Beyond Organizational Restructuring: Thinking Outside the Box(es and Lines)

During the transition to a new administration, new agency leaders commonly look for ways to better deliver on mission. A new leader’s first instinct may be to look critically at the organization’s structure, believing that moving organizational “boxes and lines” will create improved results. But doing so won’t necessarily resolve performance issues and may even obscure genuine problem areas, since structure is only one component of a complex organizational system. New leaders can increase their odds of achieving sought-after results by exploring a broad set of organizational performance elements before, and during, a restructuring effort.

Note: Transition of power after a Presidential election is complicated; preparing the federal government for a seamless shift to a new administration is crucial to continuing important work on behalf of the American people. MITRE will inform this transition by sharing our insights and experiences with those involved in transition planning and with leaders in the next administration. Our recommendations derive from the ongoing, practical guidance we provide our federal agency sponsors as they face critical national challenges.

This paper is part of a collection provided to our government sponsors; it supports MITRE’s focus on assisting new administration and career civil service leaders through the transition and beyond to achieve results that matter. To view all the papers in the collection, use the "Federal Transition" link in Topics, above.