SERVICES
Delayering Advisory
OVERVIEW
Turning an established company, governed by a grown hierarchy, into a flatter organization will require removing some layers of management eventually. But the process of delayering entails much more than just resketching the organigram and reshuffling employees. It starts with an in-depth reflection about the design implications of working with a flatter structure, elucidates feasible goals and aspirations, analyses the constraints of a particular company, prior to embarking on implementation. We offer our scientific expertise to senior management along the way, taking an evidence-based but practice-driven approach. We would usually complement the services of implementation-focused service providers.
Key Objectives
We view our primary goal to serve as sparring partners to senior executives and enable them to take more substantiated decisions along the way. If needed and desired, we engage in state-of-the art data analysis to support our recommendations and provide originally developed software solutions to help make the transition to a teams-based organizing. Our goal is met when we both believe that your company is on the right track. We will not shy away from recommending abandoning a restructuring project when it seems better for the company.
Potential Structure
Despite the fast pace at which business unfolds today, we believe that (re-)organization projects will likely fail when being rushed. We have not observed successful transitions that were conceived and implemented in days or weeks. We expect and are committed to working with clients over months, sometimes years.
We recommend kicking-off with a (preferably but not necessarily) offline workshop lasting up to two days and involving all decision-makers. The goal of the workshop is to define whether and, if so, which delayering process may be the right one for your company.
1:1 and 1:n coaching sessions (both online and offline) will all key persons involved – decision-makers and others affected by the transition – will form the main part of our activities over the time that ensues.
Flat Growth Advisory
OVERVIEW
You’re a start-up, and until recently you managed to reach all decisions with your people in the kitchen or while playing table soccer together? And now your business is taking off and you need to hire more people, but you’re concerned with becoming a ‘stuffy’ company resembling some of the traditional players in your industry?
Truth be told – most of you will end up installing a hierarchical structure of some sort or another after a while. But not all of you, and even among those who do, there will be a plethora of different options – depending on your product or service, the people you hired and want to hire in the future. If you care, we may be able to help you determine if and where you can retain some of your flat spirit while you make the next steps in the growth process. We act as individual discussion partners, we are not selling you lots of manpower.
Key Objectives
We’re happy when we feel that you have gained a realistic sense of how you can structure your company during the next stages of your growth. We will try to highlight where it seems reasonable to hope that much decision-making will still be with the team members. We will not shy away from telling you where this seems potentially unworkable, though.
Potential Structure
We understand that many of you work in fast paced markets. We know that many of you therefore believe that (re-)structuring can also be done at high speed. We encourage you, however, to take a bit of time for this kind of project. A company that has to restructure repeatedly, because the original transition failed, can easily end up being confused. Expect to work with us for months rather than weeks.
We recommend kicking-off with a (preferably but not necessarily) offline workshop lasting up to two days and involving all key team members. The goal of the workshop is to define whether and, if so, where flat growth seems realistic.
1:1 and 1:n coaching sessions (both online and offline) will all key persons involved – decision-makers and others affected by the transition – will form the main part of our activities over the time that ensues.
Speeches
You like the book, the tools, the overall approach to thinking about flat structures? You would like (your colleagues) to hear more about the topic from the author and have him present at your company or at another event? Then please contact us directly. Professor Reitzig regularly makes himself available for in-house or public speaking events. Below, find links to his recent TED talks on youtube.
Get Better at Flatter
Use our apps and other resources for free
