Stages of Growth
- February 10, 2016
- Posted by: HPI Admin
- Category: Power Ideas
In this final article in the series of strategic alignment, stages of growth, founder and CEO, Jerry Houston will put a bow around the conversation we have been having over the first month of 2016. This article is a call to action for all of you that are experiencing growth (or want to) and finding that growth comes with many challenges. While it is exciting and wonderful it can also be terrifying. We hope you find this article (and if you missed articles 1-2 and 3, contact us at info@hpisolutions.com and we will send them to you.)
How do you define the word: Alignment a noun/a-line ment
- Proper positioning or state of adjustment of people and processes in relation to each other.
- Arrangement in a straight line, or incorrect or appropriate relative positions.
- A position of agreement or alliance.
However you define it, clearly it is about having the right things, in the right order, at the right time.
I have some thoughts about business after almost 22 years in private industry and now almost 25 years in the consulting industry. “No one has the divine right to survive and prosper. It is a right we have to earn every day.” And secondly, “a ship in a harbor is a safe place, but that’s not what ships are built for.” Clearly we have to go sailing if we want to move our businesses forward and we need to have strong alignment of people and processes if we are going to navigate the stormy waters of growth.
At HPISolutions we know that you must understand stages of growth and determine where your organization is and how it is doing in this stage, the last stage and the next stage. This will provide insight into focusing on the right things at the right time, predicting how growth will impact the organization and helping you to adapt your leadership skills as the company continues to grow.
You must diagnose the 27 challenges and strengths of your organization and identify the top 5 challenges and strengths for the current stage of growth. You must also identify the company’s ability to balance confidence with caution in order to walk the fine line between chaos and equilibrium as the organization continues its growth. We call this the builder/protector ratio. You absolutely must identify the stage-specific issues that must be addressed in order to effectively and profitably move to the next stage of growth.
When you address all critical issues raised during your assessment and discovery process, you can then evaluate how they impact strategic focus. Finally, you can develop the top initiatives that will address critical growth issues not addressed in the past stages of growth as well as issues facing the organization in the current stage.
It is then necessary to recognize the critical role communication plays in an organization’s growth and creating a two-step approach that defines who needs to know what, when and how those messages will be distributed.
Finally, you must create a language of growth and recognize that a company moves through different stages of growth and the areas of impact are “normal” which will take the fear out of growth and the changes that are necessary. Taking the mystery out of running a business helps each and every team member feel like participating in critical discussions. Being able to express challenges and issues in everyday language makes everyone feel like a valuable stakeholder, broadening their understanding of how their work impacts the company and recognizing that their contributions will improve the bottom line.
Want to know more? Contact us today info@hpisolutions.com for a no obligation demonstration of the Stages of Growth process that is the key to Strategic Alignment for your organization.
Have a Great Week!
Contact us at info@hpisolutions.com