A New Concept of Organizational Design

Organizational Design: Everything Bagel

Many organizations today have patterned themselves on a traditional hierarchy, while others have adopted more innovative models. These include Zappos’s “holacracy” where there are no organizational titles, or matrix organizations made up of self-governing cells. Today, organizations must cope with the demands of the new, global reality while still keeping their essential, core integrity. Global organizations must be able to adapt to different cultural and demographic needs. They may need to alter their product lines to flourish in new countries, or offer entirely different products, while still holding on to their key values and essential integrity.

One example of a visual metaphor for a new type of organization is the unbroken circle of a bagel. A bagel is a perfect circle and made of one of the most essential food groups—bread. Like a sound organization, it is seamlessly united. It may appear different, at different levels (browner on the outside than within), but it is still made up of the same substance. It can be changed (toasted) or spread with different toppings to make it more palatable to certain circumstances or customers, but, again, it is still made up of the same essential bread. Similarly, the organization must be consistent, but flexible. An organization must be able to change with different trends, needs, and even shifts in technology, but not change its essential nature.

An everything bagel is a type of bagel which I think is the best metaphor for the organization. Everything bagels are dipped in every possible type of topping. Everything adheres to the bagel, making it a rich and uniquely flavored item. Every bite is different and complex. Yet it is also very simple and retains the essential integrity of nutritious bread, the staff of life. Similarly, organizations must be magnets for employees with different skill sets, ideas, and capabilities. They must attract such employees, so long as if the work the employees offered is of good quality.

Similarly, the everything bagel is made up of a mix of sesame seeds, poppyseeds, onion, garlic, and a variety of flavors. It might seem as if these different, complex flavors might not work blended together. But in a fundamentally sound organizational structure, with various discrete personal capabilities and abilities, mixed together, ultimately the flavoring given to the organization is stronger than it would be on its own, and each individual element gives something to the organization that it would not possess otherwise.

As employers become more reliant upon contracted workers, remote, temporary, and part-time employees, as well as outside consultants and advisors, the everything bagel also becomes a useful conceptual structure because the different seasonings also have their own, integral integrity. They can also be separated away from the bagel and work on their own, even if they are very important to enabling the everything bagel to succeed as a unit.

Even many full-time employees are less apt to remain at organizations than they were in the past, and are asking what the organization can do for them—their own education, work needs, and continuing skill development—which means they do not necessarily have to be incorporated into an organizational hierarchy. However, this independence of mind and skills can be a great strength for the organization. Even customers can be incorporated into the bagel, as customers are asked to share feedback about what worked and what did not, via more accessible focus groups, online surveys, and social media. There is far more dialogue between organizations and outsiders than was typical of the past, and these outside elements are incorporated into the bagel, even if they may more easily break off than they were in the past, and retain their individual identities.