<h2 id="phil-le-brun-the-octopus-organization">Phil Le-Brun: The Octopus Organization</h2> <p>Phil Le-Brun is an executive in residence at Amazon Web Services and a former corporate VP and international CIO at the McDonald’s Corporation. He is a sought-after speaker and has been featured in <em>Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal,</em> and <em>The Guardian.</em> He is the co-author with Jana Werner of <em>The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation</em> (<a href="https://amzn.to/4uZlvTp">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/90226/9798892791403">Bookshop</a>)*.</p> <p>Most of us have gone through some version of a reorg. A lot of leaders have also implemented their own reorgs. Sometimes they work. Many times, they don’t. In this conversation, Phil and I discuss what goes wrong with reorgs and how we can do better.</p> <h3 id="key-points">Key Points</h3> <ul> <li>Organizations traditionally looked like the tin man from <em>The Wizard of Oz:</em> perfectly planned, many interchangeable parts, not flexible.</li> <li>An octopus organization adapts, works independently to serve the larger whole, and is innately curious.</li> <li>A reorg that starts with an org chart misses the complex organic connections you are unlikely to fully understand.</li> <li>Prioritize structural stability while building internal flexibility.</li> <li>Nurture the complex informal human networks that deliver value.</li> <li>Be honest about objectives and communicate a reorg early.</li> <li>Engage people by starting with smaller-scale change. Clarify the problem to be solved instead of the structural “answer.”</li> </ul> <h3 id="resources-mentioned">Resources Mentioned</h3> <ul> <li><em>The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation</em> by Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner (<a href="https://amzn.to/4uZlvTp">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/90226/9798892791403">Bookshop</a>)*</li> </ul> <h3 id="interview-notes">Interview Notes</h3> <p><a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/mp-files/phil-le-brun-the-problem-with-reorgs-and-how-to-do-better.pdf/">Download my interview notes</a> in PDF format (free membership required).</p> <h3 id="related-episodes">Related Episodes</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/podcast/301/">How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with Patrick Lencioni</a> (episode 301)</li> <li><a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/podcast/approach-a-reorg-claire-hughes-johnson/">How to Approach a Reorg, with Claire Hughes Johnson</a> (episode 621)</li> <li><a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/podcast/help-employees-handle-tough-moments-anthony-klotz/">How to Help Employees Handle Tough Moments, with Anthony Klotz</a> (episode 777)</li> </ul> <h3 id="discover-more">Discover More</h3> <p><a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/free">Activate your free membership</a> for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside <a href="https://coachingforleaders.com/plus">Coaching for Leaders Plus</a>.</p>