Schewanick Computer Services

When you mention the words structure, organizational system or process, most business owners flee. The myth that a formal structure will restrict creativity, kill flexibility, make the company too impersonal and lead to bureaucracy is exactly the opposite of what is possible with a well-designed structure.

"Personalities dictate how things are done around here" is not far from the truth for too many companies that struggle.

The stigma of an organizational structure that has the paralyzing effect of stability and consistency is far from the truth. In reality, when you engage a system, you allow yourself to structure your business around what you want your business to achieve, enhance your employees' growth and learning, and build a progressive learning system into the position, thereby fostering change and improvement.

The results you get from your business are directly related to the way you have your business organized. Surprisingly, most leaders pay very little attention to structure, opting to stick with their original structure, while others allow functions and systems to evolve haphazardly and by chance. When leaders focus on improving the structure with an eye toward change, innovations, and environment, they can begin to eliminate the bureaucratic tendencies of a company.

Vision and communication are essential during the creation of your structure. The structure must direct the vision of the individuals toward tomorrow, and it also must give employees clarity on where they are, where they should be going to achieve results, and what help the organization provides to get there. This should all be built into the communication elements of the structure, and is fundamental to continued success.

"We Were Successful Before Doing it This Way and will be Again"

All companies begin for specific reasons. At the outset, activities and purpose are clear; energy and motivation is high. Employees have a sense of hope for a better future. Everyone point to the same direction, and you have great success with it - for a brief time.

After the initial excitement, conditions change internally and externally. This natural turn of events should rise to the willing change of objectives. In spite of the logic of change, modifying goals, and adding new skills, most companies do not change, and instead defend the status quo.

The stark reality is that we do not know what we don't know. We don't know that we're standing still as the world changes, because we only see what's going on inside our business. We don't realize the impact that structure has on moving the company forward or backward, and we tend to not want to view our structures in those terms. We sometimes don't even realize that employees need structure to allow them to meet their own personal needs, which is a prerequisite for organizational change and possibility. When you choose not to look at these factors - these unknowns - you lead your business into complacency.

Without the possibility of an update, your organization becomes a straightjacket.

With no renewed purpose, work and systems become habitual and ingrained. Energy usually created by expectations and achievement drains; motivation is gone and performance suffers. Employees identify more with work than results. Activity for activity's sake becomes the norm. The process becomes more important than the idea of the goal, the objectives, and the vision. Even the boss gets caught up in activity and becomes caught in the downward spiral. The organization's structure, which allows no updating, has become a straightjacket.

Your structure is the vision of your company, and it must be revised as the world changes. Take the time monthly to review your structure and compare where you company is in terms of overall goals, as this will help you decide if the structure is suitable. When you are unwilling to upgrade your structure, you welcome the birth of inflexibility within your business.

Your Vision - The Most Crucial Part of Your Structure

Remember that your vision plays the most important part in determining what structure you need. Let the blended view of your current reality and what your vision is to determine what changes need to be made in the structure--how you are organized.

Use the following questions as a guide:

1. What was your original purpose? 2. What is your current purpose? 3. How have recent changes impacted your vision? 4. What are the key result areas that must succeed? 5. What personal changes do you want in the organization? 6. What obstacles do you anticipate? 7. How can you best arrange the organization for responsiveness, results, people development and growth?

Answering the above questions on a regular basis is the best way to decide both purpose and organization. Having a clear purpose and being structured to continually update and reach that purpose enables you to attract and keep strong management and productive personnel.

As you can see, these few simple questions will achieve great results in a short amount of time. Once you have the system set up to modify your structure, it no longer looks so stagnant. You'll begin to realize your business organization is really your vehicle for growth and innovation, therefore creating the continual upward momentum your business needs.

About the author:

Richard L Reardon is the CEO of the Business Coaching Forum. He has spent over 20 years as a consultant and executive coach who helps businesses and professionals achieve what they want. Visit http://www.TheBusinessCoachingForum.com, or email Richard@RichardReardon.com to begin achieving today!