McLean & Company, a global human resources research and advisory firm, has released its research on an organizational design implementation strategy to assist organizational and HR leaders in addressing common barriers and complexities and bridging the gap between strategy and execution.
“Designing the future of the organization is only half the equation,” said Michelle Leedy, McLean & Company’s senior executive advisor, in a news release. “If there's no clear path to implementation – or if employees are left in the dark about what's changing and why – the risk of failure grows exponentially. Execution is the moment of truth.”
In its news release, the company said its new resource includes a roadmap to help business leaders implement effective organizational redesigns, clearly and precisely execute design changes, and achieve practical, sustainable, and long-term impacts.
The roadmap includes five steps:
- preparation and planning with change readiness and risk assessments
- a clearly defined implementation roadmap with timelines, milestones, and ownership
- a structured change action plan to drive adoption and address resistance
- support for leaders and employees during design change execution
- a focus on sustainment to continuously optimize the new design
To help HR teams execute these steps correctly, the company said it also offers:
- practical tools and templates such as organizational design implementation workbooks, change action plan workbooks, frequently asked questions templates, and a communication resources catalogue
- support options, including do-it-yourself toolkits, advisory guided implementations, and executive counsellor onsite support
Need for design
In its news release, McLean & Company said business leaders have increasingly prioritized organizational design to adapt to rapid change. The company stressed that organizational redesigns fail to attain their intended impacts not because of design flaws.
The company explained that organizational redesigns fall short because HR leaders:
- have unclear or rushed implementation plans
- underestimate the investment, structure, coordination, leadership alignment, and ongoing optimization needed for effective and sustainable implementation
- encounter avoidable issues such as poorly defined roles, inconsistent communication, deficient leadership alignment, and insufficient post-implementation support
McLean & Company shared that its 2025 HR trends survey found that:
- HR teams skilled at managing change and uncertainty were 59 percent more likely to report high workforce productivity and 52 percent more likely to experience strong organizational performance and revenue growth
- Of HR leaders surveyed, 85 percent focused more on risk mitigation and business continuity planning in the past 12 months
“Whether the catalyst is new leadership, emerging technologies, or economic pressure, transformation isn't slowing down – it's accelerating,” said Amani Gharib, McLean & Company’s director for HR research and advisory services, in the news release.
“But speed without structure is risky,” Gharib added. “What our research makes clear is that organizations must treat implementation as a core strategic function, not an operational footnote.”