300 Brickstone Square • Suite 201 • Andover, MA 01810 USA • 1.800.288.7246 • +1.978.649.8200 • info@corpedgroup.com
D
O YOUR EYES GLAZE over when people talk about organizational infrastructure?
You're not alone. For many of us, the thrill of leadership comes from inventing products,
seizing opportunities, and anticipating consumer needs. Yet, building infrastructure is
like going to the doctor: you can survive without it, but you'll be better for it.
Infrastructure is especially important for young organizations looking to move to the next level.
Young organizations typically overflow with passion and innovation. The organization probably started
with a passionate vision. Early innovators may have developed products in a garage, as did Jobs and
Wozniak with the first Apple computer. These patterns were necessary for growing the organization.
But now, as the company matures, are youthful patterns encouraging inconsistent customer service?
Maybe tasks are falling through the cracks because it's not clear who is responsible for what. Or
perhaps people waste time reinventing the product development process for each customer. These
patterns are typical when companies have not yet built an effective organizational infrastructure. They
struggle to survive, existing on passion and drive, yet lacking stability.
What Is Organizational Infrastructure?
Organization infrastructure links goals, activities, and people through planned processes and systems.
Most likely, you have infrastructure to support your finances because the IRS insists upon it. What many
young companies lack is infrastructure to support process and performance.
From Survival to Stable: Building
Foundations for Growth
M A N AG E M E N T A N D L E A D E R S H I P
