The Accidental Manager: Why Everyone in Your Company Is About to Lead a Team (of AI Agents)

Recorded live in Milan at the European Organisation Design Forum, this conversation with Stelio Verzera goes far beyond org charts. Stelio traces his path from aerospace engineering and early internet consulting into 30 years of sociotechnical systems work, and explains why organizations should be treated as living, evolving systems not machines. You’ll hear why he uses serious games and Lego Serious Play to surface what people feel and “don’t know they know” about performance, trust, leadership and strategy and why working with your hands can create breakthroughs that stick for years. Stelio shares the moments that define teams, including when senior leaders unexpectedly find language for what matters and the room changes. He also offers a leader-ready model for change using the metaphor of a river: tools and processes are visible on the surface, but capabilities, culture and people sit deeper and move slower. Ignore the deeper layers and you create change fatigue because the “inertia of the river” will swallow your initiatives. Finally, Stelio looks forward. He argues org design is shifting from mechanistic thinking to organic, adaptive organizing and now toward an ecosystemic view where organizational “boundaries” are mental constructs and leaders’ responsibility extends across partners, families and communities. With AI automating more knowledge work, Stelio believes the future of org design will center even more on relationships, context, and how humans collaborate in a messy world to create value that benefits the whole ecosystem. Functionly www.functionly.com Org Design podcast www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast Cocoon Pro cocoon-pro.com

In the next 18 months, everyone in your organization will become a manager—not of people, but of AI agents. Yet most employees have never designed a role, created a delegation framework, or built performance metrics. This episode reveals why the most critical skill for the AI era isn't coding or prompt engineering—it's organizational design thinking. Drawing on insights from leaders implementing AI at scale, host Amy Springer explores how hybrid human-AI teams are fundamentally restructuring work, why traditional management principles still apply (just faster), and the four principles you need to design effective agent teams. Plus: three concrete actions you can take this week to prepare your organization for this transformation. Key insight: Organizations that win won't have the most advanced AI—they'll have the best organizational design. Functionly.com

n this episode of the Org Design Podcast, recorded live at the Org Design Festival, hosts Tim Brewer and Amy Springer sit down with Shannon Horne, HR leader and transformation specialist, to explore the realities of organizational design inside a global company of 11,000 employees. Shannon shares her journey into org design, the challenges of turning strategy into structure, and why confusion, turnover, and missed ROI often come when org design is treated as an afterthought. She offers practical insights on creating healthier org design cultures—where employees feel secure, leaders are transparent, and talent is repurposed rather than lost. For leaders wondering if they have an org design problem on their hands, Shannon also gives her “friend-to-friend” advice: start with discovery before restructuring, and ask whether the issue is really structure—or something deeper. This episode is packed with real-world transformation lessons and practical tips for executives, HR professionals, and organizational designers who want to avoid chaos and build resilient, people-centered organizations. Shannon Horne https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonhorne/ Functionly https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly https://www.functionly.com/ Org Design Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast Organization Design Forum https://organizationdesignforum.org/

Liz Jamieson, founder of LJ People and former Head of Talent Acquisition at Amazon APAC, joins the Org Design Podcast to explore the emerging field of workforce architecture that integrates AI agents alongside human employees. Drawing on her 15 years of recruitment experience across 7,000 hires, Liz shares how organizations can strategically plan for a hybrid workforce where AI agents are managed similarly to human employees—complete with onboarding, training, performance reviews, and optimization. The conversation covers practical steps for mapping workflows, identifying automation opportunities, and deploying AI agents while maintaining transparency with teams. Liz introduces the concept of "Intelligence Resources" (IR) as an evolution of Human Resources, discusses the risks of shadow AI usage, and explains why org design is becoming everyone's responsibility as employees become "agent bosses." She emphasizes that AI augments rather than replaces human work, shifting focus to validation, collaboration, and critical thinking while agents handle repetitive tasks. Key topics include: workflow mapping as the foundation for agentic deployment, the need for enterprise-level AI governance, the emergence of Chief AI Officer roles, and why frontier firms are already seeing gains from strategic AI integration in their workforce planning. The Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast/ Functionly https://www.functionly.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly/

In this episode of the Org Design Podcast, Tim Brewer and Damian Bramanis sit down with Adrian Clarke and Dean Bonas from Virgin Media O2 to unpack how they built and scaled an internal Org Design capability from the ground up. From the accidental career paths that led them into OD, to the challenge of designing the joint venture between Virgin Media and O2, Adrian and Dean share powerful insights on solving cross-functional problems, building leadership capacity, and creating a culture of change. They reveal the tools, frameworks, and cheat sheets they rely on, why operating models are more than org charts, and what it takes to prepare an organization for constant transformation and the rise of AI. If you’re a leader facing major transformation, M&A, or simply curious about how to embed org design in your company, this is a masterclass from two people who’ve lived it. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yHI3cbPyekA The Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast/ Functionly https://www.functionly.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly/ Dean Bonas https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanbonas/ Adrian Clarke https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianclarke2/

In this episode of the Org Design Podcast, recorded live at the Organization Design Forum’s Festival, hosts Tim Brewer and Amy Springer sit down with Robert Stevens, retired U.S. Navy officer turned federal org design leader. Robert shares how he discovered he’d been practicing org design long before he knew the name, and why true organizational change is about much more than “lines and boxes.” From uncovering hidden leadership gaps, to building communication plans that prevent confusion, to the power of simply listening—Robert provides practical insights drawn from decades of service and transformation work. Whether you’re a first-time leader, a seasoned executive, or simply curious about how to make organizations truly work for people, this conversation is packed with lessons on authenticity, courage, and systems thinking. Robert L. Stevens https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-stevens-6aa476238/ Functionly https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly https://www.functionly.com/ Org Design Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast Organization Design Forum - https://organizationdesignforum.org/

What if org design wasn’t a three-year consulting project but a living, breathing practice? In this episode, Tim Brewer and Amy Springer sit down with Jules Siegel-Hawley, who has shaped job architecture and organizational systems at Doctors Without Borders and beyond. Jules shares how her background in clinical social work and acting led her into “cool HR,” why job architecture is the most high-stakes but foundational part of org design, and why leaders should treat organizational design as an ongoing rhythm rather than a big-bang transformation. From managing the tension of titles, power, and compensation, to exploring the rise of AI-human ecosystems, Jules unpacks the evolving challenges of leadership, transparency, and collaboration. Whether you’re leading a startup or managing a division in a global enterprise, this episode will help you see org design not as a one-off project, but as a practice of constant iteration, clarity, and trust. Jules Siegel-Hawley https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-siegel-hawley-52210274/ https://www.andesadvisory.co/ Functionly https://www.functionly.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly/ Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast/

In this episode of the Org Design Podcast, host Tim Brewer and guest cohost Rory Mustan sit down with John Deverill—former British Army lieutenant colonel, ex-GE Healthcare leader, and current NHS change-maker. John shares how the disciplines of military leadership translate into organizational agility, what healthcare can learn from the battlefield, and why most organizations evolve by accident rather than intentional design. From rethinking strategy as “what you actually do,” to building coalitions of the willing, to balancing tradition with innovation, John delivers a masterclass on leading through uncertainty. Whether you’re running a hospital, a corporation, or a fast-growing team, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, strategy, and organizational resilience. John Deverill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-deverill-a04a7b1 EODF - https://eodf.eu/ Functionly https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly https://www.functionly.com/ Org Design Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast

In this episode of The Org Design Podcast, Damian Bramanis and Amy Springer sit down with Mike Montague, founder of Avenue Nine, to explore how marketing is becoming a microcosm for the future of organizational design. They dive into: - How AI is disrupting entry-level marketing roles while amplifying mid- and senior-level capabilities - The shift from “feed the beast” content creation to message-first, strategy-driven marketing - Why brand voice and positioning remain the unshakable core amidst rapid technological change - How small and medium-sized businesses can leverage AI to compete with—and even outpace—big agencies - The storytelling essentials leaders need to bring teams along during times of rapid transformation Packed with practical insights, this episode reveals how marketing orgs are adapting to AI’s impact, what skills will matter most, and how leaders can design teams that thrive in the new landscape. Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Y6BUUnU4gc0 Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/0Xw3bbEISDbSDO5WT8O7bu?si=9c96e90e72394e20 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/org-design-podcast/id1501527726 Functionly https://www.functionly.com/ Avenue9 and Mike Montague https://avenue9.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/avenue9ai/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedmontague/

In this episode of the Org Design Podcast, hosts Tim Brewer and Amy Springer engage in a compelling conversation with Rhonda Frith-Lyons, an experienced organizational designer, at the ODF conference in the Twin Cities. Architectural engineer turned organizational problem-solver, Rhonda Frith-Lyons, joins us from the ODF 2024 conference to share her journey into org design and the critical skills leaders need to thrive in a rapidly changing business environment. Rhonda unpacks how the worlds of art, science, and behavioral insight intersect in organizational design, why leaders must resist the urge to “just move boxes,” and how AI is reshaping the way we think about transformation. With decades of experience across supply chain, IT, and global multinationals, she offers practical advice on diagnosing problems, framing the right questions, and leading with intentionality. Rhonda highlights the need for leaders to adopt a holistic view of their organizations, considering how changes in one area affect the entire system.  If you’re a leader navigating growth, change, or disruption, this conversation will help you see your organization as a system—and your role as its architect. Org Design Podcast https://www.functionly.com/org-design-podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/orgdesignpodcast/ Sassy Entreprenuership https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesassyentrepreneurllc/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondalfrithlyons/ Functionly https://www.functionly.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/functionly/