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Playbook · #WORK
Nicht mit dem Organigramm beginnen. Sondern mit Auftrag, Arbeit und Wirkung.
Von der Strategie über die Arbeit zur passenden Organisationsstruktur.
Why this playbook
When decisions take too long, responsibilities overlap or growth overwhelms collaboration, it is tempting to redraw boxes. Yet a high-performing organisation does not begin with positions and reporting lines. It begins with a clear mandate and the question of which outcomes must be delivered, what work this requires and how structures, collaboration and people need to interact.
Organisation development operating model
From strategy through the work to the right organisational structure. The overview shows the path; the four phases explain the approach, output and decision.
Strategic guardrails and success criteriaAgreed in phase 1 · the standard for every phase
Baseline for positions, capacity and costAs a quantitative and FTE baseline, we capture today’s distribution by organisational unit, function and location – the basis for the future allocation and cost comparison.
01 – Understand
OutputClear design mandate
Decision gate 1
Are the problem, mandate and success criteria sufficiently clear?
If not: refine phase 1
02 – Design
The strands influence one another: a new allocation of tasks changes responsibilities, decision rights, roles, leadership requirements and required capabilities.
Design logic
Outputs and tasks determine how work is bundled and structured.
Clarify outputs → capture tasks → bundle tasks → derive structures.
OutputViable organisational options
Decision gate 2
Are the options complete, coherent and robust?
If not: refine phase 2
03 – Decide
OutputAgreed target operating model and realistic roadmap
Decision gate 3
Has the target operating model been agreed and the transition planned realistically?
If not: refine phase 3
04 – Make it work
OutputA functioning new way of working
Communication · involvement · co-determinationSupports all four phases – involving the works council where relevant
The approach in detail
Each phase builds on the previous one. The strategic guardrails and agreed success criteria remain the standard. Communication and involvement support the entire journey; where a works council exists, information, consultation and co-determination rights are reviewed early and built into the process plan.
We clarify the trigger, problem, sponsor, decision rights and affected areas. We test whether a robust strategy is in place. From this we derive four to six organisation-specific guardrails and measurable success criteria. If strategic direction is missing, we identify this as a prerequisite to be resolved first.
Interviews and existing documents make perspectives, performance bottlenecks, duplicated work and change readiness visible. In parallel, we establish the baseline for positions, capacity and cost: as a quantitative and FTE baseline, we capture current FTE by unit, function and location and add available personnel cost and capacity data.
We clarify who needs to be involved and informed, when and how; explain the reason, objective and process; and define the next decision and communication points. Where a works council exists, participation and co-determination rights are reviewed early and the process is aligned accordingly.
An agreed mandate, a shared view of the starting point, the quantitative and FTE baseline, four to six guardrails and verifiable success criteria. Design begins only once mandate and direction are clear.
We clarify outputs and core functions, capture the required tasks and bundle related work. Structural options are developed from these bundles. The quantitative and FTE baseline shows where positions and capacity sit today and what allocation each option requires.
We examine real workflows, handovers, interfaces and decision paths. This shows where the new model changes collaboration and which routines need to be adapted.
From tasks and areas of responsibility, we derive roles, job profiles and the professional and leadership capabilities required in future. We then deliberately assess how well experience, skills and potential match these requirements. This leads to transparent staffing and development decisions; people implications are made visible and decided only on the basis of the agreed target operating model.
Interim results, open questions and genuine design choices are made transparent. Leaders, employees and – where present – the works council are involved in line with their role, without pre-empting decisions or personnel measures.
The canvas serves as a completeness check: do strategy, performance management, governance, structure, processes, people, capabilities and systems fit together? It is not a second process model. The output of this phase is a set of coherent, connected target operating model options.
We compare the models against the agreed guardrails and test them using typical work, customer and decision cases. We assess responsibilities, interfaces, spans of control and the impact on quality and performance.
The current quantitative and FTE baseline is compared with the planned future allocation: which capacity moves where, which roles are created or removed, and what is the cost impact? Savings, additional requirements and one-off transition costs are made transparent as assumptions and validated jointly.
The leadership team aligns on a shared message and the sequence of communication: what has been decided, what remains open and when will further decisions follow? Participation and co-determination steps are firmly scheduled before the target model and potential people implications are communicated.
A well-founded decision on the target operating model and a realistic transition and implementation plan with owners, dependencies and waves. Cost and FTE assumptions are documented; potential savings are not taken for granted.
Roles, responsibilities, decision paths and working routines are introduced. Leaders and employees receive the orientation and support they need for their new responsibilities and collaboration.
Communication follows clear milestones: first the process and why, then the target operating model and genuine design choices, followed by people decisions and the implementation plan. Those directly affected are informed personally before broader communication; leaders communicate consistently, feedback is captured and open points receive clear owners.
We review the agreed success criteria, performance and cost impact and the organisation’s actual ability to operate. Where friction or deviations emerge, responsibilities and routines are adjusted deliberately.
From playbook to practice
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#DELIVER
Why clarity, commitment and genuine ownership matter from the start.
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Organisation as a dynamic interplay of work, relationships and accountability.
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#PEOPLE
Three communication stages make the process, target operating model and people decisions transparent in the right sequence.
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#WORK
Why clarifying expectations and planning carefully create the basis for a convincing start.
Read moreBÜRO HAMBURG
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© 2026 - Michael Zeisig - Game Changing Partner
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