Join an ODF Community Conversation

June 2 | 11 AM – 12 PM (ET)

Designing Through Tension:
Using the Front / Middle / Back
for Better Function Design

The Front-Back Model, first articulated by Jay Galbraith in the late 1990s, offers a sophisticated way to balance two competing strategic logics within an organization – for example, the need to drive global or brand consistency (the “back”) while adapting to the unique needs of local markets or customer segments (the “front”). By distinguishing these perspectives and designing clear accountabilities and metrics for each, organizations can surface and resolve tensions that often emerge when complex strategies pull in opposing directions.

In this Community Conversation, Malik Saric, shares how the same front-back logic applies not only to go-to-market structures, but also to enabling functions such as HR, Finance, and IT – functions that must constantly navigate the tradeoff between enterprise standardization and customization for internal clients. Participants will learn how to help leaders see this tension not as dysfunction but as a source of advantage when intentionally designed and managed.

We saw the power of this model during our 2024-2025 work with a news media company following a global enterprise reorganization. We first worked with the CEO and leadership team to build the cross-functional connectivity needed across the business functions. We then worked with the HR team to synchronize the design of HR to the enterprise design. Because our client is also a subsidiary, it faces additional pressure to integrate with and leverage the parent company’s shared platforms. During the design process, the front-back model helped HR leaders make the right tradeoffs to balance the parent company’s push to standardize with the client’s need to customize.

Through a blend of a short teaching session and group work on the client example, participants will learn a practical approach to introducing the front-back model to their own clients or organizations. They will learn the components of the model and then practice defining accountabilities and success metrics for each part in breakout groups. The case will illustrate how this model served as more than a design tool. Participants will see how it can be used to transform leadership dynamics, reduce cross-boundary interpersonal conflict, and enable faster alignment and decision-making.

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As an organization design and development consultant, Malik Saric helps leadership teams design and implement operating models that align strategy, structure, and talent to drive performance.

Trained in the Kates Kesler organization design methodology, Malik has worked with leading organizations to align strategy, clarify roles, optimize decision-making, and improve collaboration.

As Operations Manager at Brooklyn Grange, the leading rooftop farming and green roofing business in the U.S., Malik led the systemization and digitization of operations, improving inventory management and workflow efficiency while fostering a strong team culture.

Malik began his career with Teach for America, teaching 9th-grade English in California’s Bay Area, where he developed a leadership approach centered on structure, empathy, and continuous learning.

Malik earned an MA in Policy and Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University and a BA in English from Cornell University.