Some of our earliest memories in life involve encountering new experiences; most were good but some were not as pleasant. As we all know, growing pains do not stop with physical maturity but continue to occur as our lives change, and we continue to experience new and different things. The same is certainly true with our professional business lives. As the company grows and individuals grow in responsibility and authority, growing pains become part of the process. When businesses are first started, growing pains are the most obvious as new employees join the organization, ideas become reality, and prospects become customers. Growing pains and, unfortunately, shrinking pains occur in every organization as the organizations go through expansion, refocusing, and contraction. Accepting growing pains as part of the normal business cycle is critical to the future success of the business. Growing pains impact every individual within an organization.
This chapter includes some specific issues and guidance in dealing with personal and organizational growing pains.
Chapter Sections and Summaries
- Organizational Impacts
As the employee population grows and more customers are served, a more formalized structure with specifically identified roles and responsibilities naturally emerges. Change becomes constant and past practices may no longer be appropriate.
- Employee Impacts
Individuals, once very comfortable with their defined roles, may be uneasy, reluctant to change, or even become hostile with the new business order. Unfortunately, many of those feelings may not be expressed, and their emotional baggage can severely impact both an individual’s and the company’s performance.
Chapter Articles and Summaries
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Introduction to Managing a Company |
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Virtually every article in this collection is about management, this volume only skims the surface. |
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Introduction to Growing Pains |
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Company and business expansion invariably leads to growing pains and uneasiness at all levels. |
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It's Different Now |
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Change is constant, often moving us out of our comfort zone. We all must get used to it. |
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Changing Attitudes |
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Changes cause disruptions and can result in negative attitudes that, left unchecked, can spread. |
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Emergence of Rigidity |
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New employees without the benefit of past experiences can quickly become rules based. |
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Silo: A Four Letter Word |
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As organizations grow, more specialization occurs, and communications can become ineffective. |
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Frustration with Colleagues |
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Individual and department goals vary, which cause a seemingly purposeful non-cooperation. |
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Employee Departures |
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Changing expectations by the company or the employee is a major cause of employee turnover. |
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Dealing with Growing Pains |
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Open individual and group two-way dialogue is the most effective way to combat growing pains. |
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Bi-Directional Frustration |
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CEOs must provide a “brain drain” to new employees, especially sales reps. |
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