to the manifestation of wrong types of hierarchy, resulting in micromanagement and confusion in reporting structures. The conversation introduces the work of Elliott Jacques, a Canadian behavioural scientist, who developed a stratified system to categorize different levels of work based on time horizon and cognitive complexity.

This week, our guest is Amy Kates. A guiding force for all of org design practitioners and enthusiasts out there. Amy shares her impressive journey of becoming an org design industry leader and an entrepreneur as she talks about STAR model of org design, concept of Minimum Viable Structure and the importance of taking time and space to do org diagnostic. Join us to hear her talk about how a good org design helps shape desired human behavior at scale.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:20 The Parallel Between City Planning and Organizational Design

08:56 The Craft of Organization Design

13:57 The Role of Technology in Organization Design

25:38 The Importance of Diagnostics in Organization Design

In this episode, we are honoured to have Paul Tolchinsky as our guest. Paul discusses his journey in whole-scale change management and the lessons he has learned over the years. He emphasizes the importance of speed and engagement in change efforts, and the need to involve the whole system in decision-making. Paul also highlights the trap of being preachy and thinking that you have all the answers, instead advocating for listening to the wisdom of the system. The key takeaway is to trust the wisdom in the system and create conditions for people to achieve their desired outcomes.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

05:36 Paul's Journey in Whole-Scale Change Management

13:26 The Concept of Whole-Scale Change

28:10 The Wisdom in the System

In this episode, Shradha and Rupert discuss the concept of time and how it relates to organizational design and workforce planning. They explore the different time horizons of strategic, operational, and tactical planning, and the level of granularity and aggregation associated with each. The conversation emphasizes the need for different thinking styles, language and involvement of stakeholders when discussing different planning approaches.

Strategic workforce planning involves long-term thinking and scenario analysis. Operational workforce planning focuses on budgeting and resource allocation in the short to medium term. Tactical workforce planning is reactive and deals with immediate scheduling and staffing needs. Capacity planning can be considered in all three planning approaches.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Spring Break

04:45 The Role of Org Design in Strategic Workforce Planning

09:42 The Pitfalls of Misusing the Term 'Strategic Workforce Planning'

Alice Mann, founder of Mann Partners Inc., joins the hosts to discuss org design in the context of private equity firms. Alice explains the importance of understanding the strategy, value creation plans, stakeholder dynamics and need for systems thinking approach to ensure robust org design whether at a founder led firm or in a large corporation. She emphasizes the tool of considering ‘people plus context equals performance’ and warns against looking at individuals out of context.

Tune in to hear from Alice about her background, her enriching experience and her invaluable thoughts on designing organizations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:34 Alice's Background and Journey

03:51 Complex Stakeholder Dynamics in Private Equity

06:45 Similarities between Founder-Led and Large Companies

07:02 Value Creation Plans in Private Equity

08:00 Importance of Strategy in Private Equity

09:33 Understanding the Context for Performance

10:18 Org Design in Private Equity

14:33 Operating Model of Private Equity Firms

19:19 Trap: Looking at Individuals Out of Context

20:27 Summary and Takeaways

In this episode, Rupert and Shradha are joined by Shefali Salwan, co-founder of CEO Works, to discuss the concept of talent to value. The conversation delves into aligning talent with value creation as a crucial lever for organizational success. Shefali emphasizes the significance of understanding the work and context of a role, rather than solely focusing on talent. She highlights designing without understanding the work as one of the traps that practitioners should watch out for.

Join us to hear impactful organizational case studies from Shefali’s remarkable journey through HR and entrepreneurship.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:04 Shefali's Background and Journey

09:19 The Risk of Small Categories and Role Design

13:12 Execution Risk and Role Context

20:17 Starting with Value Creation and Understanding Work

23:24 The Trap of Designing without Understanding Work

24:59 Conclusion and Farewell

Yet another organizational design trap is not identifying the strategy before embarking on the design journey. Many organizations lack a true strategy and instead have a collection of goals and objectives. Without a clear strategy, organizational design becomes fragmented and disconnected. Leaders need to design a strategy that is adaptable to the changing world, and we, as practitioners, should design organizations capable of executing that strategy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:46 Designing Around People

01:21 Lack of Clarity on Strategy

04:38 Political Nature of Strategy

07:47 Disconnect between Strategy and Org Design

08:08 Articulating the Strategy

09:05 Continuous Change and Adaptability

13:03 Clarifying Language and Strategy

14:32 Takeaways

15:27 Conclusion

We believe 'organizational capability' is one of the most incorrectly used (and understood) terms in organizational design. In this episode, Rupert and Shradha explore the concepts of organizational capability, competency, and strategy. Organizational capability is a combination of people, processes, technology, and ways of working that helps us translate strategy into organizational design. Join us as we discuss why simplifying complex constructs is essential for successful design implementation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Explainer

01:00 Defining Organizational Capability

03:57 Capability and Strategy

04:24 People and Competencies

06:21 Capabilities and Organization Design

08:23 Simplicity in Complexity

09:32 Designing for Understanding

10:27 The Importance of Organizational Capability

12:28 Interconnectedness of Systems, Processes, and People

13:04 Conclusion

Let’s unpack one of the most common organizational design traps: "Designing Around People." Even seasoned professionals like Rupert and Shradha have fallen into this trap because, in the moment, it may seem easier and less disruptive. However, it inevitably leads to long-term problems. Rupert shares a personal story of falling into this trap and the negative consequences it had on his organization. We emphasize the importance of organizational alignment and design, the need for courage to address conflicts, and the significance of aligning with one's values and principles.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Context

01:01 Designing Around People: A Common Trap

06:29 The Importance of Org Alignment and Design

09:23 The Short-Term Gains and Long-Term Pains

10:15 The Need for Courage and Dealing with Conflict

12:00 Aligning with Values and Principles

13:03 Reflections and Takeaways

14:10 Closing Remarks

In this episode, Rupert and Shradha explore the role of power in organization design. A thoughtful organization design recognizes and rewards natural authority. Identifying and considering power in different ways leads to more effective org design. However, not all power dynamics can be addressed through org design alone; leadership behaviours also play a critical role. Join us as we discuss the flow of power in organizations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:37 The Role of Power in Organization Design

03:02 Setting Up Governance Structures

04:00 Balancing Power and Empowerment

05:26 Formal Design Lens and Power Dynamics

06:23 Recognizing and Rewarding Natural Authority

07:21 Thoughtful Design and Power Distribution

08:02 Utilizing Power in Different Ways

09:30 Understanding Power Dynamics

10:26 The How It Model and Power Dynamics

11:33 Recognizing and Controlling Power

12:28 Limitations of Org Design and Leadership

13:12 Flow of Power in Organizations

13:49 Addressing Power Conflicts through Design

14:20 Closing Remarks