28/08/2026
Restructuring is not about cutting people.
It is about cutting the complexity that prevents an organization from working as one system.
When performance slows down, the first reaction is often to look at the org chart:
Too many people.
Too many layers.
Too many functions.
And suddenly, restructuring becomes a headcount exercise.
But what if the problem isn't the number of people?
What if the problem is what sits between them?
1.Two teams doing overlapping work.
2. Managers accountable for decisions they cannot make.
3. Decisions constantly returning to senior leadership.
4. Information moving through too many layers.
5. Functions that made sense when the company was smaller — but no longer fit the way the business operates today.
The organization may not be overstaffed.
It may be overcomplicated.
And complexity has a real cost:
Slower decisions.
Duplicated effort.
Conflicting priorities.
Repeated escalation.
Management dependency.
Ex*****on drag.
That is why I don't start a restructuring conversation with:
“Who should we remove?”
I start with:
“What is preventing the structure from carrying the strategy effectively?”
Before changing the structure, we need to understand:
1. Decision rights
2. Accountability
3. Reporting lines
4. Functional overlap
5. Information flow
6. Management layers
7. Operating dependencies
8. Strategic priorities
Only then can we determine whether the organization actually needs fewer people…
or simply a better-designed structure.
At MH, this is the principle behind our approach:
Diagnose - Design - Align - Execute - Sustain.
Because restructuring without diagnosis can simply move the boxes around the problem.
A well-designed structure should make:
Ownership clearer.
Decisions faster.
Accountability stronger.
Strategy easier to execute.
So before approving your next restructuring, ask yourself:
Are you restructuring the organization — or simply reducing the number of people inside the existing complexity?
The answer can change the entire intervention.
