One sign of Organizational Adolescence is when loyal employees who have been there from the start begin to move on to other opportunities. It may be that they’re unhappy in their current role or simply feel ready for something new, but sometimes employee attrition can be tied to the changing relationship between the founder and their staff.
Why now? What changed?
Our experience tells us that at a certain stage, employees begin to feel disconnected from the founder. Where once the personality and mission of the founder was a deep part of employee loyalty, they no longer resonate as deeply. This leaves the staff feeling less important to the ‘cause’ than they had previously been.
Changing the conversation
This is a common occurrence in growing businesses and can be addressed by communicating a strategy that changes the organization’s focus from founder-led to mission-driven. Transitioning from founder-led to mission-driven strategy means shifting the internal conversation away from the desires of the founder and focusing instead on the strategic goals of the company.
It requires building out a plan that clearly ties each employee’s role to the purpose of the business while re-setting the expectations and responsibilities of the founder. When your team knows exactly what the goal is and what their role is to get there, they feel empowered, important and connected to a higher mission—and employees who feel important stay.
Connect with BeachHead
At BeachHead, we are passionate about helping businesses scale up from a strong Operations foundation. The BeachHead Organization Audit (BOA) helps founders evaluate their business through an objective lens. Our BOA scorecard allows us to evaluate all aspects of a growing business so we can recommend changes based on what the organization wants to accomplish in the next phase of growth.
If you’re ready to take your company to the next level, reach out and let’s start a conversation.
Email: rdrynan@beachheadstrategic.com
Phone: 416.888-4004
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