It's better to crawl before you walk

Organizations should crawl first.

Last weekend my wife and I attended a birth and baby class.  We are having our first child in March and she thought the class would be enlightening.  Well, it was.  Our instructor, Vicki, described more than I ever cared to learn.  Did she just say mucus plug?

One discovery the instructor shared with the class was the importance of letting your child learn how to crawl before they walk.  Studies show that kids who walk without crawling have significantly higher illiteracy rates.  Why? I am not sure.  If you will permit me to guess, I would say a child’s development  stems from connections formed in the brain.  Jumping over certain stages in development would logically leave gaps.

I see businesses do this all the time. One of the benefits of growing your business is the opportunity to build relationships and learn how to connect with your customers’ needs and expectations. Think of a franchise. It usually starts with one or a few outlets in a local market. As the brand is perfected it can then be expanded into new locations.

A friend of mine, @joshmadden, launched a clothing line after college. He started out with t-shirts and hats sold online. He gave product away to regional bands to wear at shows. With each sale he learned a little more about his brand and was able to grow the company to a multi-national clothing and accessories line. He was even able to collaborate with Nike for a limited edition shoe. Being patient and learning along the way produced proper growth for his business.

Remember, learn to “crawl before you walk” as you take on the world. Growth is good. Right growth is better.