Frankenstein Structures

"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change" - Mary Shelley

Frankenstein Structures

Yesterday I helped an organisation start the process of deconstructing their Frankenstein organisational structure.

This retail business had grown quickly from its start-up phase a few years ago and was now a much larger organisation, employing a few thousand people and had multiple routes to market – many of these quite new and developed as a response to the impact of the pandemic.

This fast growth had created both opportunities and challenges that the business had responded to in a very agile manner. This had allowed it to navigate through turbulent times very successfully and profitably.

In isolation, each bit of the structure was added or adapted for very good reasons

However, as a result of this agile approach, the organisational structure had evolved into, what I call, a Frankenstein structure. This is a structure that, like Frankenstein’s famous monster, had been stitched together by adding on bits in a reactive and hodgepodge manner. And this was holding the business back from further growth.

In isolation, each bit of the structure was added or adapted for very good reasons. A sudden influx of online business had led to the creation of a new customer services team. A new product line opportunity had resulted in the hiring of a new director to lead its development. A senior manager resigning led to their team being folded into another department to save the need for rehiring.

However, with the lack of a strategic overview, the overall result was disjointed and dysfunctional

However, with the lack of a strategic overview, the overall result was disjointed and dysfunctional. It was a bit of a monster!

The Anatomy of Frankenstein Structures

• Immediate Problem-Solving: Just as Dr. Frankenstein assembled his creation to conquer death, businesses often bolt on new structural elements to resolve immediate challenges. These decisions are usually logical at the moment but may lead to long-term inefficiencies.
• Lack of Cohesion: Without a unified vision, these added-on parts can lead to a lack of cohesion within the company. Different departments may struggle to communicate or work together effectively, much like the ill-fitting parts of Frankenstein's monster.
• Strategic Confusion: The piecemeal approach can blur the overall strategic direction of the company. Leaders and employees may become lost in the labyrinth of complex structures, losing sight of the organisation's core objectives.

Frankenstein Structures are a common pitfall for small, fast-growing businesses. While the temptation to quickly bolt on new parts of the organisation is understandable, it's crucial to maintain a holistic view.

this requires a leadership team that have the humility and unity to collective prioritise the organisation’s mission and goals over their functional or personal agendas

To achieve this requires a leadership team that have the humility and unity to collective prioritise the organisation’s mission and goals over their functional or personal agendas, and the capability to view the organisation from a 30,000ft perspective.

This article has been published with permission of the organisation that I’m referring to.

Model of the Week

A classic this week from John Adair. It's his 3 Circles model or Action-Centered Leadership model. This model states that a leader must consider each circle in relation to the other two circles. If too much focus is placed on one of the circles (making it bigger like a balloon inflating), the other two circles will decrease in size (or deflate). It's a great model to keep a balanced perspective.

Top Tips - BLUF

BLUF - or Bottom Line Up Front - is a communication model that helps with clarity. It involves presenting the most critical information at the beginning of a communication, followed by supporting details and explanations.

It has the following benefits:

1. It is concise & clear
2. It creates immediate relevance
3. It improves decision-making
4. It is reader/listener friendly
5. It enages the recipients

BLUF might not be suitable for every scenario, but can have massive value when used appropriately.

Other Stuff

• It's my youngest's 18th birthday tomorrow so I will be officially free from any parental and financial responsibility forever (not!)
• My next FREE Working Genius webinar is on 18th August. It's for HR professionals and leaders of teams. You can sign up?here .
• Isn't AI text-to-image great? I created the header image for this newsletter in about 45 seconds for free using Leornardo.ai

Contemplative Cartoon