Attention re-structuralists, strategists and people about to be sold a multi-million reorganization solution that will solve all those nasty problems of collaboration, costumer-centrism, and agility, all in one, and in one bill.
Every new structure or system designed to solve a problem brings along new and different problems which in themselves may constitute a bigger problem than the one it was intended to address in the first place.
Any structural solution (translation: new group, division, team, business unit, re-structuring, re-shuffling, re-organization) created to fit a particular problem ( and perhaps sold as a perfect solution that just seems to be exactly what is needed) needs to be implemented with at least the provision to deal with unexpected consequences and paradoxical outcomes. Some will be emergent, many could be predicted.
The designing of solutions needs to address the potential liabilities of the new design. No system, including organization architecture, will be neutral. In fact, as it’s said in the ‘systems approach culture’, the system always kicks back.
Even more, there is an application of The Chatelier Principle: any process set up conditions opposing the further operation of the process.
The solution, always kicks back