Case Study 2: Scaling Up—Moving from Start-Up to Mezzanine
Client Profile
- Newly formed organization with over 25 employees
- Rapidly expanding regional footprint
- Early stages of organizational development
Business Challenge
Building on a great idea and employing creative minds, this client was thriving with potential. With a relatively secure funding base carrying them through the next three years, the organization knew that it needed to avail itself of this window of opportunity to grow and to stabilize. Established with a relatively a young staff with limited management and organizational experience, the client needed to bolster its energy with grounded organizational approaches. Quickly expanding its operations, the organization required streamlined systems and an alignment of skills across the organization. How could the organization move from start-up to mezzanine stage to deliver on its ambitious vision while not losing its strong start-up culture?
Solution
CLI was engaged to design and facilitate a multi-year professional development curriculum for staff tiers as the organization ramped up its operations. The process began with CLI designing an incremental curriculum, convening a series of trainings to meet the needs of the organization. Within the first year, once CLI had learned the workings of the organization and its staff members, the professional development curriculum was upgraded to include a coaching component for mid-level managers as they utilized their newly gained tools management tools. As a result, the client upgraded professional skill sets, instituted systems to streamline operational functions and manage change, and increased cross-organizational communication and effectiveness.
Business Benefits/Impact
- Increased staff retention rate
- Staff skills aligned with goal of sustainable growth
- Improved inter-organizational communication and transparency
