01
See the work first
A design brief and a work map show what your structure must do and where work really flows.
Camderson Academy · CA-SO-010
Design roles, reporting lines and team structures that fit your strategy.
A practical, self-paced course for every role and team. Map the work, compare basic forms, design roles, spans and layers, place decision rights, shape teams, coordinate across boundaries, test your design and introduce it with care.
About 5 hours · 12 lessons · Advanced · Practical tools for every team · Self-paced · Tools you keep
Clear, friendly steps for every team.
02
Design the pieces
A form comparison, role cards, a span and layer check and a decision rights table help you choose roles, lines and decisions on purpose.
03
Make it work and last
A team charter, a coordination plan, a working agreement, a stress test and pilot plan, a change and check plan and a design review plan help the design hold.
Learning outcomes
What you will be able to do
Practical outcomes, each practiced in an exercise and checked in the final assessment or the capstone.
- Say what a structure is for and map the work before drawing any boxes.
- Compare basic forms and choose one with clear criteria.
- Design roles, spans and layers on purpose.
- Place decision rights so decisions move and ownership stays clear.
- Design teams, coordinate across boundaries and plan for different places and shifts.
- Test a design, introduce it with care and review it on a schedule.
Your toolkit
Simple tools for every step
Design Brief
Purpose · Protect · Ask · Choose · Date
Say what the structure must do better and must not harm.
Work Map
List · Owners · Arrows · Mark · Share
Show the main activities, owners, handoffs and tangles.
Form Comparison
Criteria · Describe · Score · Harder · Review
Score two or three forms against criteria you agreed first.
Role Card
Purpose · Results · Decisions · Handoffs · Review
Describe a role's purpose, results, decisions and handoffs.
Span and Layer Check
Count · Note · Mark · Layers · Draft
Count direct reports and layers and test changes on paper.
Decision Rights Table
List · Name · Agree · Tell · Test
Name who recommends, agrees, decides, is told and carries out.
Team Charter
Purpose · Members · Decisions · Ways · Close
Give a team a purpose, members, decisions and ways of working.
Coordination Plan
Crossings · Outcome · Tool · Decider · Review
Design how work crosses teams with the lightest tool that fits.
Working Agreement
Places · Same · Reach · Handoff · Review
Write what is the same everywhere and how shifts and places connect.
Stress Test and Pilot Plan
Pass marks · What ifs · Premortem · Pilot · Decide
Test a design with what ifs, a premortem and a small pilot.
Change and Check Plan
Owners · Timeline · Changes · Rules · Selection
Plan communication, people support and the rules questions for a professional.
Design Review Plan
Date · Signals · Listen · Record · One page
Set a review rhythm with a few signals and bring the design onto one page.
Map. Choose. Design. Review.
Curriculum
Inside the course
4 modules, 12 lessons with worked examples
01
Start With the Work and the Strategy
Say what the structure is for, map the work as it flows and compare basic forms with criteria you agree first.
02
Roles, Layers and Decisions
Design roles people can succeed in, choose spans and layers on purpose and place decision rights where they belong.
03
Teams, Boundaries and Places
Design teams, coordinate where work crosses boundaries and plan for different places, shifts and time zones.
What is included
Skills, tools and templates you keep and use in your work
- 12 lessons, each with a written lesson, worked examples and figures, at your own pace
- A short stand-alone example in every lesson, drawn from many kinds of workplaces
- A fillable Workbook with Try it and Reflect pages for every lesson
- Organizational Design Templates (Word) for every teaching tool
- A practice tracker with live formulas, a solutions version and a reusable template
- Quick Reference Cards and the Practice Examples
- An optional visual companion PDF with every lesson figure
- Knowledge checks for every module and a 20-question final assessment
- A capstone you can build for your own team or from practice scenarios, with a rubric you use to check your own work
- Access to the Camderson Academy community
- A Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion when you pass the final assessment and the capstone
Is this course right for you?
This course is for you if
- You want a clear, friendly way to design roles, reporting lines, teams and decision rights
- You work on a team, lead one, work in HR or run a business and want every role included
- You want simple tools you can start using this week
It is not the right fit if
- You need legal, tax, compensation or employment law advice for a specific situation
- You want a software or system architecture course
- You want promises of growth, savings or results
About the course
Who built this course
Built by Camderson Advisory
A consulting firm for practical workplace skills
This course was written and edited by Camderson Advisory, a consulting firm that helps organizations build practical skills for the people who do the work. Expect plain-language lessons, ready-to-use worksheets and small practice steps you can try in your own role this week.
About
About Camderson Academy
Camderson Academy is the education division of Camderson Advisory Services. Camderson helps leaders build organizations that work without them in the room. Everything we teach has been used in a real organization first.
Training a team?
We offer group enrollment for teams and whole organizations that want everyone, in every role and department, to build the same skills. Email connect@camderson.com to talk through your group.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any experience or a previous course?
No formal prerequisite is required, and every method is explained from the start. The course is labeled Advanced because it brings several design choices together and asks you to weigh trade-offs. Familiarity with your own organization helps, and CA-SO-001 covers strategy.
Who is this course for?
Team members, team leads, managers, HR staff and owners in any kind of organization and any department. Each lesson has one short example, and the skills fit shops, clinics, schools, nonprofits, offices and service teams of every size.
How long do I have access?
Your access does not expire. We review the course on a regular cycle, and any updates are added for you at no extra cost.
How long does it take?
About 5 hours in total, including the written lessons, the Try it exercises, the knowledge checks, the final assessment and the capstone. Everything is self-paced.
Questions about your purchase?
Email support through academy.camderson.com.
What tools do I need?
A spreadsheet program that opens .xlsx files (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers or LibreOffice Calc), a word processor that opens .docx files and a PDF reader. All templates and practice files are included as downloads.
Do I have to use my own workplace for the capstone?
No. You can build your plan for the three practice scenarios in the Capstone Practice Brief included in the course. If you use your own team, use sample details and leave out the names of real people and anything confidential.
Does the course recommend products or give professional advice?
No. It names no product, platform or provider as the one to use. It is general education, not legal, employment law, tax or compensation advice, and it points you to qualified professionals and official guidance. Camderson Academy is not affiliated with any organization named in the sources.
What does the certificate confirm?
You receive a Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion after passing the final assessment and completing the capstone. This certificate confirms completion of a Camderson Academy course.
How was this course written and checked?
This course was written and edited by Camderson Advisory. Sources are listed with the date each was read. Where a source could not be opened on that date, the Sources page says so. This course teaches skills for everyday work. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical or professional advice. Laws and rules vary by place and change over time, so talk with your own attorney or qualified professional about your situation. Last updated: November 2026. Next planned review: November 2027.
Design roles, reporting lines and team structures that fit your strategy.
Self-paced, about 5 hours, with a Workbook, templates, Quick Reference Cards and a practice tracker.
This course earns a Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion. This certificate confirms completion of a Camderson Academy course. This course is general education about how any organization can design roles, reporting lines, teams and decision rights that fit its work. It is not legal, employment law, tax, financial or human resources advice, it does not promise any particular result, and it does not replace a qualified professional who knows your situation. Rules about pay, notice, bargaining and discrimination differ by state and city and change often, so check the current rules and have a licensed attorney review plans that affect people's jobs. Examples are fictional or illustrative. Camderson Academy is not affiliated with any organization named in the sources and does not endorse any product.