You have a client that has 3,000 employees. You’ve been working with them for several years and are wondering if the 7 Stages of Growth concepts can apply to this large of a company?
The answer would be YES!
A critical question starts with asking: Do you have a relationship with the CEO? You may be working with key managers. However, buy in from a CEO is critical when conducting an X-Ray or a Profit Zone program.
If your connection is with a manager from that company or through the Human Resources department, you can still work toward creating a relationship with that CEO. If you are brought in to work with department managers because they are looking for team building exercises or personal development exercises, you can start educating the team you are working with on the 7 Stages of Growth.
For instance, if you are working with a manager who runs a division with 20-34 employees, asking critical questions about how that manager perceives their ability to delegate is a good starting point.
Just like a CEO who is running an organization and learning about the challenge of delegating, a good manager should also be concerned about how well they are dealing with this critical stage of development.
As a Stage 3 manager, are they aware of the Modality called Supportive?
Do they understand the importance of their direct reports being Dominant today and why?
Is their top leadership style Coaching, or is it leaning toward Pacesetting and could that be one of the hidden agents you help them uncover in order to help them become a more effective manager?
Are they struggling with Staff Buy-in? Is there a widening Leadership/Staff Communication Gap?
Does their team understand the company’s vision, mission and values? Is constant change holding the team back?
Does the manager see the value in teaching financial literacy to each of their direct reports? In large organizations, it’s even more critical that each employee understand the impact their job has on the company’s bottom line.
At the right moment, ask that manager for an introduction to the CEO. In advance of that meeting, ask that manager to be your champion when talking about the 7 Stages of Growth or the Profit Zone. If they have resonated with the information you’ve provided, they will be glad to support that introduction.
The best approach is to have the CEO and his/her direct reports take part in the first X-Ray or the first Profit Zone program. However, if the manager gets the go-ahead from the CEO to conduct either program with their division, feel good about that opportunity. Include the CEO in your correspondence with that manager when you are setting up the programs. Encourage the CEO to join the session, even for an hour or two, to get a feel for the dialogue that ensues. Ask the manager to share the final results with the CEO and maybe even do a debrief with the manager and the CEO.
On the GCS Membership Site, there is a video where I answer Frequently Asked Questions and I answer this question “Does the 7 Stages of Growth Work for Companies with More Than 500 Employees”.
http://www.gcspecialists.com/member-dashboard
Under the 7 SOG Videos Tab, you’ll find the video: Frequently Asked Questions for 7 SOG.
I conducted an X-Ray with a Stage 7 nonprofit that had 3,000 employees. It was very well received with the new Executive Director and her managers. The night before the X-Ray with the Executive Director and her team, I had the Board take just the 27 Challenges exercise and I shared the results with both groups in different sessions. This was a great exercise to help the Board see how committed this new Executive Director was to working with her established team and ultimately, the Board.
There are many ways to use the tools you have access to. If you have any questions, I’m here to help.
Your success. My passion.
Laurie Taylor, FlashPoint!
