Updated Organizational Structure Chart: Explanation of Changes
Based on the identified concerns regarding collaboration, communication, and autonomy of the organization’s employees, the updated structure chart contains several changes, the implementation of which is expected to improve the workflow. Earlier, managers were controlling the work of every specialist in all departments. In the new chart, a major shift has been made to give more freedom to employees and leave the reporting function to project managers. Another alteration concerns the marketing department, which is suggested to be expanded by including several specialists previously engaged in the product group department. The IT and shared resources group departments have not been changed per the new structure.
The first and most significant change to implement is related to the way of reporting, which is manifested through the hierarchy of each department. In the old structure, every employee was expected to report directly to the manager. This approach was rather inconvenient since it took too much time both for employees to prepare and for managers to process. Much of the information specific to each employee is difficult to explain and not necessarily valuable for the managers to understand. Meanwhile, project managers are the ones who are able to get together the ‘pieces of a puzzle presented by each worker.
Furthermore, project managers can easily compile reports that will contain only vital information for the managers. Hence, by giving project managers the power to control their subordinates and report to managers, much time will be saved. Moreover, employees will not feel constant pressure and will just each do their piece of work with more enthusiasm. Therefore, managers will benefit from the new structure since they will avoid looking through excessive paperwork and will only receive the cut-and-dry reports professionally prepared by project managers. The latter will also be happy with new alterations since they will receive more autonomy and will feel empowered due to control of their departments and projects within their teams.
Minor changes were offered for the marketing department: a designer, a developer, and a data analyst will be included in this team. This change is expected to create a better understanding of the product’s creation process and its acceptance by consumers. The newly added team members will help marketing specialists to make the marketing campaigns more creative and collect feedback and analyze it properly.
Impact on Organizational Communication
The suggested changes will make overall organizational communication much simpler. Now, the managers of the two largest departments will only have to communicate with project managers, which will make understanding faster and communication more efficient. As a result, the managerial group will have more time to dedicate to other types of work, including the innovation, development, and improvement sectors. Additionally, the atmosphere within the organization will be less tense and friendlier since employees will not be expected to prepare endless reports and will only explain their results to project managers upon request. Finally, there will not be any duplicated work across management teams, which will undoubtedly be beneficial for all parties.
Impact on Team Communication
Overall, team communication is expected to become simplified and more relaxed. Team members will be more eager to exchange ideas now that they will not have to explain each new suggestion to the manager. Instead, they will be able to discuss any proposals between themselves and their project managers. Thus, no one will be concerned with their idea being improper, and it will be easier to spot talented ideas and promote their initiators. Additionally, team culture will grow stronger since each department will be united around its own goals and tasks.
Conclusion
The suggested changes to the organizational chart are aimed at enhancing interpersonal and team communication, promoting autonomy, and increasing collaboration. It is expected that employees will feel more supported and managers will feel less overwhelmed. Project managers will serve as a link between the team and the manager. Overall, the offered innovations are likely to improve the workflow and retain talent within the organization, which will eventually result in higher profits and more opportunities for development.
