Why reviewing your organization structure is important

As you assign responsibilities for the action plans, questions may arise around how the company is organized and what people or other resources may be needed to get the job done. This is a good time to review your orga- nization chart, and make changes that will support the plan. Once you are clear about your goals and the action plans, planning future changes to the organization structure is a fairly straight forward task.

One way of doing this is to draw the current org chart, and then a second one that reflects changes you may need to make over the next 1 to 3 years. Even the smallest companies should have an org chart, although the names in the boxes may be repeated because of shared responsibilities. It will help you visualize the importance of balancing the need to drive new business concurrent with working on existing projects.

Although this is the last piece of your business plan, it is one of the most important. It clarifies the accountability aspect and ensures everyone knows who is their immediate manager.

Most companies organize their people around the 4-5 functional areas. See the sample organization chart that follows, then create your own!