How to stop drowning in company growth
- Ryan Hogarty
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Written by Ryan Hogarty, Ryan Hogarty Coaching
You open the email and let out an audible sigh.
The CEO just sent out an all-users email that targets are being increased this year and attached a nice, tidy summary of the growth plan.
The SLT just had an away day (to which you were not invited) and they are pumped (your eyes roll). They are excited about their new strategy. BD and Marketing laid out the new client acquisition strategy, Operations said it’s doable, and so here we are.
Part of the “Grand Plan” are the new hires: 15 new mid-level associates, two juniors, and 10 admin support staff.
You have literally just finished onboarding the last batch; your team is up to its eyeballs, and it’s not letting up.
It’s either your resignation letter or an appointment with the CEO.
You're the “people person,” and again, the last to be consulted on company growth.
The problem isn’t the company nor the CEO; the problem is you.
I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true. Don’t worry, here are a couple of ways to turn this around:
Reposition your value.
Everyone loves people-people. They want people to be happy and to grow. The problem is that most non-people-people don’t equate people-people with the “front end” of growth. BD and Marketing? Yeah, obvious. HR? Mostly not. HR’s traditionally pigeon-holed into “business support”.
What this means as an HR leader is you need to reposition your value. How you do this involves forging new partnerships. Re-educating the business, starting with leadership. I suggest setting up a quarterly meeting with your CEO, Ops Directors and BD and Marketing heads. Helping them see what value you can bring to early planning.
Repurpose your voice.
Secondly, you need to repurpose how your voice is interpreted. The hiring world is hard; getting people is difficult, keeping them even more so. Most people get this. However, when people hear it from you, it’s interpreted as “you are not ‘pro’ growth.”
So next time you are in the meeting or strategic session, let your public voice exude ‘I am up for the challenge’ vibes. And if there are challenges, then make a note to schedule a meeting with your CEO/Head of Marketing to voice concerns and share creative ideas to support the growth.
Resetting your Team.
Lastly, your team is so busy with recruiting, onboarding, mediating, and paperwork for which we don’t give them enough credit. However, with the heavy workloads that they carry in a growing company , they can quickly pick up negativity towards growth. That's why nipping these attitudes in the bud is important, stressing the benefits of growth: more resources for your team, benefits for the employees, and often opportunities for your team to shine by taking on new responsibilities. This takes leadership, absorbing some of the frustration and pain they may be feeling, and creating an optimistic environment.
So next time you feel on the back foot with your growing organisation, think of the opportunity you have to get ahead of it.
Bio: Ryan is a Business Growth Coaching specialising in helping Lawyers and Accountants grow their professional book of clients and scale their practices.
Connect with Ryan:
Email: ryan@ryanhogarty.com
Webpage: www.ryanhogarty.com
Bio: Ryan is a Business Growth Coaching specialising in helping Lawyers and Accountants grow their professional book of clients and scale their practices.
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