There’s a story that many entrepreneurs know all too well:
You start a business and in the beginning, everything is great. Your product/service is new and exciting, and you have a small, nimble team dedicated to bringing your vision to life. Yes, there are struggles, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had. Your team is like your family and, for a while at least, it feels as though the good times will never end. But then something strange happens. Your company is still growing—you have clients knocking down your door and competitors are eyeing you nervously—but somehow things feel a little… off. Processes that used to work just fine are suddenly insufficient, employee engagement is changing, things that used to ‘just work themselves out’ don’t, and the lack of infrastructure that initially drove the entrepreneurial spirit of your business feels like it’s becoming an anchor. You’re not sure what resources you need to invest in, how to afford them or where to turn to acquire them.
After the exciting start-up years, most companies hit a phase known as “organizational adolescence”. It can be a challenging time for many companies. Putting proper structure, planning, and processes in place as well as allocating appropriate operational resources becomes crucial. One of the best ways to get over the hump and onto the next stage of growth is to gain a clear, impartial understanding of the status of your business operations—what’s already working and what needs to change. That’s where an Organization Audit comes in.
What is an Organization Audit?
You’re already familiar with a Financial Audit—a compliance tool that rarely offers a positive impact on the business—but you may not have heard of an Organization Audit. While a Financial Audit is a necessary evil, an Organization Audit might just be your company’s next secret weapon. It’s a process conducted by an unbiased third-party that reviews all the major operational aspects of a growing business to ensure the company is set up for scalable success.
An Organization Audit provides companies with an accurate and honest assessment of organizational strengths and weaknesses along with recommendations and tools to address issues and advisory support for change implementation.
What Does an Audit Entail?
No two audits are the same—the company’s vision, their size, stage of growth, and the interests and strengths of the leadership team all vary. Therefore, the growing pains a company may experience will differ from organization to organization.
Audit specialists engage in in-depth interviews with the leadership team as well as employees from all levels of the organization and do a deep-dive into company background material. They review existing processes and procedures, conduct market research, perform financial analysis, and use their deep understanding of how top companies build structure to review five key operational aspects of a business on a scorecard, namely:
- Strategy and Leadership
- Human Resources and Culture
- Financial Operations
- Business Development
- Systems and Admin/Project Management
What Can an Organization Audit Do for Me?
Change is never easy and too often companies only address issues when they become urgent. In order to move from start-up to grown-up, it’s essential to really understand your business from the inside out. An Organization Audit is the best way to do that.
Audit specialists ask the uncomfortable questions that really get to the root of a problem—for example, is the leadership team aligned with one another? Are the Founder’s efforts focused in the right place? Are they open to criticism and change? Does the staff understand what the company vision is? Is your project management process inefficient? Is the employee experience consistent from recruitment to exit? Are there procedures in place to protect the company from catastrophe?
Having an unbiased, third-party specialist conduct a deep and thorough review of all areas of a business’s operation not only allows a company to accurately understand the problems that are currently impeding progress, it may also shed light on unexpected issues that will allow them to sidestep future problems before they even arise. More importantly, it provides a strong foundation for the next stage of the company’s evolution.
Connect with BeachHead
Are you a founder or entrepreneur ready to take your company to the next level? Are you struggling through organizational adolescence and need help finding your way? Reach out to us today for a conversation.
BeachHead Strategic is deeply passionate about the need to build a strong operational base to scale upon and our partners have dedicated themselves to helping other businesses overcome the internal challenges that accompany success.
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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