5 Goals for Systems and Structures on a Healthy Team

There are certain aspects of systems and structures that help keep a team healthy.

I’ve worked with organizations that had so many systems and structures that people could hardly get anything done. I’ve also worked with organizations that had so few systems that everyone was making up their own way of doing things.

Neither is healthy.

Every organization needs good systems and structures. But I’ve learned that the goal should never be to create more bureaucracy. The goal is to help people do their best work and the organization accomplish its mission.

And as an organization grows, the systems and structures must continually change with it.

Here are 5 goals I believe every healthy organization’s systems and structures should accomplish.

1. Empowerment.

Put authority as close as possible to the people actually doing the work.

I’ve said for years that you limit what you control. When every decision has to go through a handful of leaders, eventually those leaders become the bottleneck for the entire organization.

Good systems remove unnecessary bureaucracy. They give people the freedom to make decisions, solve problems, and take initiative without constantly asking permission.

The best systems don’t slow good people down. They help them move forward.

2. Communication.

One thing I’ve learned about organizations is that people almost always feel there are things they don’t know.

And they’re usually right.

As organizations grow, communication becomes increasingly difficult. Information that once traveled naturally now requires intentional effort.

Good systems help the right information get to the right people at the right time. They clarify who needs to know what, how decisions are communicated, and where people can find answers.

And you have to keep tweaking them. What worked when you had ten people on a team probably won’t work when you have fifty.

Communication systems should continually be evaluated and improved.

3. Accountability.

People need boundaries within which to work.

But here’s something important. Boundaries aren’t meant to control people. They’re meant to create clarity.

People should know what’s expected of them, what decisions they can make, and how success will be measured.

I’ve found that most good people actually appreciate accountability when they understand its purpose. They want to know they’re making a meaningful contribution.

Accountability should never be an excuse for micromanagement. Give people clear expectations, appropriate authority, and the freedom to accomplish the work.

Then hold them accountable for results rather than insisting they do everything your way.

4. Scalability.

Healthy systems should allow the organization to do more work, faster and easier.

If every new opportunity requires reinventing the process, adding another meeting, or getting another approval, something is probably wrong with the system.

Good systems create capacity.

They make successful processes repeatable. They allow new people to join the team and become productive more quickly. And they help the organization grow without everything becoming more complicated.

I’ve learned that growth will always stretch existing systems. What got you here probably won’t get you where you’re going next.

Good systems should make growth easier, not become the reason growth stops.

5. Protection.

I frequently tell teams I lead, I don’t want us to end up on the front page of the newspaper.

I usually get a laugh, but I’m serious.

Good systems protect people and the organization.

They help us manage resources responsibly, maintain appropriate safeguards, prevent unnecessary mistakes, and recognize problems before they become crises.

Of course, the goal isn’t to protect the organization’s reputation at the expense of people. Quite the opposite. Healthy systems should help us do the right thing, even when it’s difficult.

Some policies and procedures may feel restrictive, but they’re necessary because the potential consequences of getting something wrong are too great.

Freedom is important. So is responsibility.

One final thought.

Systems and structures should serve people and the mission. Not the other way around.

I’ve seen leaders defend systems simply because they’ve always existed. But a system that once helped an organization succeed may eventually become the very thing holding it back.

That’s why healthy leaders continually ask whether their systems are helping or hindering the work.

If a system isn’t empowering people, improving communication, creating accountability, increasing capacity, or providing needed protection, perhaps it’s time to change it.

And sometimes the best system you can create is the one you eliminate.