How well have you grown in the organization?

How to define the growth and evolution of a corporate vis-à-vis its employees? More often than not, the people who are working in the organization for many years resist any change or newness in the culture. They often come up a fantastic logic that how without all these new initiatives the organization was doing/growing well in the past? They also spread the growth sheet and show how the organization has grown by leaps and bounds in the past without any great ‘change initiatives’ or having highly qualified people or great process or infrastructure. It was their hard work and commitment only had made the difference then therefore why the organization needs a change?

Corporate and its employees need to know the abstract meaning of the word ‘growth’ only then they stop misusing the word ‘change’ liberally and casually and also would resist it.

Seeds sprout and then become a plant. This is nothing but growth. Most of the seeds, in general, would sprout easily when they are sowed and a little water is provided. Every organization will find an easy space in marketplace and would grow easily during its early stage. Naturally the people in the organization may conclude this phenomenon as growth. This natural process suffers the least competition or threat initially/ in the beginning.

For the seeds to sprout/germinate, it only requires minimum moisture and extra support. The nutrients already stored in the seed will support its early existence and hence its food need during its early growth from nature doesn’t arise at this stage. Hence most seeds sprout easily. So is the growth of most organizations during its early days.

The entrepreneurial energy, steam and the financial support (initial investment) itself are sufficient to support the growth or the organization at the early stage. Once the stored food reserve in the seed gets exhausted or fully utilized, the sprouting has to learn the ability to get the water and nutrients from the soil. Then onwards, it has to face the challenge, competition and must withstand the test of time to establish its continuous success and existence. This is true for corporate also. The exact period of the sprouting phase (self-supported growth) is difficult to define for as corporate but easy for seeds. It can range from 3-7 years.

The employees who refer the growth of the organization at the ‘sprouting phase’ do not know the real growth dynamics of the corporate. Such people cannot add any value or growth to the organization not would have added greatly. The distinction between the self-supportive phase of growth and effort supportive phase of growth of corporate, every employee and the entrepreneur must learn and distinguish.

Even in the case of birds, egg yolk supports the early growth of the chick within the egg. This effortless growth cannot be compared to competitive growth where the bird has to face when the chicks are hatched out. Adaptive/competitive growth can be learned only by living.

To live means, one has to put in efforts. Even the effort needs to be understood in its direction, righteousness, cost, time and end result. The consequence of any default of such an effort also one needs to know.

If the definition of growth is not clear and meaningful, creating growth to the organization becomes difficult or can even be impossible.

The real growth is only when there is stiff competition and where one learns to adjust and adapt without losing the uniqueness and relevance.

Dr S Ranganathan