What is a wobbly chair? I am fairly certain we all have at least a novice idea or even a childhood memory. That one wobbly chair that appears worth its salt until placed under weight and stress. Eventually, repair is no longer optional but required. Like that wobbly chair an unbalanced business can function for years until its systems and structure face stresses that fracture the flow of its mission and model. As we work with businesses, a major concern is the imbalance between different divisions, which often leads to the wobbly chair effect. Such an imbalance causes even successful businesses to face difficulties, dilemmas, and division in the areas of growth and development. Additional stressors that come along with fast growth exploits weaknesses within business units. For example, we often see a strong focus on marketing, which brings in new customers, but operations, human resources, and financial units are not optimized to handle the new growth. As clients increase, product demand increases but due to improper systems being in place the company is unable to fulfill orders. So as the business grows from successful marketing it struggles to capitalize from any innovative growth.
What is a solution?
Planning!
I know, I know… Your first thought is We have a business plan. For a moment consider the current state of the business. If the planning was effective, there would be synergy between the different divisions. This translates to company-wide success as marketing campaigns continue to convert clients.
If you are at the point of having to reorganize your business, consider these steps to help simplify the process.
- Identify your trouble areas and strong areas. Then, look for ways to bridge the gaps
- Create a realistic action plan that is easy to follow and complete.
- Campaign for the organizational changes
- Implement the changes and make adjustments, as necessary.
Although each step can be overwhelming, thinking about your next move in terms of cause and effect adds an element of simplicity as you complete each step. Think if…then statements. For example, if marketing yields 50 new clients then we will need to hire a new team member. Thinking in more simplistic terms will help alleviate the sensation of being overwhelmed and allow for more flexibility as you create new strategies.
Let us help you repair your Wobbly Chair!