Ambition Without Structure Leads to Disappointment
Ambition. The drive to accomplish, to overcome and to gain. We all have ambition. Whether it is to run that first 10K, save more (spend less) for that next vacation, or earn that PhD. Ambition can also inspire you to start a business.
When we think about a business we focus on the product (or service), the brand (what it means to us or others) and its success (financial performance and resilience). In focusing on these external elements, we can ‘miss’, unintentionally, the importance of what has enabled the creation of something of value, a connection to something meaningful and an investment that provides returns. We may not consider the internal systems — structures — that have enabled the business to recognize these achievements.
Organizational Design (the technical term) focuses on how a business should be structured, based on, amongst other factors: its strategic positioning in the market, the complexity and uncertainty in the industry and the culture it intends to foster. Without a structure for how to coordinate the organizational assets to meet its strategic objectives, disappointment is certain, and failure is imminent.
Is your organization’s structure aligned with your strategy? Does the structure enable the culture you are trying to foster? Is your organization suffering from structural misalignment?
There’s more here. \\
