‘So that we never forget for whom we work’

Growth is good, right? Companies are often judged on their growth: more sales, more customers, more employees. But growth without a strategy is like a car without a steering wheel: you’re moving forward, but where to?

Growth management is about consciously managing for growth so that your business not only gets bigger, but stronger. A common mistake is expanding too quickly without the proper foundations. Consider startups that hire staff headlong or enter new markets without proper research. The result? Overburdened teams, financial stress and sometimes even decline.

Sustainable growth requires a balance between ambition and reality. As an entrepreneur, this means setting clear goals and ensuring you have the right resources to achieve them. Do you have the right people in the right places? Can you maintain customer satisfaction if you double in size? And just as importantly, will you remain agile enough as an organization to respond to change?

One pitfall is that growth sometimes comes at the expense of corporate culture. A small, close-knit organization can turn into an unwieldy machine in which employees feel lost. Also, internal processes can take precedence and customer-focused thinking can get lost grain.

In front of the Albert Heijn headquarters in Zaandam stood Beppie for many years. A bronze statue of a woman with a shopping bag in each hand, which symbolized the Albert Heijn customer. Former owner and CEO Albert Heijn gave it to the company at his farewell. He wanted it placed in front of the headquarters. Why, “So that we never forget for whom we work.” Everyone at the headquarters was reminded of it when going in and out. Customer centric. Wonderful right? There are 1,200 people working in this headquarters. Every day they see Beppie standing there. Lugging her bags.

A great lesson: as justified as it is to strive for growth, ultimately we do our work for the customer. Good luck with that!

This article was originally published in INTO business magazine.