Multi-Sized Lessons for Multi-Sized Approaches

Every day, we work with clients that are large and small. It does not matter if the work involves strategy, technology, marketing, or talent – our team truly tailors solutions to the needs of each client. Why is this so important?  

Almost every organization needs the expertise to solve a problem. Sometimes, the talent to solve a problem is not readily available within their walls. Depending on the size and scope of the organization and the type of problem needing to be solved, the leaders of an organization usually seek the expertise that matches this size and scope. What if you could find experts that have ACTUALLY WORKED in organizations small, medium, and large?  What if you could find experts that have solved problems of varying complexity with evidence of success? And, what if you could find that in one place?

The benefit of having this experience across so many levels across all operating units allows our clients to leverage real-world use cases that closely align with their goals. The importance, however, is not disregarding the expertise of a small to medium organization for a large-scale opportunity or vice versa. Why?  

When I worked at an enterprise-level organization, it allowed me to learn the following:

1. Expertise is at your disposal inside the organization
2. Process discipline has been well defined and refined
3. Manager Engagement and Effectiveness are a priority but still can be dependent on the culture
4. Investments in Technology are evident to promote automation
5. Access to top executives is usually rare except for large group settings

When I worked at small to medium level organizations, it allowed me to learn the following:

1. A significant emphasis on cost controls and lean type behavior
2. Horizontal leadership models that increase visibility from top to bottom (which also means there is more of a chance for micromanagement)
3. Starve for process discipline, governance, and innovation
4. More global understanding of customers/clients and relative opportunities
5. An appetite for investing in automation through technology, people, or process is lower

One can easily see the benefit of how learning from different-sized organizations can be incredibly beneficial. When an organization can leverage expertise from all sizes and structures, it opens up best practices and applications for any unique use case. For example, a small organization is usually in dire need of process improvement because they do not have the money to spend on complex technology solutions to automate. The rigor required to get really good at Process is usually a discipline widely practiced and adopted within larger organizations. On the other hand, a large organization may overlook tighter cost control. In comparison, this is a necessity within smaller organizations. These tactics can be applied to larger companies. 

When you harness these disciplines and encapsulate them to a particular use case, the power of sharing becomes endless. Can organizations do this on their own? Sure. If they want to hire the talent or reach out on their own to other organizations, it can happen. However, the fastest path is usually to employ the expertise without the long-term burden of a regular hire (as long as they possess the expertise, skill, and talent across all levels), ensuring that the organization not only gets the expertise to share the best practices but aids in the learning and integration of the practice.

One of the most satisfying things to witness as a consultant is when the light bulbs start to turn on for the client. This frequently happens when the client adopts practices that are often introduced from our past clients and their experiences. There is a phrase that many of you have probably heard or read: “The best ideas are stolen.” This is also sometimes quoted as, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” These are never more evident than when an organization takes advantage of practices learned and established elsewhere. 

So, why try to do this on your own? Why waste time reinventing the wheel when you can leverage valuable resources and lessons in the market? The bottom line is, when looking for solutions to your opportunities, don’t do it alone. Reach out to the experts who can leverage solutions from all shapes and sizes of organizations and probably have a use case to match your opportunity.