If you are a business owner or leader, there’s no doubt that you are facing challenges with running your company. It may help you to learn that you’re not alone in these challenges. In fact, our research has shown that companies face similar top challenges according to their Stage of Growth.
What are the Classic Challenges?
Part of the Organizational ReWilding® system, Classic Challenges are the top five challenges businesses typically face in each Stage of Growth. Some of the challenges appear in more than one stage, but overall, there are 24 unique challenges across the seven stages.
Examples of Classic Challenges include things like inadequate sales, poor staff training, slow getting offerings to market, and weak cash flow.
Why does understanding the Classic Challenges matter?
You’re probably familiar with the axiom that it’s better to face an enemy you know than one you don’t know. Our research has shown that leaders are better able to handle challenges when they can identify them with specific language. There is power in simply identifying the enemy.
Another benefit to understanding the Classic Challenges is that organizations become more adept at recognizing issues as they are being experienced. Equipped with knowledge about the top common challenges, they are quicker to identify new challenges that surface and therefore quicker to address them.
It’s also extremely helpful when leadership and management teams have a common language they can use to identify the company’s top issues. Clear communication facilitates more rapid problem solving.
Finally, as leaders look ahead to upcoming Stages of Growth, they know which challenges are most likely to occur. Rather than being blindsided by each new stage, they can proactively be on the lookout and take immediate action.
Linking the Challenges to Elements
In addition to helping name the challenges you are facing, the Classic Challenges often represent surface symptoms of deeper, underlying issues.
The Elements of an Exceptional Business
The Stages of Growth methodology links the Classic Challenges to specific key elements. In fact, recognizing the challenge you are facing is an important first step to determining which underlying elements need to be infused into an organization to facilitate growth.
For example, say your team is struggling with employee retention. The team selects the Classic Challenge of “Employee Turnover” as the name for this challenge.
The Stages of Growth methodology links this challenge to the underlying Elements that most commonly resolve it. The Elements that most directly impact Employee Turnover are:
clear Brand & Core Values;
intentional Organizational Structure;
a consistent One-to-One Process;
and a Strong Management Team.
With the link between Classic Challenges and Elements, the team can take specific actions to resolve the underlying source of the challenge.
Identify Your Challenges
Knowing that thousands of other business leaders have faced the same problems as you, doesn’t it make sense to learn from their experience? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Organizational ReWilding makes it possible to tap into that collective experience to help your company avoid pitfalls and grow at a healthy, sustainable pace.
Take the Challenges of Growth Assessment and download a report that provides clarifying language and insight into the challenges you’re facing. You’ll also receive pointers that help you know where to focus your efforts. The Classic Challenges Assessment is completely free and takes only two minutes to complete.