The Invisible Corporate Roadblock
Just like the Titanic - nobody sees it coming …
I’ve learned a few things in my 20 plus years in recruitment … well more than a few things actually.
And there’s one issue that appears time and time again to derail companies and cause no end of business pain.
It’s like a storm that quickly gathers ferocity, dramatically affecting operational performance. This hidden iceberg seems to appear when previously successful and expanding companies start to reach turnovers of around £15million - and it strikes with devastating consequences.
Out of nowhere, issues start to appear, management and staff performance falls apart, and across the business, everyone seems to be struggling.
I’ve analysed this many times and when you look under the bonnet, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on.
Initial business growth is a time of excitement. Everyone’s motivated, orders roll in, and from the boardroom to the tea boy, everyone’s smiling. Earnings increase as more hours are needed, new people are hired, and the feel-good factor permeates every nook a cranny … everyone’s on a high.
Things continue growing for a while and then the first worrying signs appear. Previously happy customers start to flag up complaints, service just isn’t what it used to be, new business is still coming in, but concerns about delivery are now on the boardroom agenda.
A blame culture starts, sales and production are lobbing brick-bats at each other, and key personnel fall out as the pressure builds. Company politics rears its head as people fear for their jobs or start to fancy someone else’s position.
Stress levels are high, bad habits are suspected, too much drinking, not enough sleep, relationships at home feel the strain, absenteeism is a worry, productivity and efficiency suffer … and the hierarchy wonder just how long they can continue.
… Sound familiar?
It’s the oldest story in the book. The organisation has fallen victim to its own success. The reasons are simple, the solutions are slightly harder to implement!
A workforce that came together to manage a relatively small operation suddenly finds itself out of its depth. Some rise to the challenge, and others are simply unable to cope with the growth. There’s nothing wrong or particularly unusual about this, it’s a fact of business life.
And in all the noise and hurly burly to meet deadlines, things start to collapse, slowly at first, but with a gathering momentum as the crisis unfolds.
The ability to spot the early signs and take prompt preventative action is the key, and so many businesses seem unable to do it.
New staff are usually required to pick up the ball and carry it to new levels of performance. It doesn’t mean a wholesale workforce transformation, far from it … but a few key changes are needed to help everyone, and ensure sustainability.
People are most effective when operating at their ideal level of capability, and nobody likes to feel out of control, and in water that’s way too deep for their abilities.
Realising this and taking action is the kindest thing a business leader can do, it’s also essential to get the business back on track. If you suspect that you’re in or approaching this situation, we should talk – and the sooner the better!
I take a consultative approach with my clients, many of whom I’ve worked with for years. Specialising in FMCG, and with a wealth of networked contacts across the sector, I help organisations overcome their recruitment challenges - particularly in situations like this. If you’d like an informal 121 with me about any aspect of recruitment and workplace performance, please get in touch.