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Lateral Work

Lateral Work A while back as part of our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” we wrote about what we call “Cross-Boundary Work”—which is work that requires two or more employees, who report to different managers, to collaborate to produce an output neither of them...

Task Assignment and Role Accountabilities

Matching task assignment to role accountabilities Over the last few weeks, we have discussed how complexity is a key factor in organization design and the importance of aligning accountability and authority into roles. The last piece of this puzzle is ensuring that...

Decision Authority & Accountability

Accountability & Decision Authority   Leaders say accountability is important. Executives tell us that accountability is important to the success of their businesses, and for good reason. A culture where accountability is used constructively will deliver...

Work Complexity

Addressing work complexity through organizational design The world is becoming more complex with events moving faster than ever. Business leaders must respond effectively and navigate social, environmental, economic, and political realities while delivering value to...

Design for Work not People

Design around work not people   In organization design, there are some standards do’s and don’ts and near the top of that list is “design around work not around people.” As straightforward and obvious as this seems, inevitably leaders will think of their top...

The Three-Tier Management System

Three-Tier Management System In order to ensure that work gets done, organizations need a systematic approach to managerial leadership that clarifies the accountabilities for every managerial leader (anyone who manages people) in the organization and helps them ensure...

Accountability Based Management

Accountability Based Management Accountability based management is one of the most important principles in our work with our clients. It goes without saying that in order to be accountable for a body of work and the attendant outputs, an individual in a role has to be...

Levels of Management and Groupings of Work

Levels of Management and Grouping Considerations in Organization Design Last week’s entry in our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” provided additional perspective on the importance of establishing and formalizing cross-boundary role relationships to improve...

Cross Boundary Collaboration

Cross-boundary Work In this week’s blog, we will delve into what we believe to be one of the most common sources of tension and organizational dysfunction (it shows up in almost all of our projects)—the problems that arise as people try to work effectively across...

Managing Change in Organizations

Managing Change in Organizations In a recent article in our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” we talked about how our unique approach to organizational design, implementation and sustainment focuses on four key areas to assure success and manage risk at all...
Lateral Work

Lateral Work

Lateral Work A while back as part of our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” we wrote about what we call “Cross-Boundary Work”—which is work that requires two or more employees, who report to different managers, to collaborate to produce an output neither of them...

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Articles by Category

Lateral Work

Lateral Work A while back as part of our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” we wrote about what we call “Cross-Boundary Work”—which is work that requires two or more employees, who report to different managers, to collaborate to produce an output neither of them...

Task Assignment and Role Accountabilities

Matching task assignment to role accountabilities Over the last few weeks, we have discussed how complexity is a key factor in organization design and the importance of aligning accountability and authority into roles. The last piece of this puzzle is ensuring that...

Decision Authority & Accountability

Accountability & Decision Authority   Leaders say accountability is important. Executives tell us that accountability is important to the success of their businesses, and for good reason. A culture where accountability is used constructively will deliver...

Work Complexity

Addressing work complexity through organizational design The world is becoming more complex with events moving faster than ever. Business leaders must respond effectively and navigate social, environmental, economic, and political realities while delivering value to...

Design for Work not People

Design around work not people   In organization design, there are some standards do’s and don’ts and near the top of that list is “design around work not around people.” As straightforward and obvious as this seems, inevitably leaders will think of their top...

The Three-Tier Management System

Three-Tier Management System In order to ensure that work gets done, organizations need a systematic approach to managerial leadership that clarifies the accountabilities for every managerial leader (anyone who manages people) in the organization and helps them ensure...

Accountability Based Management

Accountability Based Management Accountability based management is one of the most important principles in our work with our clients. It goes without saying that in order to be accountable for a body of work and the attendant outputs, an individual in a role has to be...

Levels of Management and Groupings of Work

Levels of Management and Grouping Considerations in Organization Design Last week’s entry in our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” provided additional perspective on the importance of establishing and formalizing cross-boundary role relationships to improve...

Cross Boundary Collaboration

Cross-boundary Work In this week’s blog, we will delve into what we believe to be one of the most common sources of tension and organizational dysfunction (it shows up in almost all of our projects)—the problems that arise as people try to work effectively across...

Managing Change in Organizations

Managing Change in Organizations In a recent article in our ongoing series “Organizations that Work” we talked about how our unique approach to organizational design, implementation and sustainment focuses on four key areas to assure success and manage risk at all...

How Continuous Learning makes you a Better Leader

A short while ago we wrote a blog as part of our series Organizations that Work titled “Our Unique Approach to Align Organization Structure with Strategy” – a blog post that explained our three-step process designed to align your organizational structure with your...

The Social Dimension of Work and its two Critical Features: Innovation and Culture

The Social Dimension of Work Originally posted at the beginning of the pandemic as “There's More to Work than Work”, I believe two years later these tips regarding the social dimension of work still resonate, especially as operations begin to ramp up during the...

The Great Decompression: 5 pro tips to getting back to the work you love

Business leaders around the world have been forced to adjust their priorities in countless ways, and in some cases completely re-invent how they work, to deal with the many impacts brought on by the COVID pandemic. Perhaps the most frustrating, time-consuming, and...

COVID may have changed the way we work…forever

Leaps in productivity, the disappearing boundary between work and home life, virtual collaboration… our approach to work has changed fundamentally, and perhaps permanently.

Are you ready for the COVID Reset?

COVID-19 has been with us over 6 months and we now have one full quarter of pandemic business results and a sense of what is ahead of us. One thing is certain, COVID has changed how we as individuals and businesses interact with the world. In “The Great Reset,” (Globe...

Business as (Un)usual

For most of the working people on the planet, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the workplace over the course of the last 8-10 weeks. For the majority of those who remain working at some capacity (50%? 100%? 150%?) the approach to work—from...

There’s more to work than work

COVID-19 has forced companies worldwide to change how they work—a change that many experts suggest could be permanent. Most people would agree that more than “work” happens at “work”. We take the time to define “work” when we are engaged with our clients and to...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part three: Post Lockdown

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part two: Sustainment

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part one: Containment

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

5 Tips to Help Manage the Shifting Demands of the Current job Market

Coming out of COVID, we have seen a lot written about how to bring employees back into the office and accounts of the Great Resignation. Together these movements have created a hot job market, and as a result, we are seeing more employees flexing this...

Challenges of Bringing People back to the Office and how to Overcome them Effectively

Who would have thought returning to the workplace would be so hard? Two years ago, I wrote a blog on the significant adjustment to working remotely. It was still early days in the pandemic and the piece provided an optimistic viewpoint on how we were successfully...

5 Pandemic Tips for Managers that Actually Hold up Two Years Later

Originally posted at the beginning of the pandemic as "Business as (Un)usual", I believe two years later these tips still resonate, especially as operations begin to ramp up during the "return to office" that many organizations are undergoing. For most of the working...

What is a Crossover Manager and why Should I Care?

When leaders ask my advice regarding a performance issue in their organization, I eventually find myself searching out the crossover manager related to the issue. Understanding the concept of the crossover manager will enable you to resolve issues and increase the...

Are you ready for the COVID Reset?

COVID-19 has been with us over 6 months and we now have one full quarter of pandemic business results and a sense of what is ahead of us. One thing is certain, COVID has changed how we as individuals and businesses interact with the world. In “The Great Reset,” (Globe...

Business as (Un)usual

For most of the working people on the planet, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the workplace over the course of the last 8-10 weeks. For the majority of those who remain working at some capacity (50%? 100%? 150%?) the approach to work—from...

There’s more to work than work

COVID-19 has forced companies worldwide to change how they work—a change that many experts suggest could be permanent. Most people would agree that more than “work” happens at “work”. We take the time to define “work” when we are engaged with our clients and to...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part three: Post Lockdown

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part two: Sustainment

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

Preparing for a sustainable return, part one: Containment

With the onset of COVID-19, work life has been stressful for all of us. When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was not something that could be confined to Asia, businesses began adjusting how they operated starting with restricting travel and asking...

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Core International | Organization Design Consultants