Structure Follows Strategy - Except When It Doesn't: Redesigning Ops at Fieldstone Group
A firm reorganized 18 months ago to match a new strategy. New titles, same problems. The COO is told the reorg didn't work. What actually happened?
Duration
75 min
Difficulty
Intermediate
Stakeholders
4
Company Size
Medium (100-500)
Organizational Background
Fieldstone Group is a 320-person management consulting and advisory firm. Eighteen months ago, the COO led a reorganization from a functional structure (Research, Delivery, Client Services as separate silos) to a 'client-facing' structure with three integrated client sector teams. The reorganization was announced with a new org chart and revised job titles. It was not accompanied by redesigned workflows, updated RACI frameworks, changes to the incentive structure, or retraining for team leads who were now expected to manage cross-functional work. Client complaints about coordination failures have increased 40%. Four senior project managers have left citing 'structural chaos.' The COO believes the strategy is right but the execution was flawed. The CEO is less sure the strategy was right either.
Key Stakeholders
Learning Objectives
- Apply organizational design principles (structure, process, people, incentives) to diagnose a failed reorganization
- Distinguish between restructuring (new org chart) and redesign (aligned systems)
- Use the Star Model or similar frameworks to analyze organizational alignment gaps
- Design a phased redesign approach that builds on existing momentum without requiring a full restart
- Manage the political dynamics of an intervention that implicates the person who commissioned it
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