The enjoyment that I have found in effecting turn-arounds in both operational and development environments comes from bringing order to chaos. I think it is fun to take charge of something that is broken and fix it. It's about the love of putting things in order (or is it the "need" to put things in order?). This usually takes the form of establishing new and efficient processes, documenting them and then training personnel in their use. There is a lot of work that goes into the last sentence (things I didn't even hint at), but as I said it can be a lot of fun and extremely rewarding.
Working a start-up company can present some of the same challenges and opportunities for "fun", but there are also some key differences. With no established procedures to work with, there is a clean slate on which to make your informed sensible decisions. There are no bad habits to break or mysteries to be solved, it is all about understanding the goals of this new venture and then customizing a successful template that you feel best suits the situation at hand. So again we find "establishing new and efficient processes, documenting them and then training personnel on their use".
One difference in crafting a turn-around at an established company and manning a start-up is the post implementation of your plan. For a turn-around the win is not only to bring the environment to a pre-defined level of achievement, but to implement a continuous improvement plan based on metrics. The procedures that were put into place need to be made up of measurable tasks which provide the metrics necessary for ongoing improvement. This is the hard part - the constant monitoring of the machine and then making the minute adjustments that increase efficiency. In a start-up this task is 100 times more difficult.
The best laid plans of mice and men, right? The ground is never too firm at a start-up, there are just too many variables. What I call "infrastructure processes" are established, providing the stability necessary for the team to move forward. Over time however factors such as the economy, new technology, governmental policy, and input from investors will have an effect on a company's goals and therefore the processes. This effect is amplified for a start-up. Flexibility must be king if the organization is to adapt. This is a different kind of fun.
In a start-up the ground may quake beneath your feet much more frequently and with more volatility. It may not be enough to make minute changes - the whole play book can suddenly be called into question. In conceiving an initial plan, the leader's job is to not only assess the new venture's goals and vision but to then weigh the risk factors that may adversely effect their efforts. For instance, what is the probability that a key governmental policy that is critical to the business will change? With this decision analysis having been done, the best plan for the organization can be established. However, a prudent leader will then staff the new enterprise with energetic and flexible personnel that can weather the exciting and challenging tasks in this fast and furious environment.
~Brian
http://brianleblanc.net
No comments:
Post a Comment