What Are the Most Important Processes that Will Empower the People in Your Organization to Scale Up with Sustainable Growth?

Have you ever felt that your job would be great, even easier, if only you were working with the right people?

“Good to Great” author Jim Collins feels that People are the most critical of the Rockefeller Four Decisions as a means to successfully grow a business. Collins said, “First who, then what.” The results of having the right people “on the bus” can be seen throughout many dimensions of a business, yet it’s most easily recognized in the fulfillment of the team, the resonance of company culture and in how happy people are to come to work.

As the quote above states, the What in your business is secondary to the Who. This refers to individual accountability and performance, as well as the willingness to be accountable to the team and to the business as a whole. The Four Decision Scaling Up Methodology uses alignment and team health, along with strategic actions that can be taken to move toward stated goals. In fact, team alignment and strategy are fashioned together and work in tandem.

Here are some beginning questions to ask yourself and your leadership team to determine if you have the right people in place who are aligned, accountable and performing:

  • Do you (and key members around you) enjoy the people with whom you work?
  • Are your teammates invested in performance and the success of the company?
  • Do they share a passion for your company’s key purpose?

Identifying core values will cast light on what is important and valued within the company. From there, leaders can begin to witness and evaluate which team members’ core values align with the company’s – and which do not. This will be made evident via individuals’ dedication and commitment. How you might ask? Committed and aligned team members often volunteer for projects or work late, of their own accord. If an employee is bolting for the door as the clock chimes five, then odds are good that it’s not a great fit.

I’ve talked in depth about the importance of communication in real time and the development of meeting rhythms as actions that support the communication. Once you have the right people in place it’s vital that you keep the team health; aligned, engaged and motivated. An important aspect of the focus on People is making the Purpose and the Core Values of the organization important and a subject that is addressed on a regular basis through meeting rhythms. It is vital that leaders understand the importance of managing results by making effective meetings a first priority.

I’m currently working with a communications company that has been in the Scaling Up process for six months and is making the bridge to honest and forthright communication leading to alignment. An interesting example was brought up recently by the CEO – one of the teams within the organization is not having meetings, and the mistrust and neglect of important issues is becoming severe. When a weekly or daily meeting is neglected because of a client meeting, or any other reason, it becomes an issue that will continually sabotage success. A meeting with a client, he said, does not replace the staff meeting because their mistrust and poor communication continue. And, the effectiveness of meeting with clients is increased by over 100% when the team meets effectively themselves. Often processes with the clients take longer when staffs are not in communication except in client meetings. The communication ability of the team with each other is enacted with clients.

Are you experiencing a similar challenge with your team(s)? The most important first step you can take is to make communication a top priority. The second is to establish meeting rhythms – schedule regular meeting times instead of impromptu as a result of a problem or a crisis. Regular meetings help you create processes, review progress, and get in front of problems before they become a crisis. For more information on Meeting Rhythms be sure to read my previous article: “How Can You, And Your Teams, Create Growth, Accountability and Alignment.”

As always, if you have a question, challenge, or success story you would like to share, please be sure to leave a comment. Also, if you are interested in an opportunity to experience this methodology, please let me know. I would enjoy hearing from you! – Patricia