The growth of an organization can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse. As organizations realize rapid growth; through an upward revenue drive, organically or through mergers; they could falter and crumble on critical non-revenue aspects, such as culture. Organizational culture is particularly sensitive to growth related changes because it represents a thorny social balance that is impacted by countless factors. Organizations must tread lightly in order to not only sustain new ventures, but also maintain stability.
With growth comes chaos. This can come in forms such as; new team members, new processes, new expectations and new structures. New team members bring in fresh energy. They have a totally different set of expectations and different perspectives, thus positioning the team out of equilibrium. This team imbalance ushers in a push against new processes and procedures from the team members of the old guard. This kind of push is a deterrent to the growth of the organization. New team members are then deprived of quality training because the foundation of the organization lacks a well-defined organizational culture to navigate through the chaos surrounding growth. At this juncture, senior leadership should embrace a shared vision around the elements of an ideal corporate culture that nurtures respect between team members, in a bid to give organic growth a fighting chance within the organization.
Many organizations fail to acknowledge that in order to necessitate an internal grassroots approach, culture should be driven from the bottom-up.
[p>This kind of approach gives ownership of the culture to all team members. This concept builds accountability and a sense of “big picture” contribution. Value Added Packaging has done an excellent job of maintaining their culture of respect, integrity, trust and care. This transforms concept into reality for all of their team members; affording them hands on approach to the shaping of the culture.
VAP has created a sustainable culture by the decentralization of duties; therefore, eliminating the organizational hierarchy and introducing a self-managing flat line culture. Simply, VAP encourages the theory, “little fish learn to be big fish in little ponds”. The ability for the VAP team to embrace a collaborative culture has allowed the team to find order in the midst of chaos throughout the company’s growth period. VAP is a beacon of light in ushering a new wave of organizations, managing to stay focused through all the hustle that comes with growth. Thanks VAP, for providing a culture shield to fight against all the uncertainties of organizational growth.
Innocent Hadebe, Head Coach at Value Added Packaging, oversees all areas of production while training, coaching, and developing team members in leadership and value alignment of the organization.