This is what I wrote earlier on my linked account – Gachoka Kang’ata
It seemed a very surprising reality to some people who reached out to somewhat ‘’complaint’’ how some information is there but not readily available.
Can’t be it’s not available.
This is how it went;
A modern organization is defined by conflicting forces
On one hand, building enterprise capable of continually adapting to changing realities clearly demands new ways of thinking and operating
This is a cross-road that has failed many to rise and sustain
Sum it up: Organizational learning challenges of this era
Side A: Orgs are more networked with wider ecosystem
- traditional management hierarchies weakening daily & More opportunity for learning and innovation
Side B: Fire-fighting operation designs
- traditional management system keeping orgs in perpetual fire-fighting mode with little or no energy to innovate
This is time of cross-currents
-Globalization of business and industrial developments
-Pressure of financial capital at expense of natural and social capital
-Local environment more of stressing feature in industrial development
-Increasing population while gap between ''haves'' and ''have-nots'' widening
-Younger generation across world creating web of relationship like never before
These shifting attacking stable strategic screens of all businesses
This interconnectedness
Culture learning from each other - with intention or not
Conflicting forces: Things getting better, things getting worse
Transition : ''something'' is on way out and ''something else'' being born
Conflicting forces playing out in orgs largely.
Can't be assumed or ignored any more
2 realities at play:
- environments with need and possibilities for learning capabilities greater than ever
- challenges for building such capabilities.
Transforming your organization to a learning one is inevitable
It's like a ''HOOK'' of some sort but it’s inevitably needed
In my business development journey, I landed into the business of ‘’ Mary and James’’. A hardware with varied outlets and doing about 600 Million to 1B annually.
The business employs 108 staff- from customer care, cashier, security, hand men, accounts and rest.
This is why this was quite an easy catch for me
Mary, the co-owner woke up one day and told the husband that she will not do the business same way again- that was after 16 years.
Good to note, Mary was just a shop keeper when they started the business. James worked on networking with construction sites so that he could get more clients
16 years later, a corporate run and managed by founders that never imagined it can grow.
The load is too much. Business grew but with increasing load to the owners who are also daily managers.
A colleague told me- ‘’ if this is how grown up business means, then better remain employed. The workers are living a happier life.’’
During the day we undertook assessment, we found that over 70% workers call Mary ‘’ Mama Kins’’. Mainly those who have grown with the business. The kiosk they saw 10 years ago is still the same as per their mindset.
Ultimately, we established as follows;
- The business is growing at a reducing rate
- Owners very tired and have reached point of watching things just flow
- Market is increasing but no interest to push for increased market share
It’s confusing. It’s actually a confusion
Learning Organization
Only 30% - 40% can be blamed on Mary and James
Whatever brought you here cannot take you there – Marshall Goldsmith
But what will make you remain updated that what brought you here is no longer sufficient to take you there
Unlocking and enabling learning environment for the organization
Business operations is like a fiction that creates two alternate current – one that’s getting in, the other one getting out
And therefore, biggest blame of the remaining 60% - 70% goes to natural conflicting forces that keep bombarding modern business as mentioned above
If not acknowledged earlier in advance, then, Mary and James have no option other than arrive at current status of complete exhaustion and tiredness.
Real acknowledgement is allowing a learning environment in the business.
The Hardware is lucky we will work on a road map to save it from further decline. More employment opportunities will be saved.
How does exhaustion come in and look like
With 108 staff
Mary, serving as CEO still solves over 50% client issues
Mary, still believes key accounts clients must first land on her table before anyone else talks to them
Mary can’t be in a meeting of just 1 hour without over 10 calls interruption.
Cheque books always in her pretty big office
80% client funnel is linked to James effort
Kudos, business still pushing 600M to 1B annually
Exhaustion din’t come one sunny afternoon
It’s a journey- when the owner realized the cash is piling up and panic gripped
- Created a ‘’ guard rails’’ by grabbing the cheque book to always reside in hand bag,
- Employed every person who is able to do hand work and not strategic work
- Covered all wastages and gaps through culture of intimidation and not openness
How to protect your time, keep winning and move ahead
Mentality that cost of entrepreneurship has to come with late night ambitions
Can’t move you ahead from the shop to an enterprise seeking chance to compete on top
There’s less spoken truth by founders leading their business. You can win BIG and still have BIG life
But this comes by design
This is how to do it.
- Design around energy optimization not hours.
- Design around operation improvement and excellence practices
- Create a guard rails for enhancing block of 3-5 years strategic framework
Overall,
Your eyes and mind can’t open up if organization is not set on foundation of learning on the go.
Secondly the business changing and bombarding forces will definitely overpower and same energy of one-person last year will not sustain this year.
Reset and start picking up momentum
1% that are operating over 10 enterprises and moving Billions just stopped to pretend they are the back bone of their businesses.
They worked on a design of learning organization.
P.S – If you still need to RECLAIM your momentum for the hard-earned business, don’t wait more shrinking. Start at perfect assessment of how you’re doing.
Go here to trigger https://cygnus.co.ke/diagnostic
Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)
I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.
MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke
Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com
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