Mighty Tools Chapter 3 Assessment

Reckless attempts at growth was identified as one of seven growth killers targeting midsized firms in Robert Sher’s book, Mighty Midsized Companies: How Leaders Overcome 7 Silent Growth Killers (Bibliomotion, September 16, 2014)

Chapter 3 describes the silent growth killer and examines the problems of midsized firms that bungle their attempts to grow quickly. Three ways are explored to take the “reckless attempt” out of growth. They are: gaining a deep understanding of your market; developing well-founded forecasts and making evidence-based assessments of your ability to execute.

This assessment is to determine your readiness to execute an aggressive growth campaign.

For how long have you been with your current company (in years)?*

When do you expect to launch the growth campaign?*

The company we are acquiring is just like ours. We know how to run all aspects of it right at acquisition time.

3 Months

6 Months

1 Year

2 Years

In the past ten years, you have been:*

Entrepreneur/small firm founder

New to leadership team

Leadership team (not C-suite)

Some C suite

Always C Suite

Has your current team worked as a team in the recent past at your firm to execute a growth campaign of similar of greater complexity, with success?*

Has your team had a lot of experience executing growth campaigns of similar or greater complexity anywhere?*

As individuals, have the people on your current team executed roles in a growth campaign of similar or greater complexity with success (that you’ve verified)?*

Your firm is investing money in this campaign. Choose the answer that comes closest to your situation: If you spend on plan but the results are lacking, how much cash on hand (or free cash flow being generated) does the company have to invest on a second try?*

Your growth campaign will be launched into a marketplace, containing competitors, suppliers, customers, regulations and more. If you were to think of yourself and your top team as hunters about to enter a jungle, choose the option that best describes the jungle and the team’s experience in the jungle.*

We’ve read up on jungles, but our team has never launched an expedition into any jungle. The jungle we will enter is new to us, and we are new to jungle expeditions.

We are entering an old, existing jungle that we are unfamiliar with. We have entered other jungles in the past with success, but not this one.

I am entering a very young jungle that is still evolving quickly. Change is the norm, and sub climates are forming and changing. It will be full of surprises for every living thing in the jungle. But I am an experienced hunter, and am confident.

I am somewhat familiar with this jungle, but it has been a while, and/or new predators have infiltrated the jungle and environmental conditions are in flux. There are elements I am familiar with, but a number of new elements I am not familiar with. But I am an experienced hunter, and am confident.

I know this jungle well, and have hunted in at before. I know the predators, the lay of the land, and have survived and succeeded in this very jungle in the recent past.