Organizational Structure
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Alex Lyon from Communication Coach explores three organizational structures: the classic hierarchy with a clear top-down structure, the team-based organization where cross-functional teams work together, and the matrix organization, which combines hierarchy with team collaboration. Lyon invites viewers to share their preferences and experiences with these structures in their professional settings, highlighting the importance of communication and leadership in each model.
Takeaways
- đ The video discusses three types of organizational structures: classic hierarchy, team-based organization, and matrix organization.
- đ€ The classic hierarchy features a top-level leader, such as a CEO, with various levels of management descending down to frontline employees.
- đœïž The script uses a restaurant example to illustrate the hierarchy, with positions like busser, server, and bartender to explain the concept.
- đ The language of hierarchy often borrows from the military, with terms like 'frontline' and 'officers' to describe positions within an organization.
- đŹ The team-based organization emphasizes cross-functional teams with members from various departments, promoting a common language and cross-training.
- đ In a team-based structure, individuals learn from one another, enhancing the team's ability to produce high-quality work.
- đ The matrix organization combines elements of both hierarchy and team-based structures, creating a grid of responsibilities.
- đ Employees in a matrix may report to multiple authorities, leading to a complex web of responsibilities and potential confusion.
- đ€ The video invites viewers to consider which organizational structure they prefer and to share their thoughts in the comments section.
- đ The video suggests that the matrix structure might be the newest and least familiar to viewers, prompting them to reflect on its suitability for their professional environment.
- đ The channel offers weekly videos on professional development topics, including communication, leadership, and other skills.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is organizational structure, covering classic hierarchy, team-based organization, and matrix organization.
What does the presenter invite viewers to do in the video?
-The presenter invites viewers to subscribe to the channel, comment on their favorite type of organizational structure, and share the names of different positions in their industry.
What is the classic hierarchy structure in an organization?
-The classic hierarchy structure is a top-down approach with a CEO or top-level person at the top, followed by vice presidents, heads of units, directors, managers, supervisors, and employees at the bottom.
How does the presenter relate the classic hierarchy to the military?
-The presenter relates the classic hierarchy to the military by pointing out that similar terms are used, such as 'frontline employees' and 'officers,' with the CEO being similar to a commanding officer.
What is a team-based organization?
-A team-based organization is one where the company is structured into teams with cross-functional members, allowing for cross-training and the development of a common language and skills among team members.
What are the advantages of a team-based organization?
-The advantages of a team-based organization include the ability to foster a common language and understanding among diverse team members, which can lead to high-quality work, services, and products.
What is the matrix style of organization?
-The matrix style of organization combines elements of a team and a hierarchy, creating a grid where individuals may report to multiple authorities and have responsibilities across different teams.
How can the matrix organization be confusing for employees?
-The matrix organization can be confusing because employees may feel like they have multiple bosses and responsibilities, as they report to both a hierarchical superior and lateral team members.
What is the presenter's final call to action for viewers?
-The presenter's final call to action is for viewers to comment on which organizational structure they prefer and to subscribe to the channel for weekly videos on professional development topics.
What types of positions might be found in a restaurant hierarchy similar to an organizational structure?
-In a restaurant hierarchy, positions might include busser, server or waitress, and bartender, with each level having a higher degree of responsibility and interaction with customers.
How does the presenter encourage interaction and engagement with the content?
-The presenter encourages interaction and engagement by asking viewers to comment on their thoughts and preferences regarding the different organizational structures discussed in the video.
Outlines
đą Introduction to Organizational Structures
This paragraph introduces the topic of the video, which is organizational structure. Alex Lyon, the host, welcomes viewers and invites new subscribers. The video will discuss three types of organizational structures: the classic hierarchy, the team-based organization, and the matrix organization. The host encourages viewers to share their preferences in the comments section.
đ The Classic Hierarchy Structure
This paragraph delves into the classic hierarchy organizational structure, which is commonly understood as having a top-level executive, such as a CEO or president, at the top, followed by various levels of management and employees at the bottom. The host uses the analogy of a restaurant to explain how hierarchy feels in different industries and invites viewers to share the specific job titles in their respective fields. The military terminology used in professional settings to describe hierarchical positions is also highlighted.
đ€ The Team-Based Organizational Model
The team-based organizational model is introduced here, where the company is structured around teams rather than a strict hierarchical division of labor. The paragraph explains that in this model, individuals from various departments work together in cross-functional teams, leading to cross-training and the development of a common vocabulary. This approach is said to enhance the quality of work, services, and products, although it requires effort in terms of training and coordination.
đ The Matrix Organizational Structure
The final paragraph discusses the matrix organizational structure, which combines elements of both team-based and hierarchical systems. In a matrix organization, employees may report to multiple supervisors and have lateral responsibilities to team members from different departments. This structure can be initially confusing due to the multiple reporting lines, but it allows for collaboration across functional areas. Examples such as the overlap between Human Resources and recruiting teams are given to illustrate how the matrix structure operates.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄOrganizational Structure
đĄClassic Hierarchy
đĄTeam Based Organization
đĄMatrix Organization
đĄCEO
đĄCross-Training
đĄFrontline Employees
đĄCommanding Officer
đĄProfessional Communication
đĄLeadership
đĄComment Section
Highlights
Introduction to the topic of organizational structure in professional settings.
Invitation for viewers to subscribe to the Communication Coach channel for weekly videos on professional development.
Discussion on different types of organizational structures and an invitation for viewers to share their preferences.
Explanation of the classic hierarchy with a top-level executive and descending levels of management.
Use of military vocabulary in traditional organizational hierarchies, such as 'frontline employees' and 'officers'.
Request for viewers to comment on the positions and hierarchy in their respective industries.
Introduction of the team-based organization structure, emphasizing cross-functional teamwork.
Description of cross-training in team-based organizations and the development of a common language among team members.
Advantages of team-based organizations, including high-quality work and the potential for confusion due to multiple reporting lines.
Introduction to the matrix style of organization, combining elements of both team and hierarchy.
Explanation of the matrix organization's grid structure and the potential for overlapping responsibilities.
Example of how teams like HR and recruiting might overlap in a matrix organization.
Challenges of the matrix structure, such as having multiple bosses and the need to perform for various groups.
A call to action for viewers to comment on their favorite organizational structure and its suitability for their professional environment.
Closing remarks inviting viewers to subscribe for more professional development content and a sign-off for the next video.
Transcripts
In this video, we're going to talk about organizational structure. We'll cover the
classic hierarchy, the team based organization, and finally the matrix. So,
let's unpack the details.
Hello again friends. Alex Lyon here. If this is the first
time you have ever tuned in to this channel, Communication Coach, we put out
weekly videos on professional communication, leadership, and
communication skills more generally. So I invite you to subscribe if you've never
done that. In this video, we're going to talk about organizational structure.
There are different types of organizational structures that you might
experience in your professional settings and I invite you to comment on which one
you think is your favorite in that section below the video. I would love to
read those comments. So first let's talk about the classic hierarchy. Usually when
people talk about organizational structure, this is what they mean. This is
where you have a top level person in a top position, maybe the CEO or chairman
of the board or president of the organization, and then you have different
levels going down. So, under that, you're going to have your vice presidents most
likely. And then you're going to have heads of units and directors, and
managers, supervisors, and finally all the employees at the bottom of the pyramid.
In different organizations you'll have different names for these positions. In
fact if you're working in restaurants like I used to I was a busser and then
above me is the server like the waiter or waitress and it feels like above that
person is the bartender. Now that might be not really official but that's the
way it feels. You can sense that there is generally a hierarchy in most
organizations where you figure out where you fit in. I'm wondering if you could
comment in the section below this video, what are the names of those different
positions in your industry and the places that you work? I would love to
hear the different vocabulary that everybody uses out there. Typically in an
organizational hierarchy, we borrow our vocabulary from the military. You might
notice that we call the people at the bottom, the employees, the frontline
employees, frontline supervisor. Just like in a military campaign. You have people
on the front lines, all the way up to the top level where we literally call them
officers in a professional setting. The Chief Executive Officer. Chief
Operations Officer, just like you have a commanding officer in the military. So,
that's the classic organizational structure of the hierarchy. Next, let's
talk about a somewhat new one, the team based organization. This is
where the organization is organized in teams. So you're still gonna have people
in authority above all the teams but instead of this hierarchy and division
of labor, you have lots of different people from different areas of an
organization mixed together working as a team. So you're going to have engineers
working alongside software developers working alongside accountants and
marketers. You might have a team of just a handful of people you might have quite
a big team that feels like an organization unto itself. And in the team
based organization, you're going to have all these people getting cross-trained and
learning a common vocabulary. And over time, let's say I'm a software developer,
I'm going to learn a bit about engineering because I'm listening to that
engineering person. I'm going to learn a little bit about marketing because I'm
listening to that marketing person. So over time we start to speak a common
language that brings the team together and helps us do extremely high-quality
work, services, and products. So there are some advantages to a team based
organization. It also involves a lot of cross-training and takes some work but
that's the way team based organization works. Now finally we have the matrix
style of organization. This is where you really combine a team with a hierarchy
and you up with a kind of grid. So you still have people above you that are
ultimately in charge of you in the hierarchy but also you have people that
you are laterally responsible to that are, in a way, in some authority over you.
So let's say two teams overlap a little bit in what they do. You might have Human
Resources for example. We also might have a whole different recruiting team that
has recruiters and people that are going out there in the professional space
looking for new employees to hire. There's a lot of commonality and so even
though they might both might report to a boss above them they also have
responsibilities to each other. And it's not just recruiting and HR you have a
lots of different overlaps and people will work together in this matrix style
grid. So this can be a little confusing at first because you might feel like you
have lots of different bosses and you kind of do have lots of different bosses.
You have a lot of responsibilities and you have to perform for a lot of
different groups in the organization. So those are the three main styles of
organizational structure the most common one that we're familiar with is he
hierarchy, and then the team, and of course the matrix or the grid and that
tends to be I think the newest one that I've seen in
my experience. So again, I ask you to comment in that section below question
of the day. Which one of these is your favorite which one of these do you think
would work best for your professional setting. I look forward to reading those
comments and if you have not yet subscribed to this channel I invite you
to do so for weekly videos on professional development like
communication and leadership skills. So thanks. God bless and I will see you in
the next video.
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)