Moving Beyond an Operating Model Redesign to Live the Model

When we arrived at EnergyCo*, the company was undergoing an operating model redesign, integrating multiple business units to curb duplication, spread best practices, and create value. But a successful redesign hinges as much on behavior as on structure; a good design doesn’t guarantee that people will “live the model” once the redesign has been implemented. We helped EnergyCo make the redesign stick by going a step beyond change management, targeting the behavioral shifts that matter to align talent decisions and leadership routines. We clarified communications; embedded new workflows, tools, and technology; and planned a broader rollout through a Results Delivery^® Office. These moves translated the design into day-to-day ways of working and enabled the company to truly live the model.

Turning Design into Action

To ensure a smooth implementation, we began by coordinating with subject matter experts to define new ways of working, including updated decision rights, performance metrics, and moments of truth. With this foundation, we codeveloped an actionable implementation roadmap and governance to orchestrate execution. We supported change management efforts through tailored communications, training and onboarding content development, and rollout planning from leadership to the front line. A streamlined operating rhythm for the business established clear objectives, attendees, and decision rights for meetings, significantly reducing their duration. A comprehensive go-forward plan that incorporated actionable feedback loops encouraged adherence to the operating model’s design intent.  

Two tools were integral to providing clarity and transparency as we worked with EnergyCo. Aster^SM, our organizational design visualization software, helped facilitate three waves of talent selection, creating an interactive environment so that EnergyCo could quickly review roles within the new structure. We also deployed Signal^SM, our cloud-based program management tool, to give team leads a day-to-day view of activities across various workstreams.

Living the Model, at Scale

By the time we completed our engagement with EnergyCo, we’d worked together to embed the culture and behaviors needed to turn the operating model from a blueprint into daily practice. The organization was aligned around operational capabilities tied to enterprise priorities, so teams focused on the initiatives that mattered most. Through a coordinated rollout and training, we transitioned more than 3,000 employees into redesigned roles, structures, and governance, and empowered leaders with clear decision rights to enable faster, more effective decision making. 

Results Delivery^® is a registered trademark of Bain & Company, Inc.

Aster^SM and Signal^SM are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc.