Why Organisation Design is No Longer a Project - It’s the Nature of Work

In today’s increasingly uncertain economic landscape, businesses face a tough question: How do we stay agile, efficient, and people - centered all at once? One of the most overlooked yet critical answers lies in how we approach Organisation Design (OD).

As someone who works in Organisation Design, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern: OD is often treated like a one-off initiative—something to be done during a merger, a cost-cutting phase, or a major restructure. But the more I’ve worked with organisations, the clearer it has become—this mindset is no longer serving us.

Organisation Design is not a task you complete. It’s not something you revisit every few years. It’s now part of the everyday rhythm of work—just like hiring talent, building performance systems, or delivering on strategy.

Why the Old Model Fails

When companies treat OD as a project, the focus is often on short-term savings, headcount reduction, or separating functions during transformation. But this mindset misses the bigger picture: the human, operational, and strategic dimensions of building a healthy, high-performing organisation.

And the numbers speak for themselves:

• A study by McKinsey found that less than 25% of organisational redesigns succeed in the long term.

• 44% of such efforts lose momentum shortly after launch.

• One-third fail to improve performance or deliver expected results.

• The Project Management Institute also reports that 15% of projects fail entirely, often due to unclear objectives and poor alignment.

This kind of reactive approach creates fragile structures—ones that don’t flex with change or support sustainable performance. And in uncertain economic times, fragility is a liability.

Organisation Design as a Continuous Process

Instead, we need to see OD as a living, breathing process—one that is tightly woven into how we operate every day. Done well, it enables:

• A healthier organisation structure

• Clearer roles and responsibilities

• Balanced spans of control

• Smarter decision-making

• More engaged employees

• A stronger business operating model

OD becomes a key performance indicator for adaptability and resilience.

It’s Time to Be Proactive

Forward-thinking leaders are now asking:

• What’s the ideal structure for our organisation—now and in the future?

• How can we design for both strategic impact and operational excellence?

• Where are the gaps in our current setup—and how do we close them with intention?

These aren’t just structural questions—they're leadership questions. Because when you proactively design your organisation, you create clarity, alignment, and purpose across every layer.

Design Your Own Ideal Organisation

The truth is, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” model. The ideal organisation is the one that works for your goals, your people, and your context. That’s why OD must be an ongoing practice, not a checklist item.

The question is no longer “Do we need to redesign our organisation?” It’s “Are we ready to make OD part of how we work every day?”