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MADE · STEP 2 · ASSESS

Three topologies.
Choose your org goal.

A topology is a recognizable pattern of where an organization's units sit on the map. Each one is optimized for something — and pays for it somewhere else. None is “best”. The question is whether it fits your purpose and your environment.

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TOPOLOGIES AT A GLANCE

Fit for purpose

FROM 10X ORG · PRINCIPLE 4

No organizational topology is “better” in and of itself. There is “no one best way” to organize; there is only the way that fits your purpose.

Leaders must decide what they are optimizing for. That decision requires accountability, not consensus. It implies consciously accepting what they are not optimizing for. Trade-offs are unavoidable: no organization can optimize for everything at once.

Choosing among the topologies, or deliberately combining them for different goals, is the core practice of organizational design. It determines what kind of performance the organization can reliably produce.

THE KEY QUESTION

Which organizational capabilities will effectively support our strategy?

Are you trying to get better at:

  • Reducing the cost per task?→ RESOURCE · “THE MECHANISTIC SYSTEM”
  • Speeding up known and repeatable workflows?→ DELIVERY · “THE STRUCTURED NETWORK”
  • Or continuously reshaping yourself to meet evolving needs?→ ADAPTIVE · “THE LIVING ECOSYSTEM”
RESOURCEDELIVERYADAPTIVE
MaximizesResource use, specializationOutput, predictabilityOutcome, innovation
DependenciesHighModerateLow
Best environmentStable, repeatable demandKnown demand, stable roadmapUncertain, fast-changing markets
  • RESOURCE
    Maximizes
    Resource use, specialization
    Dependencies
    High
    Best environment
    Stable, repeatable demand
  • DELIVERY
    Maximizes
    Output, predictability
    Dependencies
    Moderate
    Best environment
    Known demand, stable roadmap
  • ADAPTIVE
    Maximizes
    Outcome, innovation
    Dependencies
    Low
    Best environment
    Uncertain, fast-changing markets

Different parts of one company can run different topologies — a legacy service in Delivery, a new venture in Adaptive. What matters is that each part's design serves its goal.

Resource Topology: directing units plan and dispatch work to specialists and AI agents in Doing.Resource TopologyOrg goal: utilizationINCOMPLETECOMPLETEOUTCOMESOUTPUTSNARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF SKILLS MANDATENARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF WORK MANDATEDIRECTINGDRIVINGDOINGDELIVERING

SAMPLE MAPPING

01 · DIRECTING + DOING

Resource Topology

Org goal: maximize efficiency of specialized skills under stable demand.

“THE MECHANISTIC SYSTEM” — precision through specialization

Dynamics

Directing units plan, split and dispatch work. Specialists in functional groups each do one part. Specs, hand-offs and coordination connect the pieces; upfront planning and re-planning keep it moving.

STABLE ENVIRONMENT+ Fits wellDeep expertise, high utilization, consistent standard work.
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT− StrainsCoordination overhead grows; end-to-end response slows; learning stays inside existing skills.
At a glance
Common use case
PMO resource management of specialists
Value creation
Fragmented and reliant on multiple handoffs and coordination
Dependencies
High; units depend on coordination across functional silos
Group structure
Siloed functional groups with specialized roles
Empowerment
Low; constrained to predefined tasks with little autonomy
Individual contributors
Complete isolated tasks (defined by coordinators) using specific skills, with minimal ownership
Strategic AI
Automates repetitive tasks, optimizes workflows, enhances resource efficiency
Example
A movie producer hiring dancers for a scene

Typical contexts: shared services, payroll, compliance, commodity manufacturing, long-lived platforms.

With AI: AI automates specialized tasks fast — narrow specialist roles face displacement unless mandates widen.

Delivery Topology: directing units decide what to build; complete teams of people and AI agents deliver it.Delivery TopologyOrg goal: predictable flowINCOMPLETECOMPLETEOUTCOMESOUTPUTSNARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF SKILLS MANDATENARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF WORK MANDATEDIRECTINGDRIVINGDOINGDELIVERING

SAMPLE MAPPING

02 · DIRECTING + DELIVERING

Delivery Topology

Org goal: maximize end-to-end flow of predictable work from demand to delivery.

“THE STRUCTURED NETWORK” — optimized for flow

Dynamics

Complete cross-functional teams deliver within fixed, narrow value boundaries. Discovery stays separate, with directing units deciding what to build. Fast and efficient at outputs — sometimes called a “feature factory”.

STABLE ENVIRONMENT+ Fits wellReliable, predictable delivery with short lead times and operational excellence.
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT− StrainsLearning gets expensive; strategic response lags; the design filters out weak market signals. More output, not necessarily more outcome.
At a glance
Common use case
Fast delivery of proven worth with minimal change or learning
Value creation
Narrowly focused on specific capabilities
Dependencies
Moderate; units coordinate across boundaries but less frequently
Group structure
Cross-functional and aligned with narrow product or service features
Empowerment
Moderate; empowered within a small home unit but dependent on alignment between units, managed by Directing units
Individual contributors
Coordinate to deliver features and components within the team’s scope
Strategic AI
Integrates data, improves collaboration, aligns team outputs through real-time insights and feedback loops
Example
A diner with short-order cooks: the owner decides the menu, the cooks deliver complete plates

Typical contexts: established products with known demand, SaaS in growth or maturity, managed services, customer support.

With AI: AI absorbs execution work faster than teams can adapt their skills and mandates.

Adaptive Topology: people and AI agents work as one team of teams with a broad shared mandate in Driving.Adaptive TopologyOrg goal: adaptivenessINCOMPLETECOMPLETEOUTCOMESOUTPUTSNARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF SKILLS MANDATENARROWERBROADERSCOPE OF WORK MANDATEDIRECTINGDRIVINGDOINGDELIVERING

SAMPLE MAPPING

03 · DRIVING

Adaptive Topology

Org goal: minimize the cost of learning and reconfiguration in volatile environments.

“THE LIVING ECOSYSTEM” — co-evolving with its environment

Dynamics

Directing, doing and delivering merge into one team-of-teams — people and AI agents — with a broad shared mandate. Work is synchronous and coordinated by those doing it; learning runs across skills and across the scope of work.

STABLE ENVIRONMENT− OverheadContinuous learning and reconfiguration cost efficiency and add variability.
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT+ Fits wellResilience, sustained relevance, cheap and fast pivots toward customer outcomes.
At a glance
Common use case
Fast delivery of uncertain results, to seek, change, discover and adapt
Value creation
Flexible, holistic and novel
Dependencies
Low; units work autonomously with minimal dependency on external groups
Group structure
Multi-skilled and organized for exploratory outcomes and flexibility
Empowerment
High; owns entire processes including inter-unit coordination
Individual contributors
Collaborate across boundaries to deliver complete customer solutions, with end-to-end ownership
Strategic AI
Drives innovation, predicts customer needs, supports strategic decision-making
Example
Units working across the entire solution space (“Uber”) or a partial domain (“Uber Eats”)

Typical contexts: new product development, innovation, platform exploration, consulting, research, emerging services.

With AI: AI as teacher and sparring partner lowers the cost of switching domains — and makes this design easier to reach.

THE APPROACH

Change, MADE systemic

Change MADE systemic: Study (Map, Assess) and Improve (Design, Elevate) around org design, between strategy and performanceILLUSTRATION · 10X ORG · CC BY-ND · DOWNLOAD ↓

Org design sits between strategy and performance. MADE is the loop that keeps it fit, named after its four moves: Map, Assess, Design, Elevate. First study the design you have, then improve toward the design you need.

Studythe design you have

  1. 01
    MapPlace every unit by skills and work mandate
  2. 02
    AssessName the topology you have — and whether it fits

Improvethe design you need

  1. 03
    DesignImagine the organization you need, without today’s limits
  2. 04
    ElevateGet the change going with Elevating Katas

ELEVATE · STEP 4 OF MADE

Elevating Katas

Elevating is a deliberate move right and up on the map. The katas are the moves: small, repeatable routines that change how the organization works. A menu, not a sequence: start with the few that match your most pressing constraint.

Elevating Katas: a big arrow lifts a web of narrow, dependent units in the bottom left of the Org Topologies map toward a team of teams in the top right, labelled Elevate to Adaptive Topology
ILLUSTRATION · 10X ORG · CC BY-ND · DOWNLOAD ↓

The katas are grouped by the five elements of Jay Galbraith’s Star Model™: change one element and the others must follow.

Explore the Katalog →

Case studies rich in katas

All case studies with katas →

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