First, Stop the Bleeding

It’s a fact of life: some businesses that once worked well stop working. There is good news, though: that they can often be fixed. It’s called a turnaround.

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If you’re ever called to turn around a failing company, here are proven steps that can help you take it to where you want it to be. Each step is critical…

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1. First, Stop the Bleeding

The first priority in any turnaround is to put a halt to the company’s financial losses. This often involves drastic cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and restructuring. The idea is to stabilize the company's cash flow so that the organization can survive long enough to implement further changes. And the focus is on cost containment because that’s far more in your control than sales, which can be less predictable.

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2. Outsiders Have an Advantage

Turnaround efforts are often best led by someone from the outside. This outsider lacks emotional ties to the existing team and has no personal investment in the company's past decisions. The outsider can approach problems with a clear head. The outside turnaround expert typically has to fire existing management and implement sweeping changes of all sorts, and they can do it without the emotional baggage that often bogs down insiders.

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3. Focus on the Core Business

Find what parts of the business are profitable (the margin) and focus exclusively on those. Shed or sell off any parts of the business that don't directly contribute to the core profitability. This might mean exiting markets, shutting down unprofitable divisions, or simplifying product lines.

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4. Specialize or Fail

In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must specialize in what they do best and eliminate everything outside of that. Businesses attempting to do too many things risk being mediocre at all of them. The focus should be on doing one or two things well and dominating those niches.

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5. Manage, Don’t Lead

In any turnaround situation, strong management is needed—people who can make quick, tough decisions, enforce discipline, and drive execution. Inspiration, vision, any previous mission, and “leadership” are secondary to practical, hands-on management. The real mission during a turnaround is “save the company.”

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6. Cash Is King

It’s ultra-important to maintain a strong cash position. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, and it needs to be managed single-mindedly. This means scrutinizing every expense, prioritizing profitable ventures, and being cautious with investments.

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7. Rebuilding After Stability

Once the company stabilizes, the second phase involves rebuilding. This process can take time, sometimes a year, sometimes more. The goal is to enhance profits and ensure the company doesn’t relapse into old, destructive habits. This phase requires a different set of skills than the initial turnaround phase and can often require new, fresh leadership, and the original turnaround expert may have completed their job.

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Instructions for Turning Around a Troubled Company, Fast

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If you’re facing a failing company and need to execute a rapid turnaround, here’s how to do it quickly.

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1. Take Control

Replace existing leadership if needed, particularly if they are emotionally tied to failed strategies and ineffective personnel. Bring in someone from the outside to lead the turnaround, and give them the freedom to make independent, radical changes.

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2. Stop the Bleeding

Analyze the company’s cash flow and immediately eliminate all unnecessary expenses.

Don’t attempt to “sell your way out” of the crisis; put the focus on cost-cutting. Reduce headcount wherever possible, eliminating non-essential roles. Liquidate or simply shut down unprofitable parts of the business.

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3. Find and Focus on Your Margin

Identify the parts of the business that generate the most margin and focus 100% of your efforts there. Cut away all other distractions, even if they contribute to revenue but do not add much to profit.

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4. Manage Finances Aggressively

Look very carefully at all the money spent and make sure that every expense supports the turnaround. Engage with creditors early and often. Negotiate reduced payments if possible.

Maintain a tight grip on cash flow and defer all inessential expenses.

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5. Make Tough Decisions Quickly

Time is not your friend. Decisions should be made quickly. Avoid getting bogged down in meetings and debates. Narrow the company’s focus to a limited set of goals aligned with the profitable niche(s).

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6. Engage Employees and Stakeholders

Communicate transparently and often with employees and key stakeholders about the company’s financial health and the steps being taken to turn things around. Give everyone a clear understanding of their role in the recovery and how they can contribute to the company’s survival.

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7. Plan for the Next Phase

Begin planning for the transition to new leadership once the business has stabilized. Start searching for a long-term CEO who can guide the company, ensuring they are able to focus on growth, not survival.

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8. Monitor Progress and Stay Disciplined

Even after the initial turnaround phase, continue to monitor cash flow and expenses closely. This is where discipline can easily fracture, when people feel the crisis has passed, and they can return to their old company-destroying ways. Reinforce the focus on the company’s core strengths and resist diversifying too soon. Avoid returning to practices that got the company into trouble in the first place.

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All turnarounds require the same things: ruthless focus, rapid action, and a sharp-eyed view of what’s actually working. And paring away everything that isn’t!

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