#16 The four phases of Growth

As we develop ourselves, our teams, and organisations, what is needed to get to the next level changes. ​It takes more effort and energy to get there. In other words, what got you this far will not take you to the next level.
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So how do we navigate a pathway to growth?
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Low Hanging Fruit

When a team is new, just coming together, we can work on the fundamentals. The gaps in performance are more obvious and the gains seem rapid and exponential. The team becomes competitive in the marketplace. This level of development is not rocket science, simply focus and discipline.

Solve Problems to Gain Competitive Advantage
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To get to the next phase requires a new skill set. To solve problems requires that we recognise the issues that are not easily seen by others. We need to act on opportunities to grow and get better through a strong analysis of the choke holds that deny us greater performance.

Becoming Great
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As we go from level two above, into the journey of becoming genuinely great, the return on eliminating the choke holds start to diminish. There are still opportunities, but to continue to grow takes a shift in perspective. This part of the journey demands a new overarching view, as we identify new opportunities based on what the organisation does well. Leveraging the strengths of the group or team starts to have a bigger return than eliminating the problems.

Mastery: Becoming Even Greater

The final stage is to truly be at the mastery level in your marketplace or discipline. At this stage, the discipline of leveraging the strengths continues with the addition of sharing the secrets with others. This may seem counter intuitive. The reality is, the more that you share your strengths, the stronger you understand them, and the more you can leverage them. This is how you truly become a master.

To grow into each stage takes different skills and perspectives. Discipline to the growth journey is the common thread, as you Nurture Growth in you, your team, and your organisation.