Watt About Organisational Design?

2025 is just around the corner and lots of business owners we know are already planning ahead.

You're likely using this time to take stock of the year to date, looking at your goals for 2025 and thinking about what you need to do to get there. An important part of this process is reviewing your 'Organisational Design'.

We HR consultants use this term to describe how your business operates from a people point of view. It involves figuring out the best way to arrange your teams, roles and workflows so that everyone knows what they need to do, how they fit into the bigger picture and how they can work together efficiently.

Think of it as being like building the foundation and structure of a house. If the design is strong and well thought-out, everything inside runs smoothly, making improvements easier. If poorly designed, things start to break down, making it harder to grow and adapt.

For you, Organisational Design is about asking questions like:

Are my employees in the right roles, and do they know what’s expected of them?
Is communication flowing easily between departments?
Are decisions being made quickly and effectively, or are there bottlenecks?
Are my processes and systems set up in a way that helps the business to move towards its goals?

How will Organisational Design help me to grow my business?

Organisational Design drives business growth by creating a well-structured, efficient framework that directly aligns with the company’s strategic objectives.

It ensures that the right people are in the right roles, with clearly defined responsibilities and reporting lines, so that everyone understands how their work contributes to the company’s goals.

This strategic alignment enables businesses to focus their resources on high-impact areas, maximising productivity and reducing inefficiencies.

By optimising processes and eliminating redundancies, companies can operate more effectively, reducing costs while improving speed and adaptability.

In short, a well-designed organisation is better equipped to scale, adapt and seize new opportunities, driving sustainable growth.

Has your organisational structure been designed, or has it evolved?

Building an organisational structure is the same as building a house.

First, you design it and then you build it. However, organisations often grow from the ground up, meaning that we find ourselves with structures that have evolved rather than having been designed with intent.

If you were to start from scratch and redesign your organisation to best meet its goals, would it look the same as it does now? If not, it may be time to rethink your structure to ensure its fit for growth, scalability and long-term success.

This is something you should consider when planning for 2025

How are you planning to grow in 2025?

In this guide, we will look at the top 3 growth models and explore how your Organisational Design will need to be adapted to suit each growth model...

Organic growth In these early days, it is common for roles to overlap—for example, the Finance Director may also handle HR. This is fine when you're small and lean, but, as you grow, you must ensure that roles are clearly defined for future needs.

If talent acquisition is key to your growth, make sure this responsibility is clear, even if someone currently holds the role with multiple hats.

You can plan and budget for the new roles you need as you grow.

Growth by acquisition

Your Organisational Design should aim for standardisation if you plan to grow through acquisitions. This means having processes and systems in place to integrate new businesses into your structure easily. Consider creating acquisition integration teams or centralising functions like HR, Finance and IT to support multiple companies and improve efficiency.

Diversification

If you're entering new markets or launching new products, you may need to structure your organisation by division or business units. This allows you to track performance by unit and either centralise or decentralise functions based on the specific needs of each division. A matrix structure may also be helpful, allowing for multiple reporting lines and supporting flexibility across different business areas.

You need to review your Organisational Design regularly...

Once you have designed your organisation or built your ‘wall’, you’ll need to step back and review it regularly to ensure that it remains fit for its intended purpose. While we are all aware of those organisations that restructure constantly and seem oblivious to the fatigue and anxiety this causes, taking a regular 10,000ft view of the structure and adjusting as required will be a necessary part of your strategic alignment. We operate in agile markets and our organisations must respond to the changing market conditions by being agile and flexible.

Watt About Organisational Design?

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