Outbound Air is a fictional account of a regional airline acquired by an investment group. The story illustrates the adolescent pains of organizational growth as the new CEO takes one mis-step after another. Outbound Air’s return from the brink of destruction is a vivid tale of how organizations work.

Why read this book –

Every management team wants to take their company to the next level. Most have no clue what that means. I press for answers and get general responses, like –

• Higher revenues
• Larger geography
• More stores

I am a structure guy, and, levels actually exist. Each level in the life of a company has defined characteristics and carries predictable challenges that must be solved before the organization can go to the next level. This book answers the question that no one asks, “Just exactly what is the next level?”

These levels teach us about organizational structure. This structure helps a company understand why it has its problems and how to solve them. This book is about the structure of work, specifically –

• Predictable levels of organizational growth, a prelude to levels of work.
• Levels of work and accountability, in both managerial relationships and cross-functional relationships.
• How to implement functional structure based on levels of work.

The safety briefing is over, buckle up and prepare for an immediate departure.

Outbound Air – Levels of Work in Organizational Structure