Review

There’s so much more to a reorg than choosing a shape or a model. This book does a great job of sketching out a sensible 4 step process that’ll help you avoid disaster.

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Project to Product

I'm not sure if the 'Flow Framework' is the golden goose of transformation. I found the theory intriguing, but I have reservations about implementing it within a large organisation. There was a lack of practical implementation advice, and based on my experience, I believe it would be challenging to implement without a team of consultants. Nevertheless, there are plenty of interesting nuggets and principles in this book. It has certainly influenced my perspective on team topologies, and managing those zero-sum tradeoffs between features, quality and risk.

andrewclark.co.uk

Team Topologies

This book is essential reading if you need or want to learn a little more about organisational design. The model in this book is a simplification of a messier reality, but it’s a useful frame of reference. It establishes a limited number of team types and interaction types between teams. The authors then explain how fracture planes and sensing/triggers can help you identify the best team topologies.

andrewclark.co.uk

Radical Focus

The second edition of Radical Focus is one of the better books on implementing OKRs. OKRs are really powerful in the right context. It’s refreshing for a proponent of OKRs to come out and say they’re not useful everywhere. Christina doesn’t recommend their use in operations teams and proposes subtle adaptations of them for exploratory or long-lead-time work. There are many good OKR explainer books, but I feel this one does a great job of describing some of the rough edges and challenges.

andrewclark.co.uk

Key Takeaways

The 20% that gave me 80% of the value.

Reorganisations can be daunting and time-consuming, especially when top leaders attempt to push all the responsibility onto outside consultants. While external expertise may help, losing direct ownership makes it harder to shape a lasting, value-driven outcome. This summary offers a five-step approach—developed by McKinsey practitioners—that emphasises process over merely drawing org charts. The two biggest mistakes are starting too soon with "boxes and lines" and ending the reorg as soon as those are announced. Instead, work through each of these steps in order:

Step 1: Construct the Reorg's P&L

Too many leaders launch reorganisations without defining why it's needed or how they'll measure success. You should articulate concrete value targets (e.g., cutting costs by 10% or improving revenue by 15%), list the resources you'll need, and set a deadline. Be realistic: reorganisations often demand full-time effort from a team including HR, finance, and communications. Also budget for external support if needed. Avoid drifting for 18 months or more—accelerate the schedule. Early on, communicate to employees why you're reorganising, what the timeline is, and whether jobs might be affected. By clarifying benefits and risks, you gain credibility and keep people aligned.

Step 2: Understand Current Strengths and Weaknesses

Rather than focus only on "what's broken," first identify which capabilities already work. Some of these strengths must be preserved. Use surveys or interviews at all levels, not only with senior leaders, to gather perspectives on inefficiencies and best practices. Look for hidden solutions in parts of the organisation that excel at a process. Triangulate subjective input with cost, productivity, and operational data to confirm which changes can yield the biggest benefit. Comprehensive diagnostics also reduce the tendency to rely on rumours or personal biases. Then share findings so participants see the value of their input.

Step 3: Choose from Multiple Options

Leaders typically fixate on "the answer" by simply changing the reporting lines, ignoring processes or people. They also sometimes adopt one "best practice" model from another firm that may not suit their culture. Instead, generate different ways of organising—top-down if you need fundamental transformation; bottom-up if only selected areas need rework. Compare benefits, risks, and the fit with your culture. Refrain from bypassing "difficult" leaders. Inclusion often turns adversaries into advocates. Also weigh the importance of capabilities and mindsets alongside the new org chart. Only after debating a few solid options can you finalise a structure that aligns to your goals.

Step 4: Get the Plumbing and Wiring Right

This is typically the hardest part because you turn design ideas into precise roles, processes, and systems. Many reorgs drag on when leaders handle each detail sequentially or try to change everything at once. Instead, plan tasks in parallel and aim for a decisive, relatively quick launch. Do not keep current leaders in their same roles until the end—move them early so they champion the new design. If 80% of the organisation must change, do it in full detail and let only a few legitimate exceptions (e.g., very small business units) hold off. Communicate practical details: who goes where, how each process changes, and which IT systems must adapt. Providing a "cookbook" (a concise, step-by-step guide) enables local teams to implement consistently, with minimal confusion.

Step 5: Launch, Learn, and Course-Correct

Finally, the new design goes live—but you should track progress against real outcomes, not just whether roles and processes got updated. Focus on both inputs (e.g., staff assigned, new sales calls) and outputs (actual cost savings or growth in revenue). Plan a "5,000-mile check" after one or two reporting cycles, revisiting pain points or misalignments and fixing them promptly before they escalate. If you merely announce success and return to "business as usual," the reorg rarely sticks. Help people change their daily habits and culture. Capture lessons for the future, noting who led which workstream and which pitfalls you faced. This repository ensures your next reorganisation can run more smoothly.

Common Pitfalls and Remedies

Communications Throughout the Process

At each phase, ask what employees and stakeholders most need to know. Early on, they want to understand why a reorg is happening, the timeline, and whether jobs are at risk. As planning and design progress, shift toward describing design options and asking for input. When you near implementation, your messages should explain who’s moving into which roles, what new processes look like, and how day-to-day work will change. Finally, after launch, emphasise how everyone should behave differently to realise the reorg’s benefits, and keep listening for problems that need quick fixes.

Two major traps:

• Wait and see: Trying to hide the reorg until you have all details sorted only fuels rumours and distrust.
• Ivory-tower idealism: Overenthusiastic visions ignore employees’ immediate fears about jobs or workloads.

Both scenarios alienate staff. Instead, communicate simply and often, give people clear ways to provide feedback or ask questions, and track whether your messages actually reach them. Remember that high-value employees in particular need reassurance if they sense impending turmoil.

Conclusion

A successful reorganisation is more than rearranging lines and boxes. It delivers tangible business results and lays the groundwork for future agility. Leaders must define clear goals (Step 1), investigate the current state thoroughly (Step 2), weigh multiple potential designs (Step 3), plan and execute detailed changes (Step 4), and then measure outcomes while staying ready to adjust (Step 5). Skipping steps, ignoring people’s concerns, or celebrating too soon causes most reorgs to stall or fail. Instead, follow these five steps in order, communicate openly, move at a brisk pace, and guide your employees with honesty and respect. Although reorgs will never be easy, this systematic approach helps you unlock new value, keep the workforce engaged, and ensure the organization is fit for the challenges ahead.

Deep Summary

Longer form notes, typically condensed, reworded and de-duplicated.

Introduction - A Practical Manual for Your Reorg

Reorganisations can be gruelling. Leaders often feel tempted to hire outside consultants to handle the entire process, hoping to avoid the huge time drain, the difficult conversations, and the anxiety they cause among employees. Yet, when top leaders outsource everything, they risk losing control of the process and missing the opportunity to shape the organisation's future from within.

Most books about reorganisations focus on the final structure itself but the authors of this book (from McKinsey) instead emphasise the process to follow. Many reorgs fail because they jump straight to drawing new org charts and assume the job ends there.

Two of the biggest mistakes:

• Starting too soon with "boxes and lines,"
• Ending prematurely, right after announcing them.

The five-step process outlined here ensures every key activity happens in the right order. It includes:

1. Defining clear financial and performance objectives (the reorg's "P&L" case).
2. Diagnosing current strengths and weaknesses.
3. Exploring multiple design options and choosing the best fit.
4. Carefully planning "plumbing and wiring" (roles, reporting lines, systems).
5. Launching, testing, and adjusting in real time.

Following these steps can substantially shorten the overall timeline—often from eighteen months down to nine or fewer—and minimise disruptions. By planning communication in tandem with each phase, leaders keep people informed, engaged, and motivated, which prevents painful surprises and reduces resistance.

This approach gives executives a systematic way to steer the organisation through change, rather than relying solely on external support or stumbling through trial-and-error. Done right, a reorg can be a powerful way to unlock new value and revitalise a company for the challenges ahead.

Part 1: Why Reorgs Are So Difficult

Chapter 1: The Data · What Works and What Doesn't

Survey data shows most reorganisations fail to meet their full objectives, with fewer than 20% delivering everything promised on time. Nearly 70% create at least some value, but only 16% are considered unqualified successes, and about 9% do outright harm. One reason is that many leaders launch reorganisations without a clear business rationale.

"Your organisation is perfectly designed to give you the business results that you have today." If you want different results, you must change the structure, processes, or the people themselves. Reorgs focused on growth or reducing complexity are the most likely to succeed; those triggered primarily by a leader's whim or a vague sense of "wanting change" are most likely to fail.

Success depends more on how a reorg is delivered than on why it is done. Many leaders stop at drawing new lines and boxes, then claim victory before the detailed design and implementation are complete. This is where much of the complexity and pushback arise; failing to see it through leads to missed targets and half-finished efforts.

On average, reorgs take twelve months to implement once the basic concept is approved, and a quarter of them drag on for more than eighteen months. Prolonged uncertainty heightens distraction and raises the risk that key people leave. Data consistently shows that faster reorgs have higher success rates, partly because they minimise employee anxiety and keep everyone focused on achieving the new goals quickly.

Common issues include:

• Active employee resistance
• Insufficient resources allocated to implementation
• Distraction from day-to-day activities
• Leader resistance
• Over-focusing on org charts without changing how people work
• Employee turnover or demotivation
• Unexpected extra tasks (e.g., IT changes, multi-language communication)

Although morale often dips during a reorganisation, it rebounds over time. Within six months after implementing major changes, the proportion of people reporting a morale decline usually drops below 30%. The quicker the process, the sooner staff can adapt and move on.

For a reorg to succeed, leadership must stay committed and involved, often devoting at least a day each week to the effort. Alignment across senior leaders is critical; if they do not agree on objectives or fail to invest time, the entire programme suffers. While outside support can help, leaders cannot fully delegate a reorg. Ownership and direct engagement from the top make the biggest difference.

Chapter 2: Communicating to Stakeholders · The Rules of Engagement

Effective engagement starts with a single, continuous plan and a clear point person—often a communications manager—who drives and coordinates messages throughout the reorganization. This ensures consistency, prevents contradictory announcements, and frees up leaders to focus on bigger decisions.

Two major communication traps frequently undermine reorgs:

• Wait and see. Leaders keep everything secret until they have all the answers, but rumors spread regardless. By the time the new structure is announced, employees have already formed their own (often negative) conclusions, undermining trust and credibility.
• Ivory-tower idealism. Leaders are so enthusiastic about the new design that they communicate lofty visions from day one. Employees, however, are mostly worried about job security and specific personal impact. Without concrete answers, the leader’s upbeat tone comes off as insensitive and out of touch.

Communication needs to happen more often than feels natural. As Iain Conn puts it:

“You need to treat people with respect and dignity, being transparent and telling them what is happening and when. You need to keep communicating with people. The biggest mistake is to communicate once and think you are done. You should keep communicating, even things people have heard already, to reinforce the message and ensure it sinks in. You should also never forget that you should be communicating to both employees whose jobs may be at risk and the vast number of employees who will stay with your company and make it successful.”

Staff want clear answers to four critical questions: why the reorg is happening, what will happen when, how it affects their roles and work environment, and what is expected of them

Leaders should encourage “least path communication”—direct channels that let employees ask questions and share feedback rather than relying solely on a strict chain of command. Tracking who receives messages and collecting questions via confidential emails or surveys help you verify that information is reaching everyone and address recurring concerns quickly.

Beyond employees, four stakeholder groups often need focused communication:

• Unions or workforce councils (in some regions, early and structured discussions are legally required)
• Customers and suppliers (to ensure new structures improve service and supply chains)
• Regulators and government bodies (to reassure them quality and compliance won’t suffer)
• The board (to clarify timelines, risks, and expected outcomes)

Building the right reorg team is essential. Typically, it includes a project leader, HR and finance representatives, a communications specialist, and knowledgeable managers from key units or functions. These individuals need the resilience to handle conflict, sufficient authority to make decisions, and direct access to senior leaders who can resolve issues. By preparing them well and giving them a structured process to follow, you boost the team’s effectiveness and help them guide the organisation through inevitable challenges.

Part 2: A Better Way - The Five-Step Process

Chapter 3: Step 1: Construct the Reorg's Profit and Loss

Many leaders begin a reorg without truly defining why they’re doing it or how they’ll measure success. Consider three broad questions:

• Do you have a specific value target, even if negative (like cost reduction)?
• Have you accounted for resources and potential disruption?
• And have you mapped the entire timeline, not just the early phases?

Worst case, you have no defined value, no budget for internal or external support, and no completion date. Best practice, you have a quantified goal, a clear resource plan, and an accelerated but realistic schedule.

The most important thing to have before you start is a really compelling reason for the change. Even if the reason is negative, such as a need to cut costs, if it is clear, then everyone can be galvanized to get on with the change.” If you can’t clarify your rationale, stop and reconsider whether a reorganisation is truly the right path.

A good project charter usually covers these basics:

• Objective: What do you want to achieve?
• Benefits: What is the measurable value of doing this?
• Costs: What resources—financial, talent, time—will this require?
• Risks: Where might the reorg go off track, and how can you mitigate that?
• Decision makers: Who has authority to finalize major calls?
• Stakeholders: Who else needs to be kept in the loop?
• Timeline: When do phases start and end, and how do you know you’re done?

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Ill-defined benefits. Simply aiming for “cost cuts” or “growth” creates confusion. Be specific. For cost reduction, set precise targets in each unit. For revenue, define “world-class” or “best in class” with metrics.
• No consideration of resources. Reorg teams need people who commit real time (project manager, HR, finance, communications, functional experts). Factor in external support costs if needed. Expect a dip in productivity—recognize the human cost and plan for it.
• No agreed-on timeline. Many reorgs drift for 18 months or more. Accelerate so that results appear earlier and staff aren’t stuck in limbo. Plan all the way to when the new structure delivers real value, not just when you finish drawing new org charts.

Winning Ways

• Explicitly define value. Spell out both cost and effectiveness gains. Include “hard” numbers (e.g., 10% cost reduction, 15% revenue increase) and confirm exactly how they’ll be measured.
• Identify risks as well as costs. Budget for the project team, plus disruption, morale dips, or lost sales. Map out which risks could bottleneck the whole process (e.g., a delay deciding pay grades might freeze hiring).
• Set an accelerated timeline. Quicker reorgs reduce uncertainty. Focus on a few key deadlines, assign strong talent, and be ready to handle tough conversations fast.

The first principle of communications is to start with what people need to know. Early on, share the reason you’re reorganising, clarify the basic roadmap, and set realistic expectations about job impact and timing. Identify top talent and reassure them; they’re critical to your future and may get spooked by vague announcements. Frequent updates—via emails, blogs, Q&A sessions—keep everyone informed so rumours don’t fill the void. Avoid overpromising if layoffs are possible; it’s better to be honest than lose credibility. People may not believe everything you say, but clear, consistent messaging at least shows respect and helps them brace for change.

Process Steps

• Confirm that the reorg is worth it: do benefits exceed costs and risks?
• Draft a project charter (objectives, benefits, costs, risks, decision makers, timeline).
• Assemble your core reorg team with clear roles and authority.
• Align leadership: they must commit to the targets and invest real time.
• Communicate early about why you’re doing this, how long it’ll take, and when employees can expect more details.

Chapter 4: Step 2: Understand Current Weaknesses and Strengths

Most organisations skip a thorough diagnostic, rushing straight to fixing "what's broken" without identifying which core strengths they must preserve. Think of three essential questions:

• Did you investigate previous reorgs thoroughly?
• Did you consult a cross-section of people or only the top team?
• Did you combine interviews and surveys with analysis?

On the best end of the spectrum, you create a broad fact base, consult multiple layers and stakeholders, and hunt for both strengths and weaknesses. Worst case, you rely solely on senior leaders' unverified complaints or anecdotes.

Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Focusing Only on Weaknesses: Map not only the underperforming elements but also the healthy ones you should protect. When you do find issues to fix, think carefully about how much the organisation can handle and where you really need disruptive change.
• Check the intersection between what leaders say is broken and what truly matters. If an area is a real performance gap and everyone knows it, that's a natural reorg priority. If there's a gap but leaders don't see it, you'll need to build a stronger case for change
• Listening Only to Leaders: Senior leaders offer valuable insights, but they have personal biases shaped by their past. Middle management often has different concerns, and frontline teams may see operational realities leaders overlook. Getting a wider perspective helps you discover hidden blockers and also pinpoint bright spots you can replicate.
• Survey or interview a representative sample from all levels and geographies. Sometimes the middle is the "clay layer" resisting change; other times, frontline staff have viable solutions leaders have missed.
• Relying on Hearsay: While interviews are useful, they can devolve into opinion collecting. You also need data on performance metrics, costs, and market realities. Structured surveys, activity analyses, and even customer/supplier input will reveal whether certain issues are genuine or simply top-of-mind for a vocal leader.

Winning Ways

• Identify Strengths to Preserve: Maintain crucial capabilities or cultural elements that set you apart, so you don't inadvertently destroy something that has made you successful.
• Ask questions like "Which parts of your day-to-day work do you think are really effective?" and "Where do we outperform competitors?"
• Hear Everyone's View: Don't limit your diagnostic to the top team. Middle managers can tell you how processes and roles operate on the ground. Frontline teams know where real bottlenecks or inefficiencies arise.
• Survey a broad set of employees, possibly with a card-sorting exercise or an online tool. Consider getting input from customers, suppliers, or regulators as well.
• Triangulate with Analysis: Combine interviews, surveys, and operational/financial data (e.g., cost breakdowns or process efficiency metrics). If leaders believe a certain function is "too costly," confirm by exploring headcount, outsourced spending, and overhead to see where and how budget is actually used.
• Gather performance data from different business units, compare internal benchmarks (one region vs. another), or look to external benchmarks selectively. Then align those findings with interview responses to see which problems are truly significant.

Communications in Step 2

• Staff and leadership needs: They'll want to know why you're asking for input and whether you plan to fix real issues or just cut roles. If people feel singled out, they may assume they're targeted for layoffs. Proactive messaging minimises anxiety and encourages honest participation.
• What to communicate: Emphasise that you're looking for strengths as well as weaknesses. Explain the scope: which teams you're surveying and why. When you wrap up, share high-level themes so participants see their input mattered.
• How to communicate: Leadership should introduce the diagnostic phase (via email, town halls, or blogs) and provide Q&A so managers can handle concerns. Track who has received messages and whether employees are actually opening them. Gather any questions that arise and respond transparently.

Putting It All into Practice

1. List all major elements of the organisation (people, processes, structure) in each function or region.
• People
• Number of people
• Capabilities and experience
• Mind-sets and behaviors (including motivation)
• Processes
• Management processes (strategy, risk, capital allocation, business planning, performance management, people attraction and development, etc.)
• Business processes (technology and R&D, capital projects, operations and maintenance, marketing, sales, etc.)
• IT systems
• Structure
• Governance and delegation of authority
• Reporting lines
• Role descriptions or job profiles
2. Design a data-gathering method: short interviews, surveys, or card sorts. Involve a balanced group—senior leaders, middle management, frontline staff. Consider external feedback, too.
3. Analyse cost drivers (e.g., which activities influence headcount or contractor spend) so you know where big wins might lie.
4. Triangulate: Compile interview notes, survey results, and performance/financial metrics into a succinct "gallery" or poster-style briefing for senior leaders.
5. Share key insights—including both positives and negatives. Explain the next steps and how the diagnostic feeds into future design.

By systematically diagnosing strengths and weaknesses, you keep from blindly tearing into what already works. You also reveal where change truly matters—laying the foundation for a reorg plan that delivers real results.

Chapter 5: Step 3: Choose from Multiple Options

Many reorganisations treat Step 3—choosing the new model—as the sole focus, skipping the groundwork of defining value (Step 1) and mapping strengths/weaknesses (Step 2). In reality, failing to do those earlier steps often leads to ill-fitting “copy-paste” designs that erode value. Think of a few guiding questions:

• Are you exploring multiple potential solutions or imposing one “best practice”?
• Are you addressing processes and people, not just lines and boxes?
• Are you openly engaging troublesome stakeholders or trying to bypass them?

Pitfalls and how to avoid them

Focusing only on lines and boxes: Shuffling reporting lines alone barely alters people’s day-to-day behaviour. You also need to address processes (how work gets done) and people (capabilities, mind-sets, and numbers).

• Look at three dimensions—people, processes, and structure. If you cut too deep in a high-performer area, you risk destroying a core strength. If you ignore processes, the same dysfunction creeps back in.
• People:
• Head count and allocation
• Capabilities, experience, and motivation
• Mind-sets and behaviors (incentives, cultural norms)
• Processes:
• Management (strategy, risk, capital allocation, performance management, etc.)
• Business (R&D, marketing, operations, sales, etc.)
• IT systems (which often drive or hinder process change)
• Structure:
• Governance and delegation of authority
• Reporting lines and org charts
• Role descriptions or job profiles

TopDown vs Bottom Up Approach

Top-Down Works well if the company faces a big industry shift or if the existing structure is badly broken. You create a few high-level “concepts” (e.g., by function, product line, or geography) and compare pros and cons against criteria such as cost savings, cultural fit, and speed. This often involves workshops where leaders debate each concept’s implications for processes and people, not just reporting lines.

Bottom-Up: If most of your organisation works but a few areas underperform, you can generate practical fixes directly from those most in the know. Brainstorm a list of changes—such as combining teams, reducing activities, altering processes, or rotating leadership roles—and decide which to adopt. This approach is more surgical, typically preserves more of what already works, and can be less disruptive.

Winning Ways

Don’t Skip Steps 1 and 2: It seems obvious, yet many companies jump straight to org charts. If you haven’t clarified why you’re reorganising and which current strengths to keep, your new structure won’t deliver real benefits.

Cover People, Processes, and Structure: Changing reporting lines alone rarely shifts behavior. Identify what capabilities you need, how to motivate people, and how essential processes should run. Then, ensure the new structure supports these changes.

Explore Different Options: Lay out several potential models or a list of discrete improvements. Compare them against agreed criteria (e.g., cost savings, revenue upsides, cultural alignment). Avoid going all in on the first idea that pops up or what you think is industry “best practice.”

Have the Leadership Debate Now: “In the tent” debates may be messy but yield better buy-in. Reorg veterans often discover leaders who initially resist can become the strongest champions once their views are heard.

“When we changed our structure, we had to be thoughtful about our culture. When we started, we tried to do too much by consensus building but then realized that, here, you have to get some decisions on the structure made top-down and then, when the dust has settled, engage leaders in defining how to apply those decisions in different areas of the bank.”

How to Handle Communications in Step 3

• Staff Perspective: They still want to know who keeps or loses their job, but that detail likely isn’t set yet. Focus on clarifying timelines for decisions and keeping people engaged.
• Leader Perspective: They see that big decisions are happening now. Include them in discussions so they understand the logic behind each option. If they’re left out, they’ll assume the worst.
• What to Communicate: At the start of Step 3, outline the process, who’s involved, and when milestones will be reached. At the end, summarise the chosen model in general terms (people, processes, structure). Promise clarity on individual roles in Step 4. For leaders taking on new responsibilities, have candid one-on-one talks about what the changes imply.

Putting It into Practice

1. Revisit Steps 1 and 2: Are you clear on benefits and challenges before diving into structure?
2. Choose an Approach: A top-down model for major, companywide shifts; bottom-up if you only need to fix select areas.
3. Address People and Processes: Don’t just draw lines—consider capabilities, behaviours, incentives, crucial processes, and IT.
4. Generate Multiple Ideas: Weigh at least two or three meaningful options or many small targeted fixes.
5. Engage Key Leaders: Schedule regular sessions to test ideas, refine details, and resolve conflicts rather than presenting a single “done deal.”
6. Communicate Wisely: Keep staff informed about timing, keep leaders in the loop on design logic, and highlight that the full impact on individual jobs will come in the next step.

This balanced approach—covering people, processes, and structure; offering true design options; and including everyone in the debate—prevents your Step 3 from becoming a mere shuffling of org charts. Instead, you’ll lay a solid foundation for both faster alignment and longer-lasting results.

Chapter 6: Step 4: Get the Plumbing and Wiring Right

Step 4 is often the toughest because the plan now hits reality. Even if earlier phases were flawless, this is where leaders must deal with staffing changes, complex processes, and IT updates under time pressure. A well-structured approach can compress the timeline, but a fragmented plan can drag on for months, undermining morale and eroding trust.

Pitfalls:

Long sequential planning and evolutionary implementation: Too many reorgs tackle tasks in a step-by-step chain that stretches for a year or more. By the time they finish, needs have changed and staff are exhausted. Instead, identify essential tasks, schedule them in parallel, and use at most a few immovable deadlines.

Leaving leaders in old positions to resist change: “One of the biggest mistakes in any reorganisation is to leave leaders in their existing positions and to allow the reorg to be portrayed as something separate, happening to the organisation.” If senior managers keep their old roles while changes swirl around them, they have little incentive to make the new design succeed. Move critical leaders quickly so they champion, rather than resist, the reorg.

Trying to change everything, and changing nothing: If you try to impose uniformity on every unit, you waste time on marginal areas. Conversely, granting too many exceptions dilutes impact. Identify which parts must comply fully—ideally 80 percent of your business—and allow a measured delay or adaptation for the rest.

Confusing your people: By Step 4, many more employees are pulled into detailed design, yet they may not have the same background as the core team. Without clear instructions, they’ll produce inconsistent outputs. Provide jargon-free templates and timelines so everyone knows exactly what to do and why.

Activities typically required:

• People: Decide leader placements, finalise head count, define job profiles, address layoffs or relocations, update pay structures, fill capability gaps, and plan training.
• Processes: Adjust P&L and management reporting, modify IT systems, rework business and management processes (e.g., capital allocation, performance reviews).
• Structure: Clarify all reporting lines, confirm governance, standardise job titles or families, and ensure the new org matches the reorg’s targets and head-count levels.

Handling invalid expectations”

You will hear invalid exceptions such as “our country can’t do this for legal reasons” or “we need a new system first.” Ask to see the specific law or find a temporary workaround. Real exceptions (sub-scale units or extreme legal obstacles) might justify a minor delay or different approach. Insist that all others follow the main plan on time.

Winning Ways:

Plan in parallel, implement as a revolution: Rather than letting tasks pile up in slow sequence, schedule them simultaneously and anchor them to a short, firm date. Avoid adding nonessential projects so you can finish quickly.

Give leaders a stake in the new organisation: Appoint new roles at the start of Step 4 so managers own the outcome. If someone is better suited for a different job or prefers to exit, address it now, before they undermine implementation.

Identify the 80% percent to change, do that in 100% detail: Target the bulk of the business where change delivers maximum impact, and plan it down to roles, processes, and IT changes. For smaller exceptions, set later deadlines rather than letting them delay the entire reorg.

Create the cookbook: Provide local teams with a simple guide describing (1) what the end state looks like, (2) a short method to get there, and (3) a rollout plan. This resource ensures consistency, prevents guesswork, and clarifies which elements are fixed versus flexible.

Comms in step 4:

Communications must shift from broad concepts to personal impact. Leaders should explain who is moving where, how staff can adapt, and how day-to-day work will change. If staff see clarity about their roles, they can finally engage with the bigger vision. This phase often involves formal announcements, confidential conversations (especially with high performers), and prepared Q&A sessions. By the time new roles are assigned, you can launch more exciting communications about the future, because people will be ready to listen once they know exactly where they stand.

Chapter 7: Step 5: Launch, Learn, and Course-Correct

Most organisations race through the final stretch, relieved the reorg is "done." Yet Step 5 is where you confirm whether all your effort actually delivers value. Think of a few key questions: do you measure only the things you changed (inputs) or also the business results (outputs)? Do you make course corrections quickly when issues arise, or let them fester? Do you treat the reorg as the new normal, or revert to business as usual? Handling these well can make or break your transformation.

Pitfalls:

Only measuring inputs: Many companies check off "all roles filled," "process changes launched," or "IT updates completed" but never revisit whether the reorg meets its original goals. Return to your Step 1 targets (e.g., cost cuts, revenue improvements) and track those metrics alongside input measures.

Letting issues fester: People fear raising problems, or leaders ignore them, hoping they'll vanish. Unresolved confusion undermines credibility fast. Use early-warning metrics and plan a "5,000-mile check" to uncover what is or isn't working. Fix issues quickly rather than hoping they fade away.

Going back to business as usual: After months of work, everyone wants to move on. But if you don't reinforce new behaviours, the reorg never sticks. Keep emphasising why the organisation changed. Link roles, processes, and behaviour back to the business rationale until these patterns embed.

Forgetting the whole business: Most reorgs happen more than once, yet companies rarely document lessons or keep track of who did what. The same mistakes recur. Capture insights—both good and bad—so your next reorg starts on stronger footing. Build a repository or at least note who gained reorg experience.

Winning Ways:

Comms in Step 5:

Employees still need clarity, but now in a more practical sense: how do they actually do their jobs differently? Many issues only surface once they try the new ways of working.

• What to emphasise: Circle back to the reorg's core business rationale and big changes, reminding people of the desired outcomes. Maintain two-way channels (email hotlines, periodic surveys, or manager briefings) so front-line staff can flag problems fast.
• How to do it: Regularly highlight early successes to show momentum. Provide leaders with a script or Q&A that explains how to handle tricky feedback. Keep asking for input, then fix what isn't working to prove you're listening.

Ultimately, a reorganisation finishes not when new boxes appear on an org chart, but when your company hits the objectives you first defined. Step 5 is about ensuring you actually reach those goals, learning from any shortfalls, and equipping yourself for the next time the market forces change—because reorgs are rarely a one-time event.

Chapter 8: Bringing It All Together

The two most important messages we urge you to take away:

• You need to understand the benefits the reorganisation may bring, the costs and risks you face, and the time and effort it will take to deliver.
• You are reorganising people, and what you do affects their careers, incomes, job satisfaction, and well-being.

You need to deliver business results but design your approach to be as caring as possible to all your employees. Communicate through the process - most employees hate these kind of changes, but secrecy and uncertainty is often worse. Even if all you can communicate is timelines, it is better to do that than not to communicate.

Don’t underestimate how distressing a reorganisation can be → try to get it completed as quickly as you can so that people can move on and start making the new organisation work. By acting quickly, you’ll also minimise costs and deliver benefits sooner. Don’t skip any of the 5 steps, and make sure you go through them in order.

Don’t underestimate how difficult a reorg is - redrawing lines and boxes is simple, but implementing everything isn’t.

Step 1:clearly define its value proposition. This involves establishing explicit benefits, carefully considering required resources, and setting an accelerated timeline. Without these foundations, the reorganisation risks becoming directionless and costly.

Step 2: Understanding the organisation's current state. Rather than fixating only on problems, successful reorganisations identify existing strengths worth preserving. This requires gathering diverse perspectives across all levels and validating assumptions with concrete analysis.

Step 3: Evaluating multiple organisational options. Leaders must resist the temptation to skip earlier steps or focus solely on structural changes. Success comes from considering people and processes alongside structure, exploring various possibilities, and engaging leadership in meaningful debate about options.

Step 4: Implementation planning. Rather than taking a slow, sequential approach, successful reorganisations plan multiple workstreams in parallel and implement changes decisively. This includes securing buy-in from leaders, focusing on the most critical changes, and creating detailed guidance for the new organisation.

Step 5: Launching the new organisation while remaining vigilant for issues. Rather than just tracking activity metrics, leaders should measure both inputs and outputs, conduct thorough reviews after implementation, and capture lessons learned. This ensures the reorganisation delivers its intended business results while building organisational knowledge for future changes.