Design the Organisation Around Future Work, Not Current Names and Past Contributions

Organisational structures in small companies often emerge gradually. Early employees take on tasks according to immediate need, and one person may handle operations, customers and part of finance at the same time. This approach is effective in the early stage. As the company grows, however, the temporary allocation of work can become a permanent obstacle. The problem becomes visible when the business wants to double revenue, enter a new market or reduce daily dependence on the founder. The owner may assume that better time management is needed. In reality, they often carry responsibilities for which no clear leadership role exists in the structure. The discussion should not begin with a list of current employees. Loyalty, long cooperation and knowledge of the company matter, but they easily distract from future needs. Management starts looking for a way to preserve everyone’s current place instead of determining which functions the company will need to execute its strategy. The first step is to clarify the objective for the next eighteen to thirty-six months. The company must define expected growth, major strategic priorities, planned markets and the capabilities without which the goals cannot be met. This identifies critical areas such as finance, technology, operations, customer experience, partnerships or product development. Only then does it make sense to design the future structure without specific names. A blank chart should show the main functions, necessary management level and responsibilities that should be separated or combined. The aim is not to copy a larger competitor. Every box must have a reason derived from strategy and the real volume of work. Removing names from the first phase limits internal politics and personal considerations. The discussion moves from whom the company should create a position for to who should carry a specific responsibility. Management can then more easily see that one employee handles two roles only through exceptional effort or that no one systematically manages an important area. Once the structure is complete, current people can be assigned. Each person is assessed for present capability, potential to grow into a more demanding role and the support they would need. Some functions may need to be split, while overly narrow responsibilities may need to be combined. There may also be people who perform well in today’s company but do not fit the demands of the planned stage. Empty positions provide the most information. A missing finance leader does not mean financial planning is absent. It means the owner, accountant or another employee performs it without clearly named accountability. The same problem can arise in technology, partnerships, customer care or operational performance. Every empty box should therefore lead to three questions: Who performs this work today? Which decision do they neglect because of it? What risk arises if the responsibility remains informal? The answer does not have to be immediate recruitment. The company may transfer the role, build the capability gradually or use an external specialist. Organisational design is not a one-time exercise in drawing a chart. It must be reflected in authority, indicators, budgets and rules for cooperation. Otherwise, new job titles appear while old decisions still pass through the founder. Real change occurs only when people know what they own and which decisions they can make without further approval. Key Terms Future organisation design: The roles and responsibilities needed for the company’s planned stage, not only for current operations. Informal owner: A person who performs a responsibility in practice without having it clearly assigned. Name-free design: A process that defines required functions first and assigns people only afterwards.

Design the Organisation Around Future Work, Not Current Names and Past Contributions

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