Different Views. Similar Challenges.

Maybe a dozen people had access to the Executive Suite. It should more accurately be called, the Executive Suite for Former Executives.

A secluded floor reserved for those who led the corporation through good times and bad. The former Chairman. The former CEO. Two former Presidents. That was it. For the moment. Anne would eventually be welcomed into that exclusive club. Another former CEO in the making. Although she was not quite done yet. There was her legacy to consider.

As the elevator doors opened, Anne stepped first into the foyer. Followed by her two guests. Sunshine beamed in from edge-to-edge, floor to ceiling windows. The view was stunning.

A gold-plated telescope mounted on a mahogany tripod stood as a beacon in the sitting area. From there, six large offices and one giant boardroom wrapped around the building. Each office guarded by imposing desks for personal assistants. This morning, the floor felt vacant. Mondays on the top floor.

Anne looked around. Not so much to avoid running into anybody. Mostly because she had to remember the layout. Anne walked hesitantly to the left. Seemed to get her bearings and strode full steam ahead. Past the full kitchen and servery. Past the well-appointed bathrooms. Around the corner of the cloak room. She stopped. Ushered her guests into the informally formal meeting room and closed the door.

“I felt this would be a quiet place for us to discuss our project,” Anne began.

Most leaders of start-ups and early stage companies, even big companies, have little in common with these surroundings. Many don’t even have an assistant as an official role. Let alone one with a title that takes two lines on a business card. “Executive Assistant to the Office of the CEO.”

Leaders write their own notes. Get their own coffee. Field calls and emails. Along with countless Slacks, texts and other distracting but seemingly urgent notifications. All the while doing whatever job needs to be done and oh yeah, running their company.

On the surface, these look like different worlds. At the heart of it all, leaders of small companies share many of the same challenges as leaders of billion-dollar companies. By billion-dollar companies, I am referring to actual revenues in the billions. Not valuations.

Roland, the Chief Operating Officer was already well informed about “the project”. He sat comfortably back in the leather seat. Ethan, the consultant, armed with only minimal information leaned in. He was recommended to Anne by an influential board member. Arianna. One of the few who Anne solicited for advice.

Big company boards are typically made up of very experienced business people. Big egos, in some cases. Closed minds in others. When priorities are aligned, that stimulates good conversation. Challenges thinking. Questions strategy. Steers the company to a better place. In other organizations, priorities get in direct conflict. It almost always comes down to money.

In early stage companies, the board often gets stacked. Members are nominated for their intention to drive the business forward. Generating a return on behalf of investors who nominated them. They can approve decisions quickly and make some introductions. What they may not provide is a forum for Founders to make better long-term decisions. Again, it almost always comes down to money.

Anne cleared her throat and focused her attention on Ethan.

“Well, as you know from Arianna, we want to conduct a causal analysis of the situation here. We have a many key initiatives percolating. As we, and primarily I’m referring to Roland and myself. As we steer efforts toward implementation, we continually hear about delays. In an organization like ours, we are very much dependant on leadership to fill us in on progress. The truth is, sometimes they don’t know either. We go down many layers here.”

Anne placed her hands on the table. “My priority is to oversee the implementation of initiatives that will define this company for the next five years. I’m leaving my position in two years. Roland,” gesturing to her right, “he’ll be retiring at the end of next quarter. That’s not much time. We want to know what is holding up progress.”

Ethan understood their frustration. As soon as you have just a few people working at a company, the same problem occurs. Some things get done. Others don’t.

No matter what we’re told to do, or what we even recognize is the priority, human nature kicks in. It’s human nature to work on things that stimulate us. That we’re ‘feeling’ in that moment. Even if deadlines loom and days slip away.

You get into the office. Suddenly, organizing your cluttered desk is the most urgent and important thing to do. You grab a coffee and you’re so in the mood to work on spreadsheets. Or you’re totally not in the mood to work on spreadsheets, so you grab a coffee.

As a leader, you try to make directives clear. Make sure everyone understands what needs to be done. When it needs to be done. Why it needs to be done by that time. Not that every leader does that. The good ones do.

Still, projects stall. Deadlines are missed. Quality of work doesn’t always meet expectations. Understanding what is happening in the company to create those road blocks is important. No question. It takes time and resources to investigate. Start-ups and early stage companies don’t have extra resources. Time being one of their most precious resources. There’s only so much cash and it’s burning every month. For different reasons, Anne and Roland didn’t have time either.

Ethan asked Anne and Roland if they would participate in a thinking exercise. “A different way of looking at the problem.” Informality wasn’t exactly their way, but they obliged. Ethan tore sheets from his notebook and grabbed a couple of pens from his backpack. He handed them to his accommodating players.

“Imagine this company is a car. It can be any car. Today, what kind of car is it? You can be specific to a brand and model or as generic as say, a pick up. Sports car. SUV. Whatever you feel best represents the company today.”

Anne and Roland nodded their heads. They were thoughtful for a moment. Roland clued in first. Wrote down the car he was thinking of. Anne was close behind.

“Now,” directed Ethan, “what is about that car that represents your company?”

Again, they were thoughtful. Roland was all over it. Anne, not being a car person, took a little longer.

“Before we share what you wrote, one more step. Turn the sheet over and do the exercise again. Except this time, what is the car that you want the company to be in three years from now? Why? What features and options does that car have?”

Both Anne and Ronald sat a little higher up in their seats. Now they were challenged. When both were done, Roland was smiling. Obviously, he had to go first.

“Today, I see the company as a Datsun 240Z.”

They all laughed. That was an oldie. Of course, so was Roland. He explained that the Datsun 240Z was affordable. Fun to drive. Won a bunch of rally races in its day. It was the best-selling car in the world. Now, it doesn’t look as nice as it used to. It runs okay but can’t keep up with newer models.

Anne agreed. That did represent the company very well. Anne’s car was an older model minivan. Comfortable. Roomy. Similar story about it being tired and not keeping up with newer vehicles. It also had a lot of space to carry people.

“This company has a lot of people to carry,” Anne pointed out.

Next came the car they each wanted the company to be like in three years. As expected, Roland named the year, brand and model. They both however, landed on the same type of vehicle. A new SUV. Something that could handle any terrain. Move quickly.

Anne highlighted a couple other features. The SUV still had comfortable space but not as much space to carry people. Plus, a GPS.

“When you type in a destination,” she explained, “you can see the whole route to get there. As soon as you go off course, the GPS alerts you and helps you find your way back. That’s what I want to know. We’re quite proficient at setting strategy, but I have no idea when we’re off course until it’s way, way, way down the road. I also believe that we have people in our organization who may not do well in our car anymore. They’re simply not up for exploring new destinations.”

“And a few are already getting car sick,” added Roland. Hence the reason for meeting in the Executive Suite for Former Executives.

As any Founder can tell you, in the space of one week you can get thrown months off target. If the structure is in place to keep everyone plugged in, action can be taken quickly. Even if the action is to speak with investors, suppliers, customers and employees to explain there is a delay. That changes are being made. That the team is on it.

The real problems happen when weeks and months drift by before it becomes clear that what’s expected isn’t going to happen. That’s what make KPIs so critical. The daily and weekly KPIs. Ideally served up in real time. Those are the ones that ignite action.

The difference between big and small companies is how many places there are to hide from KPIs. As companies grow in size and layers, having the right KPIs bubble up to the top takes time. If they get there at all. Everyone worries about what their boss is going to think if the problem hasn’t been solved by the time they hear about it.

Not all problems can be solved without involvement from the top. That’s why each company has to design the right KPIs for their operation. So that their unique issues can be addressed while there is time to do something about them.

“Time isn’t on our side,” Ethan pointed out. “A casual analysis will take us a few months. Minimum. Then there’s the work to figure out what to do about we learn and implement something. More months. I don’t think we’ll make Roland’s retirement party.”

Anne nodded. Somewhat reluctantly. Roland grunted his agreement.

“Another way at this is to take a start-up approach. We may not know exactly what the hold up is, but we do know that the strategy is right. Right?”

Again, Anne and Roland agreed. With conviction this time.

“So, let’s go at it directly. Bring together the people responsible for delivering. Fill the room with flip charts. In one day, we’ll know what we have to focus on. Then we’ll split up tasks and mini-projects. Use Scrums to keep on course. Regroup every few weeks. Everyone will know this is a priority because we’re on it. We’ll have weekly KPIs that everyone sees. No hiding. When you or Roland are needed, you’ll know it. That’s if we don’t call you in already. It’s about building momentum and keeping that momentum fired up.”

Roland piped in. “That’s the kind of ride that I mentioned will get some people car sick.”

Now it was Anne’s turn to smile. “It is. I hope I’m not one of those people. But I agree. We have plenty of resources and financial strength. What we don’t have is time.”

After plans were hatched, Roland escorted Ethan downstairs. Anne stayed back. She stood next to the telescope and looked out over the lakefront, beyond the towering office buildings. She could see one of the city’s popular tech districts in the distance. Small businesses. Many start-ups. Filled with newly minted entrepreneurs, founders and CEO’s hoping to grow big. She wondered if they knew what they were in for.

They may not entirely know what’s in store. But one thing for sure. They are already training for the big leagues. By facing down many of the same challenges they’ll find as their companies grow.