BOSTON—January 29, 2026—Most organizational redesigns are intended to change how people work to improve business performance, but new research from Bain & Company shows that many fall short because leaders focus on structure while underinvesting in how work actually gets done.

In a survey of nearly 1,000 global executives and employees who have undergone a reorganization, Bain finds that 88% of company leaders believe their new organizational structure will achieve its goals, while only 36% of employees working in those new structures agree.

The disconnect highlights a core reason why so many redesigns fail to deliver lasting results: an insufficient focus on how the organization will live the new operating model over time. Leaders are overemphasizing and overcommunicating the organizational design and structure, but little is done on the actual details – the transition, and how it would impact employees’ day-to-day work.

This is especially critical now, as organizations are reinventing their operating models to capture the benefit of generative AI.

“Leaders design reorganizations to generate better business results, but structure alone doesn’t make that happen,” said Tracy Thurkow, partner at Bain & Company and leader of the Global Center for Culture and Behavior Change in Bain’s People and Organization practice. “Most jobs change meaningfully in a redesign, yet far fewer employees get the clarity, tools and support they need to succeed in the new model.”

Bain’s research shows that employees generally understand what is changing in a reorganization, but not how to operate successfully once the new structure is in place. Only 22% of employees surveyed said they received sufficient support in training, coaching or tools to adapt to new ways of working.

Middle managers sit at the center of this challenge. Expected to translate the new model into day-to-day execution while their own roles shift significantly, they are often asked to champion change without clear guidance on new workflows, decision rights and expectations.

Ninety percent of middle managers surveyed reported considerable changes to their work, and any uncertainty at this level quickly cascades across teams. And while more than 80% of leaders believe they effectively communicate, train, and support those most impacted by a reorganization, only 57% of the middle managers who must execute the reorganization agree.

Rather than stopping at “announce and train,” leaders need to equip middle managers with clarity on critical workflows, and how to engage people in understanding and adopting new ways of working.

Bain recommends a 20/200/2000 framework, outlining where to invest the time and support needed: the “20” senior leaders who design and sponsor the new operating model; the “200” middle managers who redefine key workflows and help new routines take root; and the “2000+” employees whose day-to-day behaviors must ultimately shift. This framework underscores the need to mobilize the entire leadership spine to ensure the new structure is truly lived across the organization.

“The announcement of a redesign isn’t the finish line – it’s the starting gun,” Thurkow said. “Leaders who plan for how people will actually work in the new model, and who support them through that transition, are the ones who unlock results others never reach.”

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Media contacts:

Dan Pinkney (Boston) — dan.pinkney@bain.com 

Gary Duncan (London) — gary.duncan@bain.com

Ann Lee (Singapore) — ann.lee@bain.com

About Bain & Company

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