The Invisible Web: Connecting Relationships, Communication, and Structure at Work

What Are Organizational Structures, Really? Understanding the Web That Holds Teams Together

The structures within a company are like the blood vessels in a human body. They form a complex system that facilitates all kinds of flow—information, energy, decisions, processes. Just as there are different types of blood vessels with distinct functions, the same is true of organizational structures and systems.

These structures show up as organizational charts, job descriptions, reporting lines, authority levels, systems, procedures, workflows, and more. And just like with the human body, when any part of the system is impaired, pressure builds. The organization might find a workaround, or it might experience bottlenecks, breakdowns, or crises. Sometimes leaders step in with formal solutions. Other times, issues are ignored—until something goes very wrong.

Why Relationships and Structures Must Align

When structures are used by teams with unhealthy relationships, the system often defaults to individualistic, transactional behavior. Employees end up working in silos—because that’s often how they’re measured, rewarded, and communicated with. These structures intentionally or unintentionally reinforce individual achievement over collaboration, leading to internal competition and misalignment.

When employees don’t understand how their work connects to the larger workflow, or how their pace affects others, it disrupts the entire end-to-end process—ultimately impacting both internal teams and external customers.

Take, for example, an organization where performance management and rewards focus solely on individual output. Why would team members go out of their way to support others? Without incentives to collaborate, they won't. The result? A culture of tension, fragmented efforts, silos, and reduced productivity.

Distrust thrives in this environment. People are technically “on a team,” but they don’t operate as one. Instead, they’re too busy chasing their own goals to support each other—and they don’t realize how this behavior undermines long-term organizational health. When employees ask for help, they may think, "I don't have time for this, I need to get my work done."

The Link Between Relationships, Structures, and Communication

Back to our blood vessel metaphor: vessels carry nutrients, oxygen, waste—everything the body needs to function and stay clean. Similarly, communication channels transport decisions, data, rumors, and feedback throughout the organization.

When communication is mistimed, misdirected, or misaligned, it disrupts the flow of the system. Bottlenecks emerge. Tasks fall through the cracks. Errors multiply.

And here’s the challenge: when relationships, structures, and communication are treated as separate, solutions may not stick. For instance, if job descriptions are vague or overlapping, conflict is bound to arise. Leaders might try to resolve the interpersonal tensions, but if they don’t update the structural issues in the roles themselves, the same problems will resurface.

Addressing behavior without addressing structure often leads to temporary fixes—not lasting transformation.

What Do Healthy Organizational Structures Look Like?

So far, we’ve explored a complex web of relationships, systems, and structures that interconnect and depend on each other. Picture it:

• Networks of coworkers

• Overlaid by formal and informal relationships

• Supported (or strained) by communication channels

• All operating within a framework of power, politics, and policies

  
  

Some of these systems are technical (like databases or workflow tools), while others are social or cultural. But together, they determine how well the organization functions.

Interestingly, healthy and unhealthy structures can look identical on the surface. What makes the difference is what lies beneath—the values, intentions, and assumptions that shape them.

Let’s compare two similar organizations:

• Organization A has a flat hierarchy with clear job descriptions and strict procedures. It values efficiency and results. Mistakes are met with criticism, and leaders exert strong control.

• Organization B also has a flat structure and clear policies—but its culture promotes trust, autonomy, and growth. Employees are empowered to make decisions and are trained to solve problems at the root cause. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities.

  
  

Both are well-structured. Both are productive. But the way leaders lead, how policies are written, and how people relate to one another are fundamentally different.

Building Systems That Sustain Healthy Organizations

Let’s return to the metaphor we started with. When you take care of your body—through sleep, nutrition, and exercise—it becomes more resilient and better equipped to heal and adapt.

The same applies to organizations.

A healthy company balances strong relationships and communication with well-designed structures and systems that support—not hinder—collaboration, learning, and growth. Just like the body, an organization must align its inner systems if it wants to thrive in the long term.

With knowledge gained from over 30 years of Fortune 500 and international consulting experience, Yvette shares her rich experience and proprietary model for changing businesses from the inside out. She is a thought leader in the areas of trust, leadership and organizational ecosystems, an award winning author and cultural consultant.

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