How to Approach an Organization Design

Abstract

The organization designer has two important dimensions to consider when approaching an organization design project. One is the mode of intervention, which can range from providing expert knowledge to the client to engaging in a collaborative process. The second dimension is the number of people involved in the design process, which can range from just a few members of the leadership team to groups of up to thousands (in so-called large group interventions). The approach described here uses a collaborative approach that engages a design team of a manageable size. The design team represents the organization and is mandated by the leadership team to perform the design work. Elements of approaches from other design disciplines can offer useful inspiration for the organization design approach, such as the importance of prototyping and testing. Still, a lot of challenging aspects of the design process remain, especially having to do with the inevitable political aspects at play. Data-driven tools that support the organization design process are increasingly on offer. They may offer support in analyzing the current situation, in prototyping design options, and even in generating new designs.