Built to Grow
A Survival Manual for Growing Companies
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Growth companies often slow down because they are too focused on harvesting their success to launch new growth initiatives. Complacency creeps in. They still seem to be doing well, but as the current business slows – as it always does – they aren’t prepared to replace it. The best they can hope for, unless something changes, is to stay flat. Read More
Entrepreneurship is not the exclusive domain of venture-backed start-ups. And you don’t need to own a business to be an entrepreneur. What makes you an entrepreneur is the context in which you operate. Entrepreneurship is needed to create something new in an environment of uncertainty. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, or the size of the company. This view of entrepreneurship applies to anyone creating innovation anywhere. Read More
Perhaps you’ve grown your business without the advice of others, but your business most certainly will not reach its full potential if you continue to do so. All successful CEOs and entrepreneurs can benefit from the expertise of outsiders. But we’ve all heard the jokes and horror stories that plague the professional services industry. And I know all too well the damage that can result from failed engagements with outside experts. Read More
There’s an inescapable truth I’ve found over twenty years of working with fast-growth companies: Instead of bringing out the hidden strengths of a business,success tends to bring out the hidden weaknesses. Read More
Without proper planning you may find your growth creating an avalanche that buries you in unforeseen problems. Several times a year, there are stories about companies that got themselves into trouble because they “grew too fast.” In hindsight, the insiders in these companies describe the situation using expressions like “out of control” or “total chaos.” Read More
In an earlier post I briefly touched on the importance of meetings in growing companies. I realize that meetings are a hot button in most organizations. But I want to provide you with the antidote to those unproductive wastes of time that we’ve all had to suffer through. Read More
Almost every growing organization complains about not having enough time to get everything done. People feel that they could work 24 hours a day 7 days a week and still fall behind. Everyone feels like they are spinning their wheels, people are stressed, and managers are desperately trying to juggle too many things at once. Read More
As organizations get larger and more complex, turning vision into action becomes more difficult. Making decisions, developing plans, strategies and initiatives is the easy part. But without execution, Big Ideas go nowhere. Read More
In business, problems are inevitable. No company ever sails smoothly to success. But the faster a business grows, the more it seems as though there is only enough time to find a quick fix for every problem that comes up. When an organization is moving fast and dealing with a daily crush of activity and firefighting, it’s sometimes difficult to slow down and address issues that are critical but don’t seem particularly urgent. Read More
Having the wrong person in the wrong job is one of the most costly and time-consuming mistakes a business can make. Yet this major business blunder is committed over and over again. Just one weak person in a key position can drag down the performance of the entire organization. Read More
