It is pretty much a given that most companies want to grow; get bigger, be more profitable, have better return on investments and just overall increase the value of the organization. However, many companies just go through the regular standard methodologies for planning. They do yearly forecasts, they may do a three or five-year strategic plan that may or may not coincide with their forecast planning, or operational planning budgets. What is more crucial to an organization is a true reality check of what they want to become and what that "looks like". Creating the Vision for an organization starts to help an organization understand the building blocks that will be necessary to achieve that vision and make it a reality. An organization's Vision is taking a step outside of the day-to-day workings and envisioning where the company "can be". 

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To do so requires understanding of the current market dynamics, competitive positioning and most importantly the realistic current capabilities of the organization. Strategic Growth as a service will help to define the "Vision" by challenging current thought processes, expanding on current goals and setting and "nailing" down specific targets and goals to be in alignment with achieving the Vision! It's all about being "real" with your company. Strategic Growth will help you develop that picture. Creating a Vision is all about making that "Picture" actionable. 

Most leaders and executives within an organization wake up to dealing with the current issues of the company. Making products, delivering the services, selling the products or services that the company offers, promoting and communicating all of this to the marketplace. Yet, what keeps companies from growing, is in feeling comfortable and secure enough to step outside of the day-to-day aspects of the company, to focus "ON" the company. Strategic Growth as a process helps secure the day-to-day aspects of the company by setting targets and behaviors within the organization that establish "baselines" of operations. By doing so, a company and its leaders can then take the time to step out from the "day-to-day" operations and feel comfortable in investing in the necessary time required to looking at the bigger picture; GROWTH!

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Too many companies go through the ritual of yearly planning sessions, yet once done, they fall back into the daily grind of working "IN" the company or rather the day-to-day morass, and don't work on the plans that they put in place. To do otherwise requires being comfortable with current daily operations. Carving out daily status updates based on performance metrics and having tools in place to address issues that may come up, without completely de-focusing the actions and work required to create Vision, Plans and Actions. To do so requires understanding and defining key success Factors to your business as it relates to your own operations, your own market development and your own financial management of the business. 

Each organization needs to work on cementing these criteria as to what makes the company tick, be unique, be able to thrive and to excel in its day to day operations. From this a company can define the true metrics to doing so. These can be daily, weekly or monthly metrics, but they will come from understanding the KSFs within the organization.

And finally, the company will be able to keep a very focused Score board of these metrics. Determine which are most crucial to the day to day operations of the company, and then can monitor and develop processes to recognize where things may be getting off course and being able to quickly address course correction. By doing so, a company can develop the secure operational foundation from which to step outside of the day to day grind and work on true growth.

Strategic Growth is all about taking an inventory of the organizational entity. Realistically, where are you? Do you have the right people, capabilities, financing, motivation, culture? A business is a living, breathing entity. Strategic Growth helps to make it come alive and recognize where there are strengths and where there are areas that need to be working on. 

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Have you really taken an inventory of your organization? Do you know where you have strengths? Do you know where there are current weaknesses, what does and how does the marketplace perceive you and does the market have the same value proposition of you that you believe you offer? Understanding the landscape is crucial to being able to move forward and to grow. By taking an organizational inventory, the company can create not only a snap-shot of where the company is currently in its overall realistic capabilities, but more so in  being "real" with what needs to be addressed. Whether it is in talent, financial flexibility or just the tone of the company; it is all crucial to growing the organization. Know what you have, to understand what you need to put in place to make the next steps towards growing your organization Strategically!

Often, human nature says that we are comfortable with "Status Quo". Driven individuals and successful companies don't thrive on that. In fact, companies and organizations need to feed off the opposite! What makes a company grow, but more importantly, what is keeping the organization from doing so? It's called Barriers to Success! Every company has them. It is inherent in the DNA of the company. However, recognizing this is crucial to growth. Detailing this is not pointing out that there is something wrong with the company as it currently is but that it may require new thought processes.

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For instance, if a company can make 800 widgets in an hour at "x" cost, but with modification and change to procedures can now make 1,250 units in an hour at an improved "y" cost where the margin is better, the quality is better, but to do so requires a change in the way things are done, how resources are applied, purchasing methodologies augmented, etc. and the people within the organization don't what to change how they operate, then there is a barrier to growth!  Dependent upon the organization's culture, this barrier can be perhaps a true wall and  will require strategies to work through the issues. Almost always, "growth" means "Change". Change isn't always easy, so understanding the barriers ahead of time, allows an organization to prepare how to implement and guide change within the organization.

As a business, never discount the value of relationships. You may have the best “product” in the world, but if you don’t have the relationships to support it, praise its values, detail its benefits, be “real” about it, be aligned to mutual success then you are sunk! Every successful company and organization is based upon its ability to offer a strong differentiable product or service. Yet many companies that have these products or services haven’t really looked at their people inventory and the key relationships that they have or that they are missing.

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Developing a relationship Inventory creates an understanding of key people, companies, clients, suppliers, influencers that you currently work with and ones that you do not yet have a relationship with that could be potentially key to growth, whether organic revenue or profitability growth or acquisition growth. By going through a dynamic process of defining key areas where relationships would be invaluable as it relates to consistent and future growth, an Inventory picture is developed that outlines current relationships and where there are holes in defined areas of needed relationships that could prove crucial to future growth. With a Relationship Inventory, plans can be put into place that are in alignment with overall goals, and Vision and incorporating Strategic Growth in the organization.

The organization has worked on creating the Vision for its growth, it has taken stock of itself and has inventory of its current capabilities, its resources, its relationships, the barriers that it must overcome; now what? Developing the RoadMap to growth is all about putting everything together that the organization has analyzed both internally and externally.

To create the RoadMap for growth requires doing the upfront work first, and then laying out the findings. With laying out the findings, it takes the company on the journey of addressing aspects within the organization and the marketplace that will require plans to address. By laying out what may be a litany of issues and opportunities, the company can start to map out how to get there. What steps need to be taken at first, separately or in conjunction with each other to move forward. A Strategic RoadMap helps define and plan the next steps, creates the follow-on steps and then provides contingency avenues and direction should there be course correction required.

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Creating a RoadMap is more visual than merely trying to spell out Goals, Objectives, Tactics and Actions. It literally paints a picture of steps to be taken and the direction that will occur as a result. It also addresses the competitive landscape. Where are the areas that organization can strategically position itself, or in some cases improve its activities? When driving to a destination, there are often multiple routes to get there. Some more quick, some more scenic, some slower but safer, etc.

A RoadMap created for Strategic Growth addresses the current landscape of the organization, the routes that could be taken related to competitors, internal capabilities, current market offerings and positioning, resources, and benchmarks to ensure that each section or arrival point on the RoadMap is being achieved

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of growing a business or organization is in the truly having a clear understanding of your current organization and its capabilities; then recognizing where there are areas that need shoring up, growth or change.

In the Yin-Yang concept, understanding the two parts to an organization’s capabilities is crucial. If the current organization is strong in its ability to support the current business and operations (Yin), but the requirements from an infrastructure standpoint to support growth are deficient and lacking in areas that will be crucial to growth, whether in people resources, capabilities, processes, etc. (Yang), then there is an imbalance in what could be considered the other half of a successful growth infrastructure. One that can support current operations and one that can support the necessities of growing. This does not mean that the two are separate, in fact the opposite is true. It is finding the balance between current and future needs. Growth cannot happen without the foundation of the organization’s infrastructure being strongly rooted, yet the foundational roots will wither if new branches and growth cannot take place. It is the constant of understanding the balance in moving the business forward.

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From understanding where the company is in its growth balance, the organization can lay plans as to where there needs to be augmentation. If there are areas in the foundation that require new root systems, then plans need to be developed to do so. Strategic Growth is about looking to the future and strategically putting plans and resources in place to take the current organizational foundation and build upon it so that has there are the necessary branches and leaves to reach out and grow but also continue to feed and support the foundation.

Business development efforts or rather working to attain new business, enter new markets, develop key relationships and so forth are typically done to drive the revenue basis of a company. As an entity, Business Development is most often tasked and in fact rewarded for bringing in the new business, new clients and new market need opportunities. However, as an analogy, often what the “hunter” brings home is not what the “cook” is set up to prepare. 

Aligning Business Development’s strategies and efforts to those internal operational (manufacturing, financial, engineering, etc.) strategies, capacities and efforts of the organization are critical to not only achieving growth but keeping the company from stalemating between entities and in a sense hitting a brick wall. Working to define internal operations and goals and ensuring that there is alignment to the external efforts being conducted to capture business is a key objective in organic growth and therefor a key element of Strategic Growth.

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Annually, companies conduct internal strategic and financial planning and forecasting. These plans are meant to look at the operational needs of the organization for the next year, to set budgets, define new equipment requirement, headcount etc. Yet business development is tasked with creating the revenue numbers that drive the overall top line financial plans for the company. What is crucial to planning is in making sure that the action plans of each entity are in sync. If business development efforts will result in increased investments, operation costs, additional resources requirements or capabilities, their efforts may not be in sync with what is being planned operationally.

Likewise, operations need to understand what will be required of their departments and responsibilities to respond to the new business that is planned and to work in conjunction with BD to do so. Creating processes for doing so begins to establish synchronicity within the organization for not only year to year growth and profitability but overall long term Strategic Growth.

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Setting the Growth goals for an organization do not always mesh or align with the underlying culture of the organization. Some organizations are defined by cultures that are risk adverse, data driven and slow to make decisions. Others thrive on trying new avenues, developing new products and services that may or may not be completely vetted yet. Understanding the culture of the organization is crucial to understanding issues that may arise because of setting a course of action towards directed growth.

Culture is developed over time within an organization but it is also augmented and even re-created by the organization’s leadership and by working with the key influencers within the organization. Recognizing current cultural aspects, values and belief systems within the company are imperative to understanding areas that will need to be addressed to get growth momentum. If the underlying culture is dis-aligned to the growth goals and the RoadMap that has been developed to achieve growth, then the organization may in fact end up climbing an unnecessary uphill battle internally when it in fact can be creating a culture that is more congruent to the direction that it has set for itself.

To achieve a match of culture and goals does not require completely starting over with developing a new culture. However, recognizing where there will be issues is imperative to beginning to do so. Each organization that has been successful, has been able to sustain its position within the marketplace, has a culture that has served it to that point. It requires embracing the positive aspects of the corporate culture while also developing modifications to it to move it in a direction where there is support, energy and drive from within to grow as an organization. Leadership, behaviors, reward systems and communications all become a part of aligning the culture to the goals set for truly having Strategic Growth.

To many organizations, growth is inherently defined by growing the business organically. Selling more, entering new markets, developing new products and services to drive revenue and improve margins. Yet Strategic Growth asks the question of growth through acquisition. True, many companies and in fact most early stage and even second stage companies may not have the financial structure or wherewithal to look at acquisitions, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that this would be an unsolvable barrier.

By creating two distinct avenues for growth with their own unique timelines for doing so, an organization can create the necessary plan for marrying the two together in such a way that it is akin to two divisions or companies within an organization. Recognizing and planning for each of these is the most important aspects in doing so successfully.

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Growth through acquisition is a skill-set that many companies have not been introduced to and therefor shy away from. The need for investment banking, analysis models different from decision making tools that have been used internal to looking at organizational decisions requires putting on a different hat. Yet there is similarity in each aspect that in developing growth goals within each and then developing specific plans for each creates a process of recognizing where each avenue can be accretive to the other.

Business Development can uncover areas of opportunity within the market place that the company currently can’t support but through acquisition or even joint venture relationships could. Likewise acquisition planning can define areas of opportunity that would be perfectly aligned with the relationships or efforts of Business Development or be beneficial in maximizing capacity and returns from a current manufacturing standpoint. Creating the discussion, and the processes for doing so moves the organization from one dimensional in its growth strategy to dual and even multi-dimensional.

It is not always the case that growth requires radical change, but in most respects, ‘Growth” does require some type of change. Whether the change is in how new business is acquired, what is offered by the company, how its products or services are manufactured or delivered, there is some semblance of change. Being Aligned is not dis-similar to a car’s steering and wheel balance. When not tuned together properly, there is shaking, drifting and fighting to keep between the lines and the course that has been set.

To grow an organization is not merely to set a course, but also to recognize where the entity may require changing how it would normally get there. While there is often a stigma to the concept of Change, the reality is that Change is difficult, not bad; but most importantly, “empowering to an organization”. Making things happen that are new, rewarding efforts and successes that are different from the past, celebrating failures with being able to make “wins” out of those initial failures, is all about change.

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Change as it is related to Strategic Growth, is all about recognizing areas that may not yet be on-board but may require creating tools, processes, and deliverables that will help build the bridge necessary to getting a cohesive, motivated front to growth. Creating organizational alignment is all about developing the right solutions to areas that are holding the company back.

Change Management recognizes and defines areas that may not be aligned to the growth goals that the organization has set for itself. However, more importantly it looks for the value in current operational and cultural aspects and works with this foundation to move things forward. It’s developing a belief within the organization that ‘Change” will be good, but that it is also the key to not only understanding what needs to change to grow, but what can be incorporated into daily activities, measurements, communication, behaviors from leadership and key influencers to build a culture that is all about the growth direction and path that the organization is committed to.

Developing an organizational communication strategy is not only crucial, but critical! To bring an organization along the “Strategic Growth” path, the organization as an entity of people, influencers, investors, bankers, etc., must understand the direction that is being taken. Communication of the goals and direction of the company can be directed at the public audience but always must be directed at the internal organization audience.   

Internally, it is most important to having created the Vision for the future, but then able to communicate what that looks like. The company must find communication methodology and tools that reach its workers, its staff resources and its influencers to communicate a consistent message of the direction, Growth Plan and ultimately the RoadMap to doing so.

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An internal communications plan is imperative to developing not only a culture that supports the growth plan, but also engages the employees with the knowledge of the direction of the company, the feedback on return on their efforts, or rather Return on Employee Investment (ROEI), and continues to communicate the Vision of where the company is striving to go. However, any communication plan and action is only as good as the behaviors of the organization.

To ensure that the communications are effective, the organization must develop consistent behaviors that mirror and support the growth goals. Consistent actions towards following the RoadMap and consistent status reporting is key to momentum building but also continued accelerated momentum. Actions and behaviors of the organization and its key leaders must be consistent to the Strategic Growth plan, and communications of these actions must be consistent to the organization’s external and most importantly, internal audiences.