#162 - Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High-Growth Organizations - Andrew Bartlow
Feb 12, 2024
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Andrew Bartlow, co-founder of the People Leader Accelerator and co-author of “Scaling for Success”, discusses common challenges faced by high-growth organizations and strategies for successful scaling. He cautions against blindly adopting best practices, emphasizes the importance of a unique people's playbook, and highlights 7 key people practices including organizational structure, learning & development, and culture & engagement.
Establishing role clarity and decision-making processes is crucial for efficient operations and conflict reduction in growing startups.
Prioritizing key areas of learning and development that align with growth goals yields more effective results than trying to cover every possible opportunity.
Proactive cultural transformation management, clear communication, and transparent leadership foster employee engagement and maintain organizational alignment.
Deep dives
Organizational structure and role clarity
As startups grow and add more employees, the complexity of their organizational structure increases. It is crucial to define role clarity and decision-making processes to reduce conflict and ensure efficient operations. Founders should consider creating stage-appropriate leadership roles, hiring managers who are suited to the company's growth stage. They should also minimize layers in the organization and optimize the span of control to facilitate effective communication and decision-making.
Prioritizing learning and development
Startups often try to do too much in terms of learning and development, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. It is important to prioritize initiatives and focus on key areas that align with the organization's growth goals. Investing in relevant training and resources that directly impact employee growth and job performance can be more effective than trying to cover every possible learning opportunity. Encouraging regular one-on-one meetings and skip-level conversations can also promote ongoing learning and professional development.
Managing culture, engagement, and communications
Founders and leaders should be proactive in managing cultural transformation as the organization grows. Resistance to change can hinder progress, so it is essential to communicate and share the vision and expectations with the team. Engaging in regular conversations and skip-level meetings can help maintain a strong sense of culture and transparency. Clear communication, both top-down and bottom-up, fosters employee engagement and helps to keep the organization aligned and connected.
Maintaining clarity and humanity in leadership
Leaders should focus on being clear in their expectations, goals, and priorities. Open and honest communication helps minimize ambiguity and confusion within the team. Additionally, staying attuned to the human element is crucial, showing empathy and understanding towards employees. Lastly, keeping things simple and avoiding overwhelming complexity allows the team to focus on the important tasks and deliver results effectively.
Learning more from Andrew Bartlow
Listeners can connect with Andrew Bartlow on LinkedIn or visit the People Leader Accelerator website (peopleleaderaccelerator.com). By using the code 'podcast,' they can download any guides available on the website for free.
“The People Playbook: First, be clear about your goals and communicate with massive clarity to your team what you’re trying to accomplish. Second, be brilliant at the basics."
Andrew Bartlow is the co-founder of the People Leader Accelerator and the co-author of “Scaling for Success”. In this episode, Andrew discusses the common challenges faced by high-growth organizations and offers strategies for successful scaling.
He emphasizes the significance of organizations creating a unique people’s playbook and cautions against blindly adopting best practices from other companies. Andrew highlights 7 essential people practices organizations should prioritize, which includes organizational structure, learning & development, and culture & engagement.
Andrew Bartlow’s Bio Andrew Bartlow has almost 25 years of experience as a thought leader in organizational effectiveness, and as a practical operator linking business strategy to HR priorities inside corporations. In addition to advisory and mentoring activities through Series B Consulting, Andrew serves as an Operating Partner & Senior Advisor for Altamont Capital Partners, the cofounder and Network Director for WiseGrowth Networks, the cofounder and Managing Partner of People Leader Accelerator, and an HR Venture Advisor for SemperVirens Venture Capital.
Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard. Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats.
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