Why I Don’t Do Org Charts

Last week, I talked about finding what gives you energy as an owner—and aligning your business to support that. When you do, you operate in your Zone of Genius. That’s when big things happen.

But once you know what work fuels you, how do you actually shift your role to spend more time doing it?

The answer isn’t just delegating random tasks. You need a more systematic approach. That starts with this principle:

Start at the end.

Why? Because Every Business Exists to Serve a Customer

As Peter Drucker famously said, “The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer.”

And the only way to do that is to consistently create valuable outcomes for them.

So don’t begin with your org chart or job descriptions. Begin with what customers actually get from you. That’s what matters most.

Outcomes vs. Outputs (And Why It Matters)

Outcomes are what the customer experiences:

• “I’m getting more leads than I expected.”

• “The machine is running perfectly again.”

• “The issue was fixed on the first call.”

Outputs are the deliverables that support those outcomes:

• A lead gen campaign

• A repaired motor

• A customer support ticket resolved

Most companies obsess over outputs. But outputs only matter if they lead to meaningful outcomes.

The Value Mapping Process

Here’s how to flip the script and start redesigning your business around outcomes:

Step 1: Capture Customer Wins

Visualize the exact moment your customer feels success.

Not when you delivered the thing—when they experienced the win.

Write down as many as you can. These are your true outcomes.

Step 2: Work Backwards

Choose a top customer outcome.

Ask: What happened right before this?

Then: What created that?

Repeat until you’ve mapped the full chain—from outcome back to your first internal activity.

Step 3: Group the Outputs and Outcomes

You’ll naturally find clusters (sales, ops, marketing, etc.). But don’t default to standard departments. Let the logic of your customer value chain guide you.

Then stress test it.

Think through real-world scenarios. Refer back to the map over a week or two and adjust as needed.

Now You Have a Value Map. Here’s How to Use It.

This isn’t just an exercise—it’s your roadmap to realigning your business and your role.

You can now clearly:

• Keep: Work that energizes you and creates customer value

• Delegate: Work that drains you but still matters

• Eliminate: Work that doesn’t tie to outcomes

• Automate: Work that’s repetitive and doesn’t need a human touch

Run the process yourself or with your team depending on their maturity.

Just be clear: you’re doing this to focus more energy on what drives growth for the business.

Make It Real: Operationalizing the Change

To truly shift the company, update these key artifacts:

1. Role descriptions: Define each one based on the outputs and outcomes it owns.

2. Department definitions: Same thing. Think in terms of value creation, not silos.

3. Performance systems: Review and reward based on outcomes, not busy-ness.

Bonus: AI can help. Use it to brainstorm missing outcomes, regroup activities, or even rewrite descriptions.

Why This Works

When you organize around customer outcomes, a few things happen:

• Everyone sees how their work drives value

• You delegate whole processes, not just random tasks

• People take ownership because they see the full picture

• You spend time doing what you’re best at

• Customers get better results, more reliably

That’s the magic of alignment.

My upcoming webinar will cover the full process of getting into your Zone of Genius.

Claim your spot ➡️ Here