There is something magical about the energy of a company that is scaling fast. Big projects find a way to get done and seemingly impossible deadlines are met. It’s as if people were possessed by a unique force or something in the air that pushes them to get things done. The small team is aligned, in search of the next milestone on their way to becoming a true competitor in the marketplace. They’re committed, and everyone does whatever needs to be done. The team utilizes strategic execution seamlessly and with excitement.

This first phase of scaling is well-known for the amount of energy that it requires, but also the progress it creates. There are doubts and worries, but rarely do those translate into a lack of energy and activity. Advisors, investors, and early adopters are evaluating new businesses – often intuitively – by how much effort it takes to get the work done and whether their goals and challenges are met with a positive attitude.

Inevitably though, as companies continue to scale, execution becomes more challenging. Communication about strategy and direction is complicated by the necessary creation of departments, separate functional leads, and a lot more hiring. Newly hired employees try to figure out their roles and meet leadership’s expectations the best they can. As a response to challenges of the quickly changing demands, technology “solutions” might be bought in by one department – but not by another.

In an attempt to retain the openness, flexibility, and fun of a startup, leaders often allow a multitude of experiments by various groups believing that the “best will win out”, and that eventually there will be adoption of the best. However, in just a few months of “trial and error” confusion begins to reign, in-fighting starts, morale drops and strategic execution takes a huge hit.

The desire to keep things easy and simple, and in a “start-up mode,” ultimately hampers effective execution. Allowing unmanaged experimentation with the “how” of execution while not fully communicating the “why” and the “how” causes employees to feel that there is no one at the helm. Even millennials, famous for their desire to be left to creatively solve problems, want to know that there is a clear and strategic direction. It’s important to them that leadership is aligned and engaged in setting that direction, and making the necessary adjustments to stay fresh, competitive, and game-changing.

Our experience with high-growth companies in a range of industries has proven to us that the formula for accelerating strategic execution is pretty straightforward. It is even possible to preserve the best of the startup culture while gaining momentum in delivery. It isn’t easy, but it pays big dividends. It requires executive commitment and organizational wide discipline.

Here is what we’ve learned at New Legends about cracking the code of strategic execution:

Create a Safe Environment

Conflict, challenge, and radical honesty is always common. Creating a safe environment sounds simple, but it is one of the most challenging processes to maintain in a growing company. It is not a matter of just having an open-door policy or demonstrating honesty between leaders. It requires intentionality, prioritizing safety in communication, and making it a standard for “how we do things around here.”

Define the Values

Make sure everyone in the company understands their roles in guiding behavior and decisions every single day – especially how the values are manifesting in everything they do and say.

Create a simplified and straightforward strategy

The blueprint for strategy should be no more than one or two pages. It is critical that the leadership is involved and aligned, and can explain what it means clearly and with conviction.

Clarify Roles and Accountability

This is more than a job description. As companies grow and people get busy, too many assumptions become buried into management behavior. Accountability isn’t just about performance feedback. It’s a way of thinking and acting that allows productivity to flourish. Accountability is a great opportunity for every employee to step out of feeling a victim of their circumstances, and own what they can fix in any situation. This kind of accountability is not optional.

Develop a Clear Approach to Processes

As companies grow, functional accountability often ends up in silos; as this happens, clarity of processes becomes crucial. All employees, beginning with the executive team, need to know what the core processes of the company are and how to map, assess, and improve them. How do we allow flow to happen? Learn it, and then “lean-it” by making each process as efficient as possible while not hampering the other core processes.

Measure and Learn

The best strategic execution happens within learning and improving context. There is a tension between creating a clear plan and remaining agile. But that tension is where great creativity can also take place. A great and executable strategy is a living document; everyone knows what is working and why, and feels empowered to challenge and improve as more data and learning is available.

Celebrate!

In the rush of fast growth, perhaps the biggest loss is celebrating small successes. Create a regular cadence for company-wide acknowledgement and celebration to keep that spirit of success alive. Foot the bill, and make celebrating success a part of the culture. Celebrate genuine success and don’t be afraid to talk about the milestones you missed and why you missed them, what you learned, and what the company can do different next time.

These are the critical steps. They are not complicated and they are not easy. Each element will take time, mental energy, emotional intelligence and discipline. But if you are more interested in strategic execution than in talking about strategy, this might be for you.