Perception

Everything looks fine on paper. Your org charts are up to date. Everyone has a title, job description, and knows where they fit in the grander scheme of things. There are workflows and processes. People are “collaborating”. The Martech stack offers the needed functionality.

So why does every effort feel heavier and slower than it should?  

Reality

You’re running a 2026 content and marketing ecosystem with a pre-pandemic, pre-AI, unorchestrated operating model. Your team structure hasn’t matured; it’s fossilized. Silos haven't shrunk or become permeable; instead, they have deeper chasms where there should at least be bridges.

If your org structure hasn’t meaningfully changed in the last couple of years, it’s not stable; it's outdated. And it's quietly sabotaging your team’s success.

Why It Matters

• Strategy weakens when no one owns outcomes end-to-end.
• AI and Martech investments stall because the org can’t effectively adopt them.
• Team members are busy - spending their time navigating structure instead of creating value.
• Collaboration becomes performative instead of productive.

What Most Teams Get Wrong

1. They mistake collaboration for clarity, and busyness with progress.
2. They add tools instead of removing friction.
3. They protect silos because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
4. They fix/tweak/optimize within silos rather than across value streams, ignoring the negative affects of not strengthening across teams.

What to Do Instead

1. Clarify and assign clear RACI/decision rights for speed and ownership across affected teams.
2. Map workflows and processes for consistency, efficiency, and optimization instead of the org chart.
3. Redesign roles around outcomes, decisions, and value streams, not channels or tools.
4. Create intentional connections to orchestrate efforts across content, digital, brand, demand, and ops.

Seventh Bear Take

Effective teams need a structure that evolves and grows with the work.

Deep Dive

Want more on this topic? Check out Managing Up 2.0: The New Rules of Modern Marketing Leadership.