There is something quite special about a small organisation. People know each other. Leaders are accessible. Decisions are often quick. There can be a strong sense of “we are in this together.”
Then the organisation grows. Processes appear. Roles become more defined. Hierarchies emerge. Systems are introduced to bring consistency and control.
All of this is necessary. But somewhere along the way, something else can happen.
The culture that helped the organisation grow can begin to disappear.
The obvious response is often to introduce another engagement survey, a team-building programme or a communication initiative.
But perhaps the more useful place to start is somewhere else - go back to the beginning.
What was it about this organisation that had made people want to join it in the first place? What has changed? Which changes were necessary? Which have created unintended consequences? And, perhaps most importantly, what do people want to preserve as the organisation continues to grow?
The answer isn't to turn the organisation back into what it was. It is to ask - “How do we retain what mattered while becoming what we need to become?”
Change is inevitable.
Growth is important.
But perhaps not everything from the past needs to be left behind.
