12
Antipattern #12 · clarity · p. 99
Leaning on Reorgs
Small, iterative changes and the thoughtful allocation of people to where they are needed keep restructures at bay.
The Tin Man Behavior
Resorting to structural change as a plug-and-play tool for change, in an attempt to improve productivity or shift culture, or mask cost-cutting and layoffs.
The Results
- ·Destruction of valuable knowledge and networks
- ·Prolonged drop in productivity
- ·Attention diverted from delivering customer value to surviving the change
- ·Change fatigue, anxiety-driven behavior
How Octopus Organizations Behave Instead
- ↳They focus on changing behaviors and how value is created over changing the org chart.
- ↳They learn how work really gets done before intervening, favoring small iterative changes.
- ↳Where org changes are genuinely needed, they openly communicate, even when the message is difficult.