Groups of  people bonded together by a common purpose require a defined organizational structure.  This applies whether it is a large corporation, charity, non-profit, government agency, to name just a few of the numerous  types of groups, right up to just a simple family.

The structure can develop organically (e.g., the parent child relationships in a family) or can be very complex requiring a lot of time and effort to develop.Outside consultants may be hired to provide guidance in the more complex cases.

Whether, organic, intuitive or intracately detailed the purpose of the structure is to guide the organization toward efficient and effective achievement of it’s purpose.

This is quite different from the individual goals and objectives that may cascade throughout the organization.  The organization structure enables seemless integration of disparate operations all focused on the overriding purpose of the organization.

Every Piece is Critical

Many years ago, I heard the story of a janitor at one of the Boeing aircraft factories whom, when asked what his work was clearly stated ” I build airplanes”.

The point is clear.  Boeing  builds airplanes and everyone who works there, regardless of their own specific role, plays a part in the companies ability to achieve their outcome.

Well crafted organization structures are a critical tool in making this happen.  Like a school of dolphins or military aircraft in close flight successfull completion of the journey requires every part to fully understand not only their role and accountabilities but all the others as well.

Everything must operate in perfect synchronization to ensure success.

So organization structure is critical, what next?

Hopefully I have set the frame in this post for how critical your structure is to your operations overall success.  In future posts I will explore key aspects to consider while developing that structure.