Ambidextrious organisations - When corporate meets start-up

The attraction is understandable. Who wouldn’t adore to work in an organization where you combine years of legacy experience with new working and leadership methods? Where you create the room for a twin organization to grow side by side with a classic well-driven company. For many C-suits members a start-up unit kind of sounds like the solutions to the stagnation, the standard operation procedures, the corporate processes that just has become to heavy and disturbing. Like a little (well-controlled of course) revolution right there in their midst. A moment of entertainment. And we all know what happens when you release the energy to an uncontrolled level - it doesn’t always come out as you would expect, and the mess totally exceeds what you can handle.

In essence it is the split between exploration and exploitation that is the key - and that is so important to keep in mind. Why? ´Cause what often happens when a legacy organisation decides on the start-up-journey is that they tend to forget that the rest of the organisation is still alive and still in a development process, however in a different manner. And sometimes the legacy organization then end up being the abandoned child instead of being recognized as the backbone of the corporate business. So someone need to realize that that part of the organisation do not go hibernating, just because there is a new kid on the block. They still have a market that needs to be developed, products that needs to be renewed, redesigned and to be sold. The corporate business still need to deliver a surplus to the stakeholders or who ever is benefitting, but most importantly the traditional core business must earn the profit needed to finance the start-up or the explorative unit, that potentially will not have a revenue for a long time.

So what to do? is it possible to create the perfect set-up for the new organisational design?

Well, first - there is no such thing as perfect, and all decisions must be seen in the context they are arising in. But from my experience what failed bitterly was communication. That you forget to tell that all the fun and games at the start up come at a price. That the people in the start-up e.g. don’t get the same incentives as the corporate people, but the money instead is spend on geeks and parties. Or that the silly coffee machine they get that differs enormously from the corporate ditto, also is a pay-off for missing overtime payment. Be sure not to underestimate the stories that is floating at all management level in the organisation, and among employees as well. And recognize that envy and disappointment are poison in a process of transformation.

Another thing that is often forgotten is the patience and the stamina needed to be in this transformation for the long run. The expectation for delivering magic in a very short time can be overwhelming. The C-suite team have invested a shitload of money in the unit, and is therefore keen to see the ROI appear quickly. But it does take time, and if you really want this explorative unit to deliver, be patient, be their guard while challenging them in the shadows.

In my perspective the learning is quite clear: narratives, storytelling - what ever you call it, is essential and the patience and the insights into why building the explorative unit is important. And to realize that you can not have one with out the other. Sponsorships from C-level is essential and need to be continued for a long time.

If you need help in building your ambidextrous organisation, or for a start to share thoughts on possibilities - just reach out

Laila ;O)

Culture and change

Did you hear yourself mention “we need to work with the culture” at the last management meeting you were attending? If so, I hope that the people around the table responded with more that just a “yeah, agree”.

Lets agree on one thing - cultural change is not for kids. It is a huge investment in time, tenacity, and sometimes money but most importantly the biggest success factor is persistence. Persistence because time matters. I have seen way to many cultural change processes capsize due to the duration of the process.

But when you think of it, it is not that difficult to understand why it takes time. Organisational culture builds up from the second you are more than one in the room. That moment when you decide - or do not decide - on how we meet, how we present, how we dress, how we talk, the level of jokes allowed, who is in charge of what etc. The list is as long as you have the fantasy to write it. And then think of organisational changes in organisations that are more than a couple of years old, or old corporates that has been around for centuries. It is not impossible but it calls for a really tough decision that need support from all level in the organisation. But mostly it calls for an agreement of including the cultural discussion as an element whenever we embark on a new strategy, changes in the customer segment, recruitments of leaders or employees and all other activities we do. Keep focus all the time - even when you are so bored with the phenomenon or think “we must be through it by now”. You are not. It is when you think you are there, when it starts to look like you are there, that the tenacity starts to matter. Stay true to your decision about making the change. And continue to visit the commitments and the ambition regularly when you start to see the change in the organisation.

And if you need any inspiration or help - just reach out

BR Laila ;O)

When finding the right candidate for the job doesn't fix the problem

I guess you are reading this line, because the headline touched a memory !

Years of recruitments have left me with a perspective on what it is we are trying to solve whenever we are recruiting a new specialist or a new leader, no matter the level. And to me a few questions are essential before we hit the keyboard to write yet another brilliant job add. The trick is that we seldom spend the time investigating what it is we are really looking for. Way too often you end up recruiting the candidate that either looks exactly like the one before or in best case, with an increased level of knowledge.

What could have been relevant spending time on, was the strategy. What is your ambition? how does the future look for you in regards of change in customers, in the market, on the product side? Do you know that your organisation will pass through changes the coming year? Is this position involved in your succession planning - or should it be a part of the circulation of competencies? All of the mentioned and maybe even more, should be really present in your dialogue on the demands for the new position.

So, to put it short, you need to spend what seems to be a wast of time, figuring out what the qualities would be in your new employee, to prevent wasting the time recruiting the wrong candidate.

Need any help taking the right choice ? just reach out.

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