I have just completed another mentoring course as part of my role with Help to Grow. This Goverment initiative is supporting 1000s of businesses in UK to scale up and prepare for growth.

Here is what I have learned in my time mentoring these SMEs for growth and scale .

Fortune favours the brave, but growth mindset delivers the scale

Working with these executives on their business is a privilege. But not all achieve the next step. The ones I see scaling are the ones who are open to learning and believe they will get there if they gain the knowledge they need.

The ones who don’t see a need to change tend to not change. Or grow.

Leaders who learn to communicate scale faster than those who don’t

All busienss goes through crisis points during growth, even mature ones. Those that embrace the crisis as part of growth thrive. Those that communicate well through the crisis phases move through them quicker. In fact Harvard Business Review‘s research shows that businesses who are aligned, communicating and clear on approach will grow twice as fast as those who are siloed.

Allowing the decision to be made closer to the problem is more successful than hierarchy

Empowering those living with the problem to solve the problem solves, well, the problem. McKinsey have proven time and again that an iterative model of problem solving through autonomous delegation is the most successful model for scaling. Get over your ego. You dont know or have all the answers as a leader. But you know how to empower your people to find them.

Vision needs to be there to drive the scale

Without an end destination all can get behind, the scale seldom keeps momentum through the tough times. See my comment earlier on communication through crisis. Communication around why we keep going, and what we will achieve helps through the murkier times of uncertainty. Clear vision delivers focus and through that growth.

those who embrace mentors are 70% more likely to make it

Yup. Mentoring is key to scaling.

Utilising a group of mentors at scaling, be it fractional, consultant or pure mentor, increases your chances of surviving the scale crisis in an SME. The evidence is here in the report and analytics of impact of mentoring in Help to Grow

Mentors can give confidence, be a stratrgic guide, and deliver short sharp interventions where needed. Mentoring is a safe space to think and hypothesis without giving away a part of your business. Many can be funded through your local chambers who want you to succeed.

summing up

🧠Develop your growth mindset

📢Communicate – if you feel it is too much it is probably about right.

🎯Delegate decision making

✔️Trust your team with autonomy

🦉Get a mentor, actually get more than one.

Happy scaling!