Leader as Organizational Architect, Part 2

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In our last post on aligning an organization’s systems, structures, processes and culture, we discussed some of the ways misalignment creates friction that drags down performance. But when an organization makes the necessary changes to reach align the organizational architecture, something amazing can happen.

We call it “organizational gravity” – the often unseen forces that pull performance toward the strategy.

The more well-aligned the systems, structures, processes and culture are, the stronger the gravitational pull toward the purpose and strategy. As one leader told us, “Then everything just flows, like the tides.”

It’s the responsibility of leaders to create organizational gravity. But leaders often don’t see themselves as architects of their organization’s systems, structures, processes and culture. It’s hard to manage a force you don’t recognize. So when they fall out of alignment, leaders see only the symptoms, not the underlying problem.

What’s it Take to get a Cup of Coffee? Re-structure the Organization

We worked with a resort that had a vast array of properties, including a restaurant attached to its golf shop. The restaurant opened at 8 a.m. Early bird golfers would arrive at 6:30 and find they couldn’t get a cup of coffee before starting their round. Why? Because the resort was organized by function. The f