In cooperation with MT Sprout - Sales can go like a charm; if you, as CEO, do not have the business organization in order, chaos will ensue. It is important to create peace. But how? It starts with standing still and creating an overview. You can read these and 5 other steps here.

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A while back, Dolf L'Ortye saw a “really cool lamp” on crowdfunding site Kickstarter. Together with Paul van Bekkum, he is co-founder of consultancy firm Summiteers, which, among other things, helps scaleups grow. 'The lamp was made by two guests who have just arrived from the university. I was going to support their project. I was backer number nine, one of the first ones. ' But what happened? The project went through the roof. Thousands of people had signed up for it. “The makers had to build a lamp factory out of the ground like crazy people to meet that enormous demand. In the end, I waited for my lamp for 3 years. I called them once and got the CEO on the line. So he himself answered calls from angry backers. He had a very successful company, but lacked structure. You can't keep that up,” says L'Ortye.

The moral of the story, as Van Bekkum summarizes: “Recognize signs of growing pains in time and take action. Your sales can go like a charm, but if you don't have the organization in order, things will go wrong. Then there is no overview and chaos ensues. So it's important to create peace. ' But how do you do that? A step-by-step plan.

1. Focus on your pain points

Writer Bertolt Brecht once said: 'I'm standing still for a moment and that's a big step forward. ' That's what Summiteers does, says L'Ortye. “We force a management team to consider their pain points and, together, using an organization scan, investigate exactly what is going on. You make time for that and then you keep going. To the solution. Of course, we understand that every scaleup is different and that the problem may lie elsewhere. We think that every step in the organization scan can be relevant to finding out exactly what is causing it. '

2. Kill your darlings

An IT company wanted to grow from 125 to 400 people. They had offices in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven and wanted to expand to Rotterdam, among others. “The company also wanted to do more with artificial intelligence,” says Van Bekkum. “A growth path in a completely different direction, which required them to acquire or develop different knowledge and skills.” As if that wasn't enough, they also wanted to take steps in Scandinavia. “It's impossible to do it all at the same time. We helped them figure out the right order. Where are you going to invest your time, energy and euros in the coming quarter? You can only spend once every hour. ' Standing still allows you to create an overview, Van Bekkum emphasizes. “That helps you make choices. And when you choose, focus. ' L'Ortye: “Kill your darlings, no matter how difficult that is.”

Daring to choose and saying “no” to other projects provides the direction that the rest of the organization needs, says Van Bekkum. “It gives you the space to deliver quality on the things you do do do. Employees get a touchstone in their daily activities: what should we do now, and what can wait? '

3. Not only transmitting, but also listening

A good plan includes communication with the rest of the company. “This effort is sometimes underestimated,” says L'Ortye. “The management team sometimes thinks: this is what we choose, and it will be fine. No, because the people who work for you don't know it yet, or haven't mastered it yet. ' Once a CEO said: I don't understand it at all, how often do I have to go on stage to explain what the plan is? “We said: did you also ask the employees what they didn't find clear?” Management teams are often about sending their message, during consultation, through newsletters. “But there is also a listening component: what answers do you need from us to work effectively? That is often forgotten,” says Van Bekkum.

4. Be specific instead of generic

The more concrete, the better, is the motto when it comes to business strategy and vision.

“Scaleups, but also other companies, often put their plans on a slide. Then you'll read about reducing costs and increasing turnover. Very generic, it can apply to both toilet paper and software,” says L'Ortye. Those plans won't really work for you until you pull them down to the ground. “If you make it very concrete what your employees should do and what you expect of them. That requires more than a few lines on a PowerPoint slide. '

Also read: No time to read this because your company is growing too fast?

5. Bring structure to the organization

Scaleups that grow very quickly to 40-50+ people often no longer have clear teams and roles, notes Van Bekkum. “It is then not always clear who is responsible for what. Everyone has their own plan or assignment. ' It is important to formalize the organization. “Founders are often averse to that. In fact, startups often owe their success to the fact that they experiment and try everything out. They sometimes find it difficult to accept that structure and formalization are needed. That you say loud: this is your job and that is your responsibility. You must remind your employees that they must comply with KPI agreements. That planning is necessary. Appealing to people about their behavior and results. ' For some founders, that doesn't make their job more fun. “Suddenly, you're a manager instead of a pioneer. Sometimes something else is needed: stepping aside,” says Van Bekkum.

6. Get coached

A startup founder is often someone with ideas, who is also used to always doing something with them, says L'Ortye. “Suddenly, a team says to him: nice plan, but join the back of the queue, because we have a year and a half of work for now.” According to the Summiteer, it's best to keep those ideas to yourself for a while. Restrain yourself so that the rest of the organization maintains focus. “Manage yourself. That is difficult. That is why founders are occasionally heavily coached. Trainers are often former entrepreneurs who have become wise through damage and shame themselves. It's easier to take advice from them. '

Would you like to explore, in consultation with an advisor, whether the scaleup organization scan might be interesting for your scaleup? Click here