A while back, I spotted a book for change management leaders in large organization, and I realized that many of the issues they face are the same as ones faced in every growing startup. Phil Buckley, in his book “Change With Confidence,” provides practical answers to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.
Here are ten of the key questions that apply equally well to the world of startups and entrepreneurs, as they do to large organizations. If entrepreneurs answer these questions for their startup, they will definitely stay ahead of most of their competitors in the startup world:
- What is the “secret sauce” that my startup brings to the problem? Your passion is necessary but not sufficient to motivate real change. You need to quantify change results that constituents can see, feel, smell, or taste. Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you.
- Who are the stakeholders who can most influence success? Stakeholders are key people impacted, or leaders who influence key people. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.
- What do I need to know before I commit to deliverables? The last thing you need in a startup is a false start, where you can’t deliver on a product change deadline, or a new marketing channel. Deliverables and the resources you have to achieve them are two sides of the same equation. Make sure they match before you commit.
- How do I measure success? Define hard (data) and soft (anecdotal) metrics on the change, as well as on the quality of your leadership. That means you have to start with assessing the current state against the same metrics, before you can assess progress or change. Make sure metric results are available to the team, to keep them motivated.
- Will my proposed change actually achieve the desired outcome? It’s important to separate optimism and dreams from market realities. Ask yourself, “If I were an investor, would I support this effort, given the costs and promised returns?” Just because Google sales hit $1.5 billion in 4 years doesn’t mean any other startup can do it.
- How do I avoid scope creep? Expanding a project without additional time or resources is called scope creep. It takes a strong team and strong leadership to manage it. What works is a documented change request and review process, as well as quantification of resources required as well as anticipated incremental results.
- What does a good plan look like? A good plan is a written one, approved by all key players, which maps out all activities and provides a framework for leaders and team members to follow. Calibrate the plan with resources available to deliver it. Keep the plan simple, focused, and flexible.
- How do I know what resources I need? Without adequate resources to support your efforts, you will be faced with trade-offs that often lead to a poor transition to new ways and a burned-out team. What works is documenting early a fact-based resourcing plan, using credible sources, with a reserve allowance of 10% for contingencies.
- How do I prepare people to work in the new ways? Most important changes require new ways of working: a combination of new knowledge, skills, mind-sets, behaviors, relationships, and processes. Provide step-by-step job aids, training, and hiring for critical aspects of the new plan. Allow adequate time for this preparation before implementation.
- How do I reduce risk? A key aspect of mitigating risk is to first identify the risk elements before you start, and build in contingency plans, in case the risks materialize. Then establish trigger points to clarify when contingency plans need to be activated. This will speed up remedial actions and minimize damage.
Everyone learns and celebrates changes done well during startup hyper-growth from zero to a profitable business, and everyone loses when a promising but challenging startup fails. I hope these points illustrate that the best strategy for every startup evolution is to answer the key questions early, and don’t wait for the first crisis to think about risks and contingencies.