As the end of the year comes into view, do you find yourself wishing you could just destroy your existing department, eliminate the old organizational chart and start out with a fresh, clean piece of paper upon which you could simply start over from scratch?

What is stopping you?

IF:

• Your department or division is not running as efficiently as it could (or should);
• Folks are in crisis;
• Cuts to people, positions and budgets have left things unrecognizable;
• People are doing more than one job (but for only one paycheck for 40-60 hours/week)

Then you should seriously think about a departmental redesign.

This is not something that can be done overnight or in a one-day off-site retreat. However – there ARE things to do and ways to create a fresh approach. You don’t have to limp into 2020 with a tired team and an ineffective methodology and structure for accomplishing departmental/divisional goals.

You will need to pay close attention to:

• Creating senior-level support and genuine buy-in for a departmental reorganization
• Designing a departmental structure that can meet organizational strategic goals and objectives
• Using departmental policies, procedures, and process to model organizational change
• Developing flexible job descriptions that demand needed skill sets now AND can evolve over time
• Building a collaborative team of individual star performers
• Attracting, selecting, hiring, and mentoring key staff
• Identifying similar as well as complimentary teams and skill sets in other departments that will complement and extend the impact of your department
• Evolving toward your ideal departmental structure even if you cannot start from scratch

Redesigning a department is not simple or easy so don’t view it as a panacea. You may make mistakes and missteps. Success lies in a departmental structure that is tied tightly to your company's strategic goals and objectives. You will have to walk the talk for a lot longer than you may think, but your ability to execute a successful departmental redesign can build credibility within your organization.

Joni Daniels is Principal of Daniels & Associates, a management training and development consulting practice that specializes in developing human resources in the areas of leadership and management training, interpersonal effectiveness and efficiency, skill- building, and organizational development interventions. With over 25 years of experience, she is a sought after resource for Fortune 500 clients, professional organizations, higher education, media outlets and business publications. Joni can be reached at http://jonidaniels.com