Congrats – your company has blasted past the start-up phase, experienced the initial whirlwind of success and the growth spurt it engendered, and now you’re preparing to scale up the management structure of this newly complex enterprise. You’ve mapped and analyzed, strategized and reassessed integrated and aligned; now it’s time to execute your plan.
How can you smooth your transition’s road to success, and achieve the kind of company-wide buy-in to the process that you need to make it work?
- Take a sequential approach. Pick the low hanging fruit first so people see immediate improvement. That way, relief is given when it’s needed quickly, and this success provides everyone with a practical and immediate example of the good things to come via the changes that are on the way.
- Celebrate the small wins with everyone so they feel a sense belonging. As progress happens, they begin to gain excitement and momentum, and bad morale turns into goal-oriented engagement. Forward movement requires everyone to row in the same direction.
- By all means, bring in transition experts to help – but don’t just turn the process over to them. Instead, integrate them into your team so that your team is part of the learning process. When the consulting group goes away, your team is left knowing the steps to go through. They understand the process now, so they’ll be ready for the next transition point.
- Anticipate curves in the road ahead. Business cycles are inevitable. No one can tell you the time frame between cycles—but if you can recognize where you’re at on the curve, you won’t have to wait to hit the transition point before you start correcting. This may require leaving your comfort zone, but it will make you better, faster, and smarter.
Don’t feel like you have to tackle these projects alone. Contact me with any questions before you get mired in the details and lose focus on your business goals.