Tips for Improving Organizational Design Efforts

To our clients and colleagues,
Thank you for the positive responses and feedback we have received from the last two issues of the newsletter. This month’s issue is focused on organizational design and value. As always, we hope these articles provide you with tips and techniques to apply in your organization.

WLH Consulting, Inc. is proud to formally announce an alliance with C/R Solutions. Together, we bring expertise in business performance improvement, technology solutions, and learning design to drive change and increase organizational effectiveness.

Hal Christensen and Lou Roberts of C/R Solutions pioneered The Performance Toolkit.   The Performance Toolkit is a “just-in-time” resource that integrates all the information, knowledge, and skill development needed for employees to work successfully in their role.  Additionally, the Performance Toolkit leverages cutting-edge technology and social networks to guide employees through complex, knowledge-based roles and provides a structure for continuous learning and best practice sharing.

Tips for Improving Organizational Design Efforts

To achieve a competitive advantage, many organizations engage in full-scale restructuring initiatives.  For some organizations, this means centralizing and for others it is moving to a more decentralized structure to get closer to the customer to achieve strategic advantage.  Despite the reason for the organizational redesign, this has become a basic management tool.  As such, leaders need to improve their own skill level associated with organizational design and change management.

Establishing Your Group’s Value Proposition

Marketers craft a value proposition to describe the unique differentiators an organization offers customers through their operations such as quality, price, and service.  This external focus relates to the establishment of “tangible results a customer gets from using the products or services.”

The same discipline and rigor that is used externally to define a value proposition should also be applied internally.  With organizations facing resource restrictions and cutbacks, a group must continuously demonstrate its value.  Leaders need to ask:  What contributions does the group provide the organization?  What outputs does it produce that helps customers both internally and externally?  Why should the organization continue to dedicate resources to the group?