Nowa strona 1 » How to Facilitate Structure Design Sessions with Business Leaders

Workshop Formats, Design Thinking for Structure, and Facilitation Tips

Introduction: Strategic Facilitation of Organizational Design

Organizational structure isn’t simply a chart or a hierarchy. It is a living framework that determines how work gets done, how decisions flow, and how people collaborate. As business models evolve and environments shift, leaders increasingly recognize that structure must evolve as well. Yet, changing a structure is a high-stakes decision with wide-ranging implications for performance, culture, and talent.

Facilitating structure design sessions with business leaders is a core competency for HR and Organizational Development professionals. These sessions are not just planning meetings; they are strategic design workshops that require robust preparation, cross-functional insights, and the ability to balance divergent views. This guide outlines how to successfully plan and facilitate these sessions using structured formats, design thinking principles, and facilitation techniques tailored for senior-level engagement.

Chapter 1: Objectives of Structure Design Sessions

Effective design sessions with business leaders aim to:

Align organizational structure to strategy and value creation logic.
Diagnose current structural challenges and inefficiencies.
Explore alternative structural models (e.g., functional, divisional, matrix, networked).
Build a shared understanding of design trade-offs and consequences.
Co-create actionable structural changes or prototypes.

These sessions should not be about defending existing setups but rather fostering informed, collaborative exploration of better ways to organize for success.

Chapter 2: Pre-Session Preparation and Stakeholder Engagement

The quality of facilitation depends heavily on groundwork laid in advance. Preparation includes:

1. Stakeholder Mapping

Identify all relevant participants across business, functional, and geographic lines. Include decision-makers and those with deep operational insight. Ensure representation from finance, operations, HR, and business units.

2. Clarity of Scope

Define the scope of structural design: enterprise-level, business unit, geography, or function. Clarify whether the focus is on strategic alignment, scalability, agility, or performance optimization.

3. Data Gathering

Collect and synthesize:

Org charts, spans of control, and reporting lines
Role profiles and accountability matrices
Strategic plans and key business metrics
Employee engagement, performance, and collaboration data
Feedback from interviews or surveys

This data grounds the session in reality and allows evidence-based discussions.

4. Readiness Assessment

Gauge leader appetite for change and potential sources of resistance. Use this insight to plan facilitation tactics and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Chapter 3: Designing the Workshop Format

Structure design sessions are not generic meetings; they require specific, interactive formats. Consider the following formats depending on your goals and audience:

Option A: Strategic Alignment Workshop

Goal: Align structure to evolving business strategy.
Participants: C-suite and business heads.
Format: Presentation of strategic shifts, breakout groups on structure implications, synthesis and consensus-building.

Option B: Problem Diagnosis Session

Goal: Identify pain points in current structure.
Participants: Mid- to senior-level managers.
Format: Journey mapping, pain point clustering, discussion of misalignments.

Option C: Design Prototype Lab

Goal: Explore alternative structural models.
Participants: Cross-functional design team.
Format: Small teams create, test, and iterate on structure prototypes using case scenarios.

Option D: Leadership Realignment Workshop

Goal: Clarify leadership roles and accountability in a revised structure.
Participants: Top 20-30 leaders.
Format: Role chartering, accountability mapping, cross-team planning.

Use 1-2 day formats for intensive engagement, with pre-work assignments and follow-up working groups.

Chapter 4: Applying Design Thinking to Structure

Design thinking introduces user-centric, iterative methods into organizational design. The five phases, adapted for structure design, are:

Empathize

Explore employee and customer pain points caused by current structural barriers.

Define

Synthesize insights into clear problem statements. Example: “How might we enable faster decision-making in regional markets without sacrificing control?”

Ideate

Generate diverse structural options without immediate judgment. Encourage blue-sky thinking before narrowing to feasible choices.

Prototype

Sketch structural alternatives (org charts, governance models, team designs). Use role-playing or future scenario simulation.

Test

Evaluate options against criteria such as strategic fit, clarity, speed, cost, and cultural compatibility. Iterate designs based on feedback.

This approach increases stakeholder ownership and results in structures grounded in real needs.

Chapter 5: Facilitation Techniques for Effective Outcomes

Leading structure design sessions requires careful balance between control and openness. Tips include:

Set Design Constraints

Provide clear boundaries (e.g., no budget increase, regulatory requirements). Constraints foster creativity.

Use Visual Thinking

Leverage whiteboards, sticky notes, canvases, and templates. Make thinking visible to accelerate alignment.

Frame Trade-Offs Explicitly

Highlight consequences of structural choices: agility vs. control, centralization vs. responsiveness.

Encourage Constructive Conflict

Create a safe space for divergent views. Use structured debate to surface tensions.

Rotate Perspectives

Have participants assume different stakeholder roles to challenge assumptions.

Synthesize Frequently

Pause to summarize emerging themes, tensions, and partial agreements. Build convergence step-by-step.

Chapter 6: Post-Session Activities and Sustaining Momentum

After the session, don’t lose momentum:

Document and Validate Outputs

Capture key design options, unresolved questions, and decision points. Share with all participants for validation.

Form Working Groups

Set up small design teams to develop and refine prototypes. Assign leads and timelines.

Connect to Change Management

Structure changes require coordinated communication, role transitions, and cultural adaptation. Begin planning early.

Align with Talent Strategy

Ensure that the new structure integrates seamlessly with succession planning, rewards, and capability development.

Plan Pilots or Phased Implementation

Test new models in select units or geographies before full rollout.

Conclusion: HR as Strategic Design Partner

Facilitating structure design sessions is not about drawing boxes—it’s about shaping how the organization thinks, operates, and evolves. HR leaders who master this facilitative role become trusted strategic partners, capable of helping organizations unlock performance through thoughtful structural choices.

By applying design thinking, using the right workshop formats, and guiding leaders through the inevitable trade-offs, HR can orchestrate structure redesigns that are not only technically sound but also emotionally and politically sustainable.