We’ve recently posted about the significance of process and the five steps of process development. Creating and implementing a strong process is only half the battle, though. What happens when you can’t get buy-in from the people who are responsible for using the process?

Consider for a moment how many times an organization has implemented a new process only to have it ignored or performed inconsistently, rendering it useless. The success of a process depends on the people involved having both the Will and the Means to complete it.

The ideal leadership blend for Stage 4 is Coaching, Affiliative, and Pacesetting.

Known as the Visionary Stage, one of the top five challenges Stage 7 businesses struggle with is a marketplace that is rapidly changing. With between 161-350 employees, the business has grown to a point where it is no longer quick and nimble like it was when it was smaller. To remain competitive, the organization must be able to methodically identify and pursue market opportunities.

There are five major steps in developing and implementing effective processes. Below is an overview of the five steps, followed by a more detailed explanation.

A Stage 3 leader mentors the team, fosters a collaborative environment of trust and respect, and upholds high standards of success. This blend of leadership styles mixes strong people-focused styles (Coaching and Democratic) with enough Pacesetting to keep the rapidly growing team moving forward in the right direction.

Dr. W. Edward Deming is recognized as the father of the modern Quality Movement that ignited new ideas and focused energy on process improvement. He contributed to Japan’s economic recovery after World War II, largely through his influence over manufacturing processes.

Dr. Deming was a champion of systems and processes. At one point, he made this poignant statement: “If you cannot define what you are doing as a process, you do not understand what you are doing.”

A Stage 2 leader captains the team, exemplifies a standard of high performance, and exerts influence to achieve success. This ideal blend results in the best of both worlds: a team that is being developed and encouraged by a leader who demonstrates high performance and conclusive decision-making. 

A Stage 5 business has between 58-95 employees. Known as the Integration Stage, one of the top five challenges businesses of this size face is inadequate sales. A big reason why increased sales are so important at this Stage is the need to cover growing organizational expenses. The company can no longer expect to keep growing through word-of-mouth and must establish Business Development strategies and structures that are repeatable and can scale with the organization.

A Stage 1 leader guides their team with a strong vision, focuses on people’s potential, and takes charge to lead the organization through chaos. This ideal blend results in an organization that has a picture of where it is headed, is comprised of high functioning, engaged team members, and pushes through chaos with decisive decision making. 

A Stage 4 business has between 35-57 employees. Known as the Professional Stage, one of the top five challenges businesses of this size face is weak project management. A Stage 4 business must focus on implementing scalable processes and systems in order to keep pace with growth. That’s why it’s common for this challenge to arise at this point.

A Stage 3 business has between 20-34 employees. One of the top five challenges businesses of this size face is the existence of a gap between leadership and staff. A Stage 3 business now has too many people for the leader to directly oversee, which is why the leader needs to focus on delegation to managers. This new organizational layer can create an environment of inadequate communication with the staff. 

Climate refers to the prevailing attitudes and standards in a group. Based on what employees observe and experience, climate develops from what people sense is valued or treated as important in their workplace. Whether intentional or not, there is a climate at every level in your organization.

All too often, the climate of a work environment is one that has come about over time without intentional effort. It has been set by the leader, through actions taken and values displayed, both positive and negative.

A Stage 2 business has between 11-19 employees. One of the top five challenges businesses of this size face is hiring quality people. A Stage 2 business is beginning to move away from hiring generalists to hiring more specialized talent. This marks a significant shift in procedures which can be difficult to get right—especially if the company is growing rapidly.

A Stage 1 business has between 1-10 employees. One of the top five challenges businesses of this size face is destabilization stemming from chaos. As a business owner, you don’t want your employees to be overly stressed or unsure how to go about doing their work. Nor do you want the burden of unclear processes slowing everyone down.

Transition zones are periods of change a business goes through as it exits one Stage of Growth and enters the next. Transition Zones happen to every business as they move from one Stage into another.

During this period of change, businesses commonly experience a period of chaos where things feel disconcerting and overwhelming. Transition Zone are like rough waters. These periods can be especially perplexing because the organization is often experiencing positive advancement and growth right up to the point the transition begins.

A Key Performance Indicator, or KPI, as it is commonly referred to, is a measurement that helps gauge the success of a business, department, or team. By tracking the outcomes that are being achieved, a company gets insight into what is and what is not working.  

Although a commonly used term, business development can be defined and understood in different ways. In fact, the terms business development, marketing, and sales are often used interchangeably, making the delineation between these functions blurry.

In our last article, we defined Brand Values and explained the benefits that they bring to a business. Today we’re going to look at Core Values.

Core Values are three to six words or short phrases that paint a picture of how the team is to interact with each other. As a promise to the team, Core Values are the basis upon which members of a company plan, make decisions, and interact with each other.

But why does your business need them?

Brand Values are three to six words or short phrases that paint a picture of what a business sees as the ideal customer experience. They serve as a promise to the market—not only what the company strives to be in theory but considers on a practical level when making day-to-day decisions about priorities and initiatives.

But why does your business need them?

Is it better for your business to be Standard? Custom? Or someplace in-between?

The answer depends in part on your business—the industry and services you provide both play a part in determining what’s best. However, there is a tendency across all industries for businesses owners to have a bias towards the Custom side of the continuum. Their mindset is that their business is unique or special, so it must be Custom.

This article, based on concepts from the book Business Model, explains the concept of the Standard-Custom Continuum. Keep reading to learn what it is and how using it can make your business more scalable.