5 Key Problems To Avoid In Your Business Culture During Hypergrowth
Much is said and written about company culture in the business pages of the newspapers, at conferences, in the business sections of bookshops and online. We all seem to know what we mean but it’s almost impossible to come up with a universal definition. Looking at all definitions it’s about values, aims, ethics, practice, processes, policies, atmosphere, attitude, things that impact on every day activities and over-arching visions. Which leaves us with a long list.
What it really boils down to is the sum of what you get when you put the attitudes and behaviours of the directors, executives and employees together. It’s how they interact with each other and with the professional world outside the office or factory. It’s why they make certain decisions and how they treat their responsibilities. It’s how the leaders lead and how the employees contribute. Sometimes it has been consciously constructed, other times it just grows organically.
If a company has a strong culture, it is likely to perform well because it drives motivation and initiative, it promotes inclusiveness, it observes work life balance, it enhances communication, encourages shared objectives, spreads respect, speeds up operations, boosts staff retention. In short, it makes for a happy and productive workforce.
Unfortunately though, the culture of a business doesn’t always produce positive results. This is a particular risk during a period of hypergrowth when many of the normal rules go out the window. During this phase the company has to adapt with unprecedented speed to changing demands on resources, potential conflict amongst priorities and external pressures to revise long-held processes. When your business is undergoing seismic changes your culture can be both threatened by those changes and at the same time, growth can be an obstacle to their realization.
How can you develop the flexibility that rapid growth demands and protect your culture at the same time? Firstly, it pays to reaffirm your company’s mission and vision in ways that will leave your employees in no doubt of your sincerity and commitment. Secondly, don’t simply reiterate them, put them into practice so that your internal and external behaviours are clearly driven by those values.
Thirdly, if the transition that your company is undergoing makes it clear to you that some cultural changes are essential, then you must make sure your entire team understands this and sees the merits in accepting and even furthering those changes. It could be revised working practices, different kinds of support, alterations to hours and even relocation.
Wherever possible you need to find a quid pro quo so that these changes don’t feel like losses, just reinventions. You cannot afford to take staff loyalty for granted, no matter how enduring it has been to date: your employees have served you well and if you’re asking them to accompany you to somewhere new, they need to feel a personal investment in that.
Finally, honesty, transparency, communication and a willingness to listen are vital attributes in a time of hypergrowth. If you begin with the strong foundation of a harmonious, shared company culture then you will be better able to negotiate the many potential obstacles in the road ahead. Don't under-estimate the power of the company culture, but don’t let it petrify into a resistance to change that could undermine the whole enterprise.
Coltech has a long history of working with clients in every kind of circumstance and we are well-versed in how to tackle the many challenges of hypergrowth. We understand the importance of a company’s culture and we recognize the need both to preserve it and to adapt it in ways that will carry the whole organization on the journey.
Scalability becomes vital and Coltech can help you quickly and efficiently identify your urgent recruitment needs, both permanent and contract. We can give you access to a rich pool of new talent and find highly qualified individuals who can be easily integrated with your existing teams both to match your company’s culture and to maximize the benefits of hypergrowth. Take advantage of our knowledge and experience and contact us today.
Call us in Austin on (+1) 512 717 7490
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Details
December 3, 2021
Coltech Global
Name: Patrick Waites
Phone: +447767477994
Email: patrick@coltech.io