Organizational Change: Building the Right Structure for Growth, Not Just Filling Gaps

I’m currently working with several organizations facing a pivotal question: How do we evolve our structure to support future growth? Whether it’s realigning a Board of Directors with strategic goals or creating a new Marketing department to manage growth, these tasks can be challenging. For leaders stretched thin by day-to-day demands, the temptation to simply “fill a gap with a warm body” can be strong. But in my experience, taking a thoughtful approach is always more rewarding for the business and its people in the long run.

Over the years, I’ve encountered this challenge myself in various forms—from annual reorganizations to building entire go-to-market infrastructures. At every turn, I’ve approached each decision with a few guiding questions: What’s right for the business financially? Where are there opportunities to streamline processes or develop our team? And is a new hire really the best solution, or could a change in approach solve the issue?

Here are the steps I follow, and a few examples of how this process can work:

1. Identify the Core Need I start by evaluating where the pain points are and why they’re happening. Sometimes the issue is structural, but often, inefficiencies in processes or communication are the real culprits. For example, in one instance, my team kept informing me that we needed a project management department, but after mapping out workflows, we identified bottlenecks that could be addressed through training and better tools instead.
   

2. Define Clear Objectives and Desired Outcomes Next, I work with the team to define what success will look like. Are we aiming to reduce project turnaround times? Improve collaboration? Increase customer satisfaction? Having measurable goals not only guides the change process but also helps ensure alignment with broader strategic objectives. When goals are clear, it’s easier to make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction.
   

3. Assess Existing Capabilities and Gaps

   Before looking outside, I assess the skills and capacity within the team—and sometimes within leadership itself. Leaders may be unintentionally creating bottlenecks by holding onto decision-making rather than empowering their teams. In these cases, there’s an opportunity to coach and develop leaders to delegate more effectively and/or determine at what appropriate levels decisions can be made, which not only clears bottlenecks but also enhances team growth. By giving team members the chance to step into new roles or take on responsibilities, we meet organizational needs while fostering development—a win-win.
   

4. Explore Alternative Solutions This step involves creativity. We might look at improving workflows, implementing new tools, or enhancing communication channels. For example, in one case, we explored different versions of the selling function (direct, broker or hybrid). We spoke to our retailer partners to get their input. And, we ultimately went with a model which provided direct selling to major customers, broker to smaller independents and supplemented with merchandisers to ensure consistent brand representation at the shelf.
   

5. Determine Financial Impact and Business Benefits Every decision comes down to financial feasibility and business impact. In some cases, it’s more cost-effective to bring in an external partner for a specific skill set, while other times, hiring a full-time employee makes sense. In one case, we brought on a vendor and were able to reduce SGA costs significantly by offloading specialized tasks, freeing up resources to focus on core business activities. And this vendor had the ability to stay up to date on the latest and greatest technologies and methodologies which we would not have been able to support on our own.
   

6. Pilot Solutions on a Small Scale If possible, I recommend testing changes on a small scale before a full rollout. For instance, if we’re revamping a process or implementing a new tool, trying it with a single department provides insights and allows us to make adjustments. This approach minimizes disruption and gives us a clearer picture of potential outcomes.
   

7. Engage Stakeholders at All Levels Engaging team members across departments and levels often uncovers insights that might otherwise be missed. Leadership sees the high-level strategy, but front-line employees have unique perspectives on where the real bottlenecks or pain points lie. Their input is invaluable, and it also fosters buy-in, which is crucial for successful implementation. Exiting a long term vendor partnership may look great financially. However, not fully understanding all of the tasks they have supported your organization with over the years may result in some unpleasant surprises when you separate... and no one to get those tasks done.
   

8. Monitor and Iterate Post-Implementation

   Change is a process, not a one-time event. After making adjustments, it’s essential to measure progress against our initial goals and be prepared to make further tweaks. Sometimes that even means scaling back or adjusting the original plan. Regular check-ins on metrics like productivity, morale, or cost savings ensure that changes remain effective over time.

In every case, these steps help create a structure that’s not only effective but also flexible enough to adapt as the organization grows. Change isn’t always easy, but with a thoughtful, strategic approach, it can lead to lasting success—both for the organization and its people.