Scaling a business successfully isn’t always easy. In fact, many businesses often struggle with misaligned teams and communication breakdowns all the time, especially during the younger stages of their business.
However, there are many great examples of companies that have mastered the ability to scale effectively while providing a number of great strategies other businesses can follow to replicate their success.
Common Challenges When Scaling a Business
In the very early stages of creating a business, the company dynamics are often filled with excitement and optimism. However, it’s only natural that as time goes on, there are often a variety of challenges organizations will need to face.
Communication is often one of the first areas that can become compromised as teams begin to grow and more roles are introduced into the organization. Information silos that can span across all departments - including company leadership groups - can quickly lead to misunderstandings as well as a lack of efficiency.
Another issue that happens organically if left unchecked is a misalignment of core business objectives. While some departments tend to prioritize certain initiatives that they feel passionate about, this direction may not be shared with all other employees.
This can lead to isolated groups working toward goals that are in their own best interests rather than contributing to a collective effort. Imagine trying to complete a home renovation project like a bathroom remodel, with only a few people focusing on the work while others randomly start draining the pool - the project would likely go nowhere.
When these issues are either unnoticed or left without some form of intervention, growing a business successfully can be next to impossible, and actually be more detrimental to its long-term sustainability.
Important Lessons Other Businesses Have Learned
When learning how to tackle the common issues of growing a business, there are a number of successful companies that have helped to establish effective strategies for getting there. Below are a few companies that experienced their own growth challenges and how they were able to navigate them.
Zappos
Over the years, Zappos, a well-known shoe and apparel retailer, has set itself apart from other major brands with its exceptional customer service. But attaining this accolade hasn’t been without a number of challenges.
In the past, Zappos struggled with silos emerging across departments. However, rather than allowing these issues to fester, Zappos’ former CEO Tony Hsieh made it a point to ensure he was integrated into the company’s culture on all levels. This included doing away with the hierarchical approach of having a large, walled-off corporate office and instead working directly with his employees in the same office location.
This approach had tremendous benefits by sending a clear message that each employee had the same level of importance and that communication shouldn’t be restricted to certain groups.
Ford Motor Company
Ford has always been an innovative giant in the automotive manufacturing sector. It has achieved much of this success by completely revolutionizing assembly line automation. However, as Ford has continued to grow over the years, being able to maintain this innovative spirit was often stifled by communication bottlenecks and a lack of collaboration across departments.
Instead of allowing these issues to remain persistent, Ford began building teams of engineers, designers, and marketers all working together. This allowed for better problem-solving and multiple perspectives across various disciplines. This helped to revitalize Ford’s innovative edge and started allowing them to create much more groundbreaking products over time.
Apple
For years now, the Apple brand has been synonymous with sleek design and cutting-edge technology. However, as the company began transforming into a global giant, preserving a sense of creative energy and appetite for risk became a major challenge.
The same type of structure that is an enabler of efficiency can also be a setback when allowing individuals to show their individuality that defines Apple products. Because of this, Apple’s team-building strategies strike a careful balance of collaboration and individual ownership.
While encouraging the open exchange of ideas across departments, Apple's structure also promotes a sense of "small teams" working on focused projects. This ensures much more innovation and a sense of control over an employee’s own work which helps to keep morale as high as it can be.
Don’t Let Initial Challenges Stunt Your Business’s Growth Potential
Every business inevitably faces challenges. Whether you’re a home renovation company focusing on getting a home ready for sale or a well-known technology leader, knowing how to build a strong foundation of communication and shared purpose is critical to ensure you’re getting the best from your team and helping the business to succeed long-term.
Author Dalip Jaggi
Entrepreneur, technologist, and passionate business leader sum up the core of Dalip Jaggi, co-founder of Revive Real Estate, a PropTech company with a goal to democratize house flipping. Since its 2020-inception, Revive has since become the smartest solution for homeowners to maximize their home’s sales value across the nation.
Comments