As a leadership teacher and consultant for the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing businesses over the years. One of those is NaturChem.
NaturChem is a chemical company that does around 40 million a year through ten locations spread across the U.S. I’ve been working with them for over two years, and they have been able to see some incredible shifts due primarily to a simple but powerful change of focus.
It is easy for any business, company or organization to become consumed with growing larger. It is the nature of the beast; we equate expansion with success and forward progress, and indeed, it is something that should be a matter of concern for us.
Expansion and growth are not the only indicators of forward movement, mind you, but they certainly are significant ones. However, when businesses have the desire to grow larger and expand at all costs, it is easy to miss what is most significant at the expense of something that is merely important.
Growth is great — but not if the cost of that growth is weakened health of the business.
Whenever quantity precedes quality, it won’t be long before quantity will shrink back to sustainable levels. But, when quality precedes growth will not only be experienced but also maintained and sustained for long periods of time. Health trumps growth, and getting better should always demand more of our attention than just getting bigger.
Let me say it like this: Healthy things always grow, but not every growing thing is healthy. Think of it in horticultural terms. A plant’s natural life cycle is to grow; the only reason it won’t grow is if some barrier or deficiency prohibits its growth. So in reality, no one can force a plant to grow; all we can really do is create the right environment and eliminate the barriers prohibiting it from following its natural path. When the environment is right, growth happens organically.
With that in mind, let me suggest five barriers I believe can stand in the way of healthy organizations.
1. SHORTCUTS – There are no shortcuts to creating a healthy organization. Success is not earned through a simple, easy-to-follow formula. It takes hard work, diligence and longevity. Quick fixes usually lead to long-term fractures. Patience and a willingness not to just do something but to do it right are indispensable for long-term success.
2. SATISFACTION – Resting on past success is a disruption to future organizational growth that ultimately impacts organizational health. When an organization gets too comfortable, boredom, complacency and indifference become more common. Present in every great organization is a healthy restlessness to press forward.
3. SELFISHNESS – Organizational health requires a healthy team environment. There’s no place for selfishness in that equation. When everyone begins to look out for themselves instead of the interests of the entire organization, the group’s health is quickly in jeopardy. When a team truly moves from “me” to “we,” the organization as a whole wins. Healthy organizations foster a belief in their people that the vision is worth fighting for and constantly remind them that when they succeed, everyone succeeds. When the vision of an organization burns so hot in a person that they are willing to give up a personal agenda for the greater good of all, big things become inevitable.
4. SLUGGISHNESS – Change is an important part of organizational health. In a world that’s changing rapidly, organizations must act quickly to adapt to change when needed. Some things never change, such as vision and values, but the activities necessary to achieve those visions and values must be fluid enough to adjust with swiftness and efficiency. The things that originally make you successful will not be the things that keep you successful. As people’s needs change, business must quickly adapt to meet those needs.
5. STUBBORNNESS – Let me be clear. There are some things to be stubborn about — again, vision and values. But, when an organization or its leaders are stubborn about having things “their way” or are resistant to adopting new ways of accomplishing the same vision, the health of the organization will suffer. Most people struggle to follow stubborn leadership, especially when it’s protecting self-interest rather than organizational interests. Embrace flexibility, and be willing to hear points of view that are different from your own. Learning the difference between conviction about values and stubbornness about methodology is an important distinction to make and one that will contribute to a healthier organization.
I hope these few simple thoughts help you create some meaningful dialogue between you and your team.