Stephen Redwood shares an article that was written in response to a common question clients ask about organization design projects and why they go awry. It’s a funny thing, but when it comes to the subject of organization design the first question clients usually ask me is: “How can we not screw this up?” Not unreasonably, clients recognize how unsettling these projects can be. They know that, too often, the results can fall short of expectations, so they want to…

In this article Stephen Redwood explains how to increase the strategic value of the HR department. If there is one thing that has been a constant over my years in HR and decades as a consultant, it has been the sense that the HR function is too often a supplicant to other functions and lacks the confidence to see itself as an equal. So, when clients ask me how they should be thinking about the evolution of their own HR…

Stephen Redwood shares a company post from the series Questions Clients Ask Me. This post explains how data informs organization design. As access to tools that provide rich data about organizations proliferates, companies have a growing abundance available to inform their projects. Organization design projects require both quantitative and qualitative information, but “how much is needed?” and “to what end?” are questions I am increasingly asked. Do we need data and, if so, what types and how much do we…

  Stephen Redwood shares an article that explores managing resources during disruptive times. As companies go through phases of growth and decline, innovation and stasis, integration and diversification, resource needs fluctuate in terms of numbers, types and capabilities. Even for eminent companies such as du Pont, General Motors and Sears Roebuck, these cyclical phases have more often than not resulted in – as the professor of business history, Alfred Chandler, once wrote – “Resources accumulated, resources rationalized, resources expanded, and…

  To ensure companies have the talent that will grow the business, Stephen Redwood explains how a multi-track career model is the better choice for today’s agile and lean requirements. In a world where attracting top talent is increasingly competitive there is certainly a case for focusing attention on that special and small number of company roles that are deemed critical to success. Those roles may well shape the agenda, define points of focus, and be responsible for creating much…

  Stephen Redwood provides an article on organisational design and explains how to determine solid, fact-based, reference points that provide a platform for change and help keep projects grounded.   Silicon Valley is a get-it-done-fast world that has led the development of many new ways of thinking about how to operate a business. Design-thinking, crowd-surfing, hackathons and agile development are examples of common tools used by rapidly growing tech companies to cut down the scale and time it takes to…

  Stephen Redwood’s clients have been asking questions about how operating models will change post pandemic and how to accelerate time to market. He collaborated with Colin Taylor, to identify six priorities to focus on when rethinking your go-to-market (GTM) model.   Cross-functional synchronization and alignment around a unified go-to-market approach is uncommon but has great value. Transforming your go-to-market approach can increase brand value, optimize growth investments, empower sales teams and accelerate time-to-revenue. This article discusses six tips to realizing…

  Stephen Redwood has published a series of articles that draw from his experiences over a long career in consulting to help respond to the implications of COVID-19 and build strategies for the future.  In the face of huge upheavals with the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have few reference points on which to base decisions about how their organizations need to adapt to changing circumstances. Clients have asked me for my thoughts on how to frame their thinking. It’s early days…

  Stephen Redwood provides answers to commonly asked questions that help his clients increase the strategic value of Human Resources (HR). If there is one thing that has been a constant over my years in HR and decades as a consultant, it has been the sense that the HR function is too often a supplicant to other functions and lacks the confidence to see itself as an equal. So, when clients ask me how they should be thinking about the…

Stephen Redwood provides a post that addresses a common problem most companies face when shifting to a new system: how to organize all the moving parts to prepare for the transformation.    Not since the world went from moving around by horse and cart to the use of steam engines, has the pace of change accelerated as much as it is now. So, when back in February 2018 Forrester published a paper entitled Digital Rewrites the Rules of Business it…

Thinking about kicking off the New Year with the goal of transitioning from senior to executive leadership? Stephen Redwood provides advice on how to achieve the goal.    When coaching clients I am often asked the question: what do I need to know to make the transition from being an already experienced leader to being effective as an executive leader It’s an interesting, and sometimes surprising, question given that they will already have years of experience as leaders. I believe…

Stephen Redwood explains how organization design projects can fail to meet their objectives. It’s a funny thing, but when it comes to the subject of organization design the first question clients usually ask me is: “How can we not screw this up?”Not unreasonably, clients recognize how unsettling these projects can be. They know that, too often, the results can fall short of expectations, so they want to minimize disruption and increase the odds of success.   In this article, points…