Organizational Layers

Different layers of an organization make different kinds of decisions. Knowing which layer you're talking to changes everything about how you frame the conversation.

We use the concept of organizational layers to reflect the level of detail and influence a particular team operates in.

1. Executives — this is typically the C-suite but may also include VPs. These are the large decision makers and command budget.
2. Group/Portfolios - groupings of teams organized by value stream, product families/suites, etc. They may also own a P&L in some cases. It’s common for this layer to have a nesting structure in organizations operating at scale.
3. Team layer — individual contributors organized into one of the Four Team Types from Team Topologies. These could be product teams, for example.

Individual clients will have their own layering nomenclature, but this is where we start.