I once worked for a firm that reorganized every April. You could set your watch by it.
Nothing important or innovative happened from January to June.
Even at my young age, it was clear after a couple of cycles that the reorganization was a political chess game that had no basis in strategy or operational effectiveness. It was an ego battle of the most powerful players. The employees were the pawns. Customers and shareholders were the victims.
Most restructuring efforts are little more than a real life business version of Game of Thrones. That’s too bad, because “structure” is a powerful tool for creating value. Not the lines and boxes, but the alignment of superpowers with opportunities.
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I had a habit of futzing with my structure. I apologize to those I drove crazy on occasion. I didn’t always get it right the first or second time. However, good, patient and motivated people always helped us get it right eventually. And when superpowers aligned with opportunities, the world was ours for a few moments in time.
If your restructuring efforts don’t focus on bringing superpowers to opportunities, it is mostly b.s.
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