3 things Your boss expects you to know about Growing Companies (Part I)
Not magical nor definitive
The company meets its market and sales take off, you have to deliver… the deal is done, the acquisition of the coveted competitor is finally achieved, you have to reorganize and bring out synergies, etc.
At any time of your arrival in the organization or the moment of its history, its growth is never magical. It is never the result of chance. It is a combination, debatable, of work, of circumstances, and means at disposal, of luck also.
In the same way that this growth is never acquired. It will always be necessary to remember to continue to maintain it and make it durable.
That is to say, you have to be careful to work in conscience.
As demanding as downsizing
Make no mistake… An organization in hyper-growth is a source of evil, just like one that is in decline.
It is normal for working conditions to get tougher: excessive workload, generation of stress, reduced managerial efficiency, increased internal competition, and inadequacy of the organization to needs.
Engaging in a growing organization therefore means accepting its many imperfections and contributing to its improvement.
Better, we will make fun of trains that arrive on time; but we will salute your adaptation and your actions primarily intended to sustain development (see point 1)
You are supposed to know by heart Kotter’s change management secrets. So to be able to survive through the evolutions and support you own team.
Tomorrow is another day…
Few people really understand all the reasons why the company is growing so fast. And few are fully aware that it is fragile and that everything must be done to sustain it.
Even if it’s hard.
So when the day ends and the indicators are green, it’s a new day to win. Tomorrow will bring its share of questions, victories or pitfalls.
We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, in a month, in a year… in reality, no one knows. And it’s both good news because it puts things into perspective and at the same time, great excitement to come back tomorrow.
But certainly it should not be too heavy a burden to bear, paralyzing your action.
Working in a growing company means having a taste for novelty and likes to build castles, avoiding choosing the edges of the beach…