Human Resources
Organizational Design & Effectiveness
Harnessing Employee Potential Through Organizational Clarity
Organizational Design & Effectiveness (OD&E) serves as a strategic advisor, focused on aligning Georgia Tech’s workforce, structures, processes, and strategy to enable our long-term success. Collaboration across disciplines – including HR, finance, strategy, and operations – is vital to our work to ensure workforce decisions are both people-centered and business minded. Our work helps shape organizational choices that create the conditions for individuals, teams, and units to thrive — so our people can contribute their unique talents to our shared mission: developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.
Services
Organizational design is the multidisciplinary practice of making intentional choices to create an organization capable of achieving strategic goals. We leverage frameworks, tools, and methods to analyze organizations, identify opportunities, and develop options to align strategy and talent.
Organizational alignments are strategic actions that strengthen the connection between roles, structures, and operating models to Georgia Tech’s institutional priorities. These efforts help ensure that our people and teams are positioned to do their best work in service to the Institute’s mission. Common alignment actions supported by Organizational Design & Effectiveness include reconfigurations, restructures, and reductions in force.
Change enablement and implementation support focuses on implementing strategic workforce decisions successfully. We partner with units as they move from design to action by a people-centered approach to change that builds commitment, accelerates adoption, and enables our strategic goals.
To speak with Organizational Design & Effectiveness, please complete our intake form.
Organizational Design & Operating Model
Organizational design is a systematic and holistic approach to make intentional choices about setting an organization up for long-term success. It’s more than an org chart – it’s about shaping the formal elements of an organization, such as structure, processes, decision and accountability points to create the conditions for employees to thrive and bring the strategy to life.
To achieve strategic goals, an organization must align its people, structures, and workflows to function as a cohesive system. This system is known as the operating model — how work gets done across the organization. We partner with units to intentionally design operating models and organizations capable of achieving strategic goals.
Our Organizational Design & Operating Model offerings include:
- Internal consulting for cabinet and direct reports, supporting Georgia Tech’s strategic priorities
- External consulting coordination to ensure vendor engagements align with Institute strategy, policy and protocols
- Advising to support intentional, strategic organizational choices that align talent, structure, and strategy
- Standards, frameworks, and tools that strengthen strategic workforce decisions across the Institute
From the very beginning, OD&E brought a strategic lens to the process, helping us clarify objectives, assess readiness, and structure changes in ways that aligned with both institutional priorities and team culture. Their ability to ask the right questions, synthesize complex input, and offer thoughtful recommendations was instrumental in helping us navigate the changes with clarity and confidence.
Abbigail Tumpey, Institute Communications
Organizational Alignments
As strategies mature and evolve, organizations must adapt. Organizational alignment ensures that roles, structures, and operating models are configured to support strategic priorities and enable people to do their best work.
Our Organizational Alignment offerings include:
- Internal consulting for directors and above to assess and align their organizations
- Review of proposed alignments with feedback and recommendations
- Advising on alignment initiatives to ensure roles, structures, and operating models support strategic goals
- Standards, frameworks, and tools that support a consistent and strategic approach to alignment
The four most common alignment actions at Georgia Tech are Reconfiguration, Restructuring, Reduction in Force, and Reclassification.
Reconfigurations fine-tune an organization. They address what we do, who we work with, and where we report. They deliver results within a month to a year.
Common changes include:
- Hierarchical reporting structure changes
- Realignment of job duties, responsibilities, and/or functions
- Changes to position scope that impact the hierarchical structure
A restructuring changes the business structure of the unit. It is a cross-functional initiative that changes the foundation of how we work. They deliver results over time – typically three to five years.
Restructuring includes changes to two or more of the following:
- Hierarchical reporting structure
- Processes, procedures, and policies
- Systems and technology
- Financial and budget structure
A restructuring is often the outcome of strategic planning, organizational reviews, or shifts in priorities. These efforts typically surface opportunities to realign teams, clarify roles, or adjust how work is organized. Engaging OD&E early — at the same time as other partners or vendors — ensures we are part of the discovery process and that recommendations are aligned with Institute strategy, policies, and design standards.
Reductions-in-Force (RIFs) are organizational adaptations to loss of funding, budget reductions, programmatic changes, or task elimination. They are complex and sensitive decisions that require careful planning and coordination.
Georgia Tech Human Resources (GTHR) must be involved in all actions resulting in a reduction in force, layoff, termination, demotion, suspension, and/or dismissal. All RIFs require review and approval by Institute leadership and the University System of Georgia (USG).
Units should engage their HR and Finance partners as early as possible—before identifying a RIF as the necessary course of action. Early engagement allows time to explore alternatives, align with USG policy, and prepare a well-documented request.
All actions that result in reduction in force, layoff, termination, demotion, suspension, and/or dismissal must comply with USG and Georgia Tech policies and state and federal law. View the appropriate policies in the USG Board of Regents Policy Manual and USG Human Resources Administrative Practice Manual.
Reclassifications strengthen the connection between a specific role and the organization’s strategic goals. A reclassification may occur independently or be part of a reconfiguration or restructuring. All reclassifications include partnership with GTHR Compensation & Classification.
For Reclassifications, visit GTHR Compensation & Classification for more information.
Change Enablement & Implementation Support
Strategic workforce decisions — such as organizational design, alignment, or leadership transitions — only deliver impact when they are effectively implemented. Change Enablement & Implementation Support helps leaders move from decision to action by building commitment to the change, accelerating adoption, and sustaining results.
Our work focuses on the people side of change — translating organizational design decisions into practical, comprehensive actions that support long-term effectiveness. We partner with units to guide implementation efforts that are grounded in strategy, aligned with Georgia Tech’s values, and tailored to the unique needs of each team.
Our Change Enablement & Implementation Support offerings include:
- Internal consulting for cabinet and direct reports to implement organizational design and alignment plans in support of Georgia Tech’s strategic priorities
- Coaching and advising on implementation approaches that build commitment, capability, and long-term effectiveness
- Review of departmental implementation plans with feedback and recommendations to increase effectiveness
- Standards, frameworks, and tools that strengthen the Institute’s change resilience
Our engagement with OD&E was incredibly impactful and helpful in navigating change in our organization. The design process helped us refine the vision and mission of the new combined unit and position our team for long term success. The experience helped us create a better design, navigate significant changes following a merger or two units, and helped me become a better leader.
Jason Freeman, Associate Vice-Provost for the Arts