Do Scale summary

OK, you’ve decided that scaling is right for you. Now, like a primed thoroughbred ready for a race, you’re chomping at the bit to start strategizing. But hold on! There’s one more thing to consider before you throw yourself into scaling at full speed: sustainability.

The key message in this blink is: Your attitude to generating profit will determine how you should grow.

OK, you’ve decided to scale your organization. Now to clarify the growth goals of your company. It’s time to work out how you’re going to rapidly – but sustainably – increase your market share. But what should these growth goals – or scale vision – look like?

The key message here is: A specific and tailored scale vision will determine how you want your organization to grow.

Zuckerberg, Winfrey, Musk, Rowling … entrepreneurs are surrounded by alluring mythology. We cannot get enough of independent, visionary leaders. We believe their phenomenal instinct for making astute, on-the-spot decisions is the cornerstone of their success. Yet in reality, the independently minded business leader can only take a business so far. 

In fact, infallible gut instincts are actually a liability when it comes to scaling. There’s no getting over it; scaling is a complex and rigorous process. It requires careful planning and a strong team. There’s little room for gut instincts.

There’s no easy way to break this to you: most entrepreneurs aren’t natural scalers. Most entrepreneurs long for autonomy and the flexibility to explore. But an organization that’s being scaled has different requirements to one that’s finding its feet; it needs focus and discipline. 

Scaling is a mundane and repetitive process. It will likely frustrate you. So, if you’re going to last the distance, you need to be aware of how you might react to it.

By this stage, you might be feeling discouraged. After all, we’ve just told you that your amazing entrepreneurial talents won’t make you a successful scaler. You might be thinking, “Why can’t I keep trusting my gut and making decisions on the fly? It’s taken me this far!”

But in reality, once a business grows beyond the start-up phase, we have to make decisions in a more considered manner.

Alright, visionary leaders, time for a guessing game! Can you guess which crucial tool you need to build a well-oiled decision-making machine, one that can function without you micromanaging?

The answer is far from sexy. It’s your org chart – or organizational chart. 

Steering an organization through scaling means evaluating which employees you can trust. 

If you’re lucky, you’ll already have some quality managers within your ranks. It’s likely that these people will be skilled in vertical management. This means that they take responsibility for the employees answering to them and for their team’s goals.