Dribble Castles, Organic Growth

I had the pleasure of sinking my hands in sand puddles all Sunday afternoon, making a dribble castle. For those of you who are uninitiated, just scoop handfuls of wet sand and drip the slurry onto a pile, moving ever higher until the parapets and ramparts take on their epic shape. It is a gratifying, although somewhat painstaking endeavor. Unlike the piled-buckets-of-sand approach, this will take hours to get to a good form and height.

It is similar to the actual growth that companies experience as they progress. Growth is not usually in big bucketfuls, instantly adding 20-30% to the top line. It comes with patience, hard effort and a good deal of time, adding percentages here and there, resulting in a consistent and satisfying increase in output and productivity.

The tendency, though, is often to forecast growth by bucketfuls, especially in the early days of a new product, service, or technology. This is not to say that big jumps in sales or market share are not possible, but they are far rarer than is predicted. So here are a few ideas on how you can dribble your way to real growth.

• Reality – Be sure you are rooted in the reality of the marketplace – do you solve a pressing problem, are your solutions a good fit to the problem and culture, will you defeat the competition, and is the market size and growth in your favor.

• History – Take a close look at how you have progressed to your current position. What were the typical rates that you were able to evolve your company and capture new business? If this new opportunity looks different, be sure it is somewhat aligned with history.

• Consistency – Starting strong is, well, only a start. It takes a consistent effort to make headway in these competitive markets. Customers are often recalcitrant, money tight, and getting forward motion takes time.

• Flexibility – When the wall you are dribbling collapses from too small a base, you need to move back and spread the sand wider. When your results are slowing, take a step back and try to find another path to achieve your goals.

• Learn- When you do build a new rampart, take a few moments to enjoy the success, and also take a look at how you got there. Build on this approach and add improvements you have learned along the way to further fuel your growth.

The bucket may seem compelling, but go ahead and just grab a handful of wet sand and start dribbling. With a continuous effort you too can build the castles of your dreams.