Many organizations recognize this moment: growth is in place, work is increasing, people are loyal and engaged. And somewhere along the way, roles have blurred. Some employees have become “a little bit of everything.” That once worked fine, or seemed so, but now begins to pinch.
In growth, you often see knowledge carriers remaining in positions that no longer fit what the organization needs. From the best of intentions, customization is created: people are retained because of their experience, given additional tasks, or informally shifted to other departments.
The result?
On paper, everyone has a function, but in practice, management is messy. Who is whose? What do I get to decide on? And where should I pick something up from someone else? If those questions are not clear, you see that responsibilities are not taken, things remain unresolved or finger-pointing occurs.
The organization may even be temporarily paralyzed. Then we need a job center. Or don’t we?
Often this is when organizations say, “We want a job structure.” It makes sense, because transparent pay, fair advancement and clear roles require structure.
But here is an important fallacy: a job home is not a starting point, but an outcome.
Without a clear organizational structure, a job map is primarily a paper exercise. We regularly see organizations that ask: “Can you make an organizational chart for us?” And when we ask about decision-making and responsibilities, it often follows: “That is really too complicated for us … we have changed so much.”
There doesn’t necessarily have to be a tight schedule or “rake. But people MUST know:
This first requires taking a step back: making explicit what has now become implicit.
Structure is never just “hard. The undercurrent counts.
Organizational design may seem like a rational exercise, but it never is just that. People are attached to their roles, their influence, their ways of working. It’s about old and new behaviors, about letting go, and sometimes mourning. What is often forgotten: detachment. Making clear what people are no longer doing. That’s at least as important as determining what someone does. At Bunchmark, we therefore believe that top stream (structure, roles, decision-making) and bottom stream (behavior, emotions, leadership) must go hand in hand. With respect for what was, and with clarity about what the organization needs now.
3 practical tips to get started today
1. Engage in the real conversation, at all levels.
Don’t just get management thinking, but get information out into the organization. Where does it get stuck? Where is energy being lost? There is often more wisdom in the group than thought.
2. Make explicit what people belong to (and no longer belong to).
Appoint responsibilities as well as boundaries. Disengagement is not a rejection of people, but a condition of clarity and ownership.
3. See organizational structure as a means, not an end.
Use structure to discuss inefficiencies, not to hide them behind job titles. A good job structure follows naturally when the basics are right.
Want to know more about how Bunchmark approaches organizational design and how we can help your organization move forward? Book an appointment with Natasja.
