We just launched one of the world’s largest studies of people challenges in business, Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2016, and the results were striking. Among the 7,000+ companies who responded (in over 130 countries), the #1 issue on leaders minds is “how to redesign our organisational structure” to meet the demands of the workforce and business climate today.

These fundamental guidelines, drawn from experience, can help you reshape your organisation to fit your business strategy. A global electronics manufacturer seemed to live in a perpetual state of re-organisation. Introducing a new line of communication devices for the Asian market required reorienting its sales, marketing, and support functions. Migrating to cloud-based business applications called for changes to the IT organisation. Altogether, it had reorganized six times in 10 years.

There is nothing but trouble to follow when we believe that we can be all things to all people. We also endanger any good we have the potential of doing by feverishly jumping on every fad.

Innovation is the new competitive advantage, and large companies are realising that it's hard to do when culture, processes and mindset don’t support this new way of thinking.