Altering your company’s organizational design is not a decision you can take lightly. There is a reason for your current structure, and making changes to it will ruffle some feathers. Whether you want to shuffle the deck and rearrange how departments are structured, introduce a more efficient workflow, make a change to current structures and systems, or simply make a few adjustments, you need to tread carefully and have a solid plan in place.

People are naturally resistant to change (any type), making it essential that you provide a step by step plan explaining why you want to make changes to your organizational design, what the changes are, who they will impact and when the changes are to take place.

Here are the steps to follow when making a change to your organizational design:

Getting management on board with the changes is a vital part of creating a successful organizational design change.

What is changing? Why are you making changes? What is the benefit of these changes? Does data support the change? Be prepared to make a strong case for the proposed changes.

If you want your employees to get on board, you need to involve them in process. Explain the process, request feedback, and get employees involved or you risk them rejecting the new design.

Design changes take time to implement. Maintain an open line of communication about what is happening and when it is happening. Don’t allow for speculation and rumors to get started.

Have a detailed plan for how organizational design changes are going to be rolled out. Will it be all at once? Over a specific timeframe? A well thought out implementation process will limit issues and frustration.

Once a new structure is in place, allow time for review and feedback to assess how the new processes are working. Expect adjustments to be made.

Issues are bound to arise. Give your employees the tools and support they need to eliminate barriers and issues with the new design.

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