How to Be an Intentional Organization
What is an intentional organization?
The first step toward sustainable, strategic growth is to become an intentional organization. But what exactly does that mean? How does an intentional organization operate and what does it take to become one? We’ll break it down here – quick and nimble – including some ideas on how to make your tech stack intentional too.
Perspective is everything
Look at your organization as an ecosystem. Every team needs to understand both the function and impact of their role. The value of Revenue Operations is in its ability to unify your go-to-market teams by putting in place a North Star: revenue. When you view your organization through this lens, it becomes easy to focus on actions that strengthen the whole unit – not just one part of it. Intentionality requires a full-spectrum, holistic perspective that aims to keep the whole system functioning at peak.
Often, when challenges surface, they are met with immediate reactivity. Or, a specific team or individual gets blamed when a problem arises. Instead, an intentional organization can rally together to share knowledge and problem solve. Everyone can collaborate on a solution while staying aligned, agile, and using the challenge as an opportunity to grow. This is what it means to be an intentional organization.
Of course, achieving this level of intentionality is often easier said than done. It’s natural for teams to silo as an organization grows. But silos are problematic. Taking them down is not only doable, it’s necessary. One of the best ways to combat silos is to make sure everyone across the organization is working towards the same goal: a leak-free customer experience that leads to increased LTV.
Intentional organizations and adaptability
We mentioned the importance of a holistic approach to internal challenges. Trying to pinpoint the cause of a problem is fine, but when it comes to operating a business, it can quickly become counterproductive. Instead of asking “how?” when a challenge arises, it’s better to ask “why?”.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re not hitting your revenue numbers. This will be frustrating (and potentially business-killing) if it goes on too long. Stemming this problem and turning it around needs to become your number one priority. But where to begin? Well, you want to start by avoiding the blame-game and finger pointing at any one function. This will be highly ineffective and likely lead to more problems. Instead, you want to engage your company as an ecosystem. Recognize that all teams are interconnected and can play a role in solution finding.
An intentional organization is one that fosters a culture of trust and empathy, which motivates teams to collaborate more freely.
When data is freely shared across teams, cross-functional collaboration allows solutions to be resourced. Bottlenecks become unblocked. Revenue goals can be met – or even exceeded.
The impact of culture on an organization’s ability to operate effectively is sometimes highly underestimated. This is especially true when it comes to Revenue Operations. Investing in developing your organizational culture is a key part of becoming an intentional organization. Establishing a shared vocabulary and common goals will not only make communication easier but it will also help keep your teams connected and aligned.
Being intentional also means having an awareness of the external trends that influence your organization internally. Changing industry trends, for example, might be putting pressure on you to make decisions and take actions without any real revenue-based strategy.
You should be able to map all work back to a gap you’ve identified.
This way, you’re able to prioritize the work that will move your company towards its revenue goals.
How do you make your tech stack intentional?
Another hallmark of an intentional organization is making sure that intentionality extends to your tech stack as well. Yes, you can – and should – be intentional about your tech. Here are a few key things to consider to ensure that your tech stack stacks up.
1. Don’t add tools just to add tools
In an intentional organization, responding to challenges holistically is key to overcoming them. When problems arise, there may be an urge to add more tools to your tech stack to try and fix the problems.
But even good technology can’t fix broken processes. Resist the urge to add more to your tech stack and uncover the “why?” before putting a band-aid on it.
An overly bloated tech stack not only fragments your data but also makes it harder for teams to navigate and communicate with one another. So, before you consider adding that new tool, ask yourself what problem you are facing and what the root cause really is.
Then you can determine whether another tool will actually help you close the gap and drive revenue.
2. Integrate your tools
Revenue operations is not there to take anything away from the go-to-market teams. Rather, it aligns GTM operations around the common goal of revenue and provides a 360 view of your funnel.
Therefore, the tech stack you are building should encourage your go-to-market teams to get out of their silos and share. Share data, stories, insights–all of it.
Each team brings their own incentives, priorities, and challenges. That’s why integration is one of the most important criteria in tech stack expansion decisions. Before expanding or consolidating your tools, consider how each one is or will be communicating with the others.
You don’t want your team to have to waste time searching for the data they need. Everyone should have a 360-view of the customer journey and revenue functions. A well-integrated tech stack will deliver you the right data at the right time, which will translate into actionable insights and strategic go-to-market activities.
3. Build your tech stack for the future
As your organization continues to grow, you will face more complex problems that may fall beyond the capability of your current tech stack.
One way to tell when it’s time to move on is through constant reviews and consultations with the people who own the tools. Regular check-ins will enable quick reactions to any changes in the business when necessary.
A defined tech stack review process that is enforced across the organization will make this easier. What strategic impacts are your tools making? Do they work well together when they need to? Are they overlapping with the functions of any of your other tools?
The best way to keep up with your changing needs as you scale is to be intentional and build for your inflection point. Invest in a tech stack that uses data from across your business to optimize your revenue operations and support revenue growth.