Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Organizational Design helps leaders shape structures, roles, and ways of working so teams can deliver strategy effectively. This practical program introduces simple design principles and tools to assess the current organization, define a target operating model, clarify accountability, and implement changes with minimal disruption.

Course Objectives

• Explain core organizational design concepts and common models (high level)

• Diagnose structure and workflow issues using practical tools

• Define a clear target operating model aligned to strategy

• Clarify roles, decision rights, and accountability (RACI/DRI basics)

• Build a simple transition plan to implement a new design

Target Audience

• Organization development and HR professionals

• Senior officers and functional managers

• Business partners supporting restructures or growth

• Program and change leads involved in redesign work

• Anyone responsible for roles, structure, and performance outcomes

Course Outlines

Day 1: Organizational Design Foundations

• What organizational design is and why it matters

• Design principles: strategy fit, clarity, efficiency, accountability

• Common structure types: functional, divisional, matrix, network

• Operating model basics: how work gets done across teams

• Activity: Map your current structure and pain points

Day 2: Diagnosing the Current Organization

• Clarifying purpose, customers, and value streams

• Process and workflow mapping (simple end-to-end view)

• Span of control, layers, handoffs, and bottlenecks

• Identifying duplication, gaps, and role confusion

• Workshop: Create a “current state” org + workflow snapshot

Day 3: Designing Structures and Teams

• Choosing a structure: criteria and trade-offs

• Defining teams: mission, interfaces, and service boundaries

• Centralize vs decentralize decisions and services

• Coordination mechanisms: governance forums, standards, communities

• Activity: Draft two alternative structures and compare pros/cons

Day 4: Roles, Decision Rights, and Governance

• Role clarity: outcomes, responsibilities, and key activities

• Accountability tools: RACI, RAPID, DRI (high level)

• Decision rights: who decides, who contributes, who escalates

• Governance design: committees, cadences, escalation paths

• Case study: Build role profiles + a simple RACI for one process

Day 5: Target Operating Model and Implementation Planning

• Components of a target operating model (TOM) in simple terms

• Operating rhythms: planning, performance reviews, and reporting

• Transition planning: phases, communications, training, quick wins

• Managing risks: morale, workload, capability gaps, continuity

• Activity: Produce a one-page TOM and a practical implementation plan