Here are some examples of how organization structures often change between one end of the spectrum and the other:

How do our hull design criteria fit into this picture? Let’s look at what happens as the organization matures:

Speed of decision-making slows to protect the business.

Agility to act reduces to ensure consistency and continuity.

Stability increases as a result of a stable foundation underlying the business.

Slice decreases as rules of the game align behavior to support the foundation that is in place.

Buoyancy increases as the foundation is sufficiently stable to endure surprises.

How will your organization find its best hull design? Here are some examples:

1. Speed: The insurer who has branch-level underwriters to enable branches to quickly turn around business.
   
   
2. Agility: The national retailer that allows each store manager to leverage a real-time inventory process to stock their shelves with the merchandise their local markets want most.
   
   
3. Stability: A product-based business which, after its purposely “wild and zany” new product group came up with their ideas, uses a new product review board to review and select the products that are most market-relevant.
   
   
4. Slice: The many organizations that have created Program Management Offices (PMOs) to track and report “the truth” about key project initiatives.
   
   
5. Buoyancy: The health insurer that creates a SWAT group to respond to an ever-declining public relations image and ever-increasing consumer complaints.

When your organization structure balances these priorities appropriately, it will find smooth sailing into the future.

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