Earn an Operating Model Workshop From a Vague Reorganization Request

A request to redesign an operating model can hide several different concerns: slow decisions, duplicated work, unclear accountability, or a leader’s desire to change reporting lines. The director should uncover the operating moment before recommending an organization design exercise. A workshop earns its place when it addresses a decision leaders actually need to make.

Ask where work slows down, which decision crosses teams, and what customers or employees experience because of the delay. Ask what has changed in the business and what leaders have already tried. These questions produce a specific starting point without treating a new chart as the assumed answer.

In a fictional conversation, CEO Kim says, “We have too many layers. Can you redesign the organization?” Director Theo replies, “We can help examine how work and decisions move through the company. Which decision currently takes too long, and what outcome do you want it to improve?” Kim describes regional leaders waiting weeks for product approvals. Theo asks whether product, regional operations, and finance leaders can map the approval process together. “That session can show where authority sits today and what choices leadership needs to consider,” he says.

Practice by taking a reorganization request and writing questions about one delayed decision, one affected group, and one measure the sponsor trusts. Roleplay a leader who asks for a preferred structure immediately. Review whether your response stays curious, identifies the participants, and gives the workshop a concrete output: a map of decisions and unresolved ownership.