TAOLEAD RESTRUCTURING
TaoLead, headquartered in London, is a leading leadership development provider through blended learning, serving clients globally with offices in the UK, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Belgium. Georgia, the EVP of Sales and Marketing, proposes decentralizing their currently centralized structure to enhance customer focus and competitiveness. Her plan involves relocating national account executives closer to major clients and establishing regional teams, with primary resistance coming from salespeople over relocation costs and change management. Theo is the CEO and Peter is the COO.
Initial Meeting with Theo
Georgia: "Theo, I’ve prepared a detailed analysis of our current organizational structure and the challenges we face." (She points to a diagram on the whiteboard.) Theo: "What’s the basis for your proposed solution?" Georgia: "This new structure will enhance our competitiveness and customer focus, supported by extensive market research and customer surveys." (Draws new structure on the whiteboard.) Theo: "What methodology did you use to gather this data?" Georgia: "I followed a rigorous process, detailed in this report, including all assumptions and data sources."
Methodology and Options
Georgia: "I’ve outlined three restructuring options, each backed by thorough data analysis." (Points to detailed charts.) Theo: "I see some gaps here. What steps did you take?" Georgia: "Here’s the step-by-step methodology I used to gather and assess the data. Your feedback on any missed steps will be valuable." Theo: "You might have missed certain assumptions. Let’s refine the methodology together."
Case Studies and Detailed Pros and Cons
Georgia: "Here are the pros and cons of each option, with case studies from different industries and time periods." (She writes a list of reorganizing dos and don’ts on the whiteboard.) Theo: "Why did some of these fail?" Georgia: "I’ve noted the reasons for success and failure for each case. Your insights would be valuable here." Theo: "I’d add a few more points to this list." (He adds input to the whiteboard.)
Risk Assessment and To-Do List
Georgia: "Here’s a detailed risk assessment. Some data might be inconclusive or conflicting, and I’ve made some assumptions." Theo: "This risk assessment weighted at 60–40 should be 50–50." Georgia: "I’ll adjust that. Let’s draw up a to-do list to plug in more data and fill gaps." Theo: "Some data may be hard to get. We might have to go by gut feel for certain aspects."
Second Meeting Recap and Final Proposal
Georgia: "In our last meeting, we discussed these points and made these adjustments. Here’s the updated information, clearly indicating any new data." Theo: "I appreciate the thoroughness. What’s the final proposal?" Georgia: "This optimized restructuring plan maximizes success while keeping risks acceptable. Here are the projected financial costs and additional revenues." Theo: "Thank you. I’ll need some time to review this in detail."
Cheet Sheet
