I’ve seen organisations restructure departments, redefine roles, and change reporting lines to improve collaboration and performance. Yet the same silos, competing priorities and disconnected decisions often remain. The problem is that changing an organisational structure doesn’t automatically change how people work together. Asset Management relies on cross-functional decisions throughout the asset lifecycle, yet traditional organisational boundaries can reinforce the very behaviours we’re trying to change. From my perspective, effective Organisational Change Management must look beyond the organisation chart and address the interfaces, accountabilities, incentives, and working relationships that shape everyday decisions. The real test of a restructure isn’t who reports to whom, but whether the organisation makes better decisions and delivers better outcomes as a result.
Restructuring is sometimes presented as the solution to poor organisational collaboration.
Departments are combined. Reporting lines change. New positions are established.
Yet the same problems can remain.
Engineering still makes decisions without sufficient input from operations. Finance remains disconnected from technical consequences. Maintenance and projects continue to compete for resources.
The organisation chart changed, but work still moves across organisational boundaries the same way.
Asset Management is inherently cross-functional.
An asset’s lifecycle doesn’t neatly follow departmental reporting lines. Decisions made during design influence procurement, operation, maintenance, renewal and disposal.
The interfaces between these functions are therefore just as important as the functions themselves.
Organisational Change Management can help organisations understand these interfaces, identify conflicting expectations, and establish practical ways to work together.
This might involve shared objectives, clearer decision rights, integrated planning or improved communication.
But the solution must address how people work, not simply where they sit on an organisation chart.
Changing reporting lines may alter who people answer to. It doesn’t automatically change how they work together.
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