Organizational Development and Revenue Enablement
If you ask 20 revenue managers about where enablement lives and how to structure the revenue organization for success, you'll get at least 10 different answers (and if you only got 10 different answers, that may be statistical consensus!). The problem is that all of these answers may be right- and wrong. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach. Goals, org structures, size, culture, and myriad other variables create countless obstacles to productivity and concensus. And well-intentioned enablers end up enabling the dysfunction.
Too often we look for that silver bullet- too bad it doesn't exist.
Revenue growth and retainment demands a thoughtful and strategic approach aligned with your organizational goals that goes beyond individual or even departmental excellence. These are ideas to start thinking about, but they cannot be answered in a short LinkedIn post- it takes time, review, and in most cases, hands-on auditing.
Breaking Down Silos and Creating Harmony Across Customer-Facing Teams
Organizational silos, often the unintended byproduct of vertical departmental structures, pose significant challenges to communication and collaboration. These isolated structures hinder the free flow of information, foster duplication of efforts, and ultimately impede scalability. The first step is breaking down these silos, promoting cross-departmental collaboration, and fostering a culture of open communication.
How do you determine whether your organization needs higher or lower levels of centralization? It comes down to how capable your leadership is (can they handle a more flexible structure) and how agile you need your teams to be (do they need to pivot quickly and often or are they able to stay focused or rigid). Some parts of an organization might have different structural needs, but even if some might need to be more structured- your departments cannot be isolated from each other.
Success often depends on the collaboration of diverse customer-facing teams. From Business Development Representatives (BDRs) and Sales to Customer Success Managers (CSMs), Renewals, Professional Services, and Upsell teams, each unit plays a unique and indispensable role in the customer journey. When these teams work in harmony, the impact is not just additive.
I'm sure I am not the only person who has observed the disconnect between what some sales reps sell, and what the product or service actually entails. Too often, this needs to be cleaned up by Customer Success and Professional Services, putting post-sales teams in a difficult position.
Open collaboration allows customer-facing teams to work together and deliver a seamless customer experience, reducing bottlenecks, increasing satisfaction, and even creating more cross-sell and upsell opportunities.
Cross-Functional Efficiency and Structural Freedom
Efficiency is necessary for the continued growth and success of any organization. This does not mean that you cannot have or do not need teams who perform similar work in different departments, like Commercial and Operations. This does mean that these teams need to work together across the divide. Often, these similar teams have shared goals and communication platforms, but are still operating in silos- lifting work from each other to re-purpose in their respective orgs or creating their own versions of the same content from scratch. Collaboration across these teams and departments reduces duplicative efforts which eliminates time-consuming and detrimental operational inefficiencies.
For example- where Enablement teams sit within the organizational structure is secondary to the freedom they possess to operate seamlessly across various departments. True revenue enablement transcends traditional boundaries, allowing for adaptability, innovation, and the unhindered pursuit of growth. This structural freedom empowers teams to navigate challenges, respond to opportunities, and drive growth organically.
The Cost of Inefficiency
A misaligned organizational structure is more than just an inconvenience; it can be a significant hurdle to scalability. It stifles growth potential, amplifies duplicative efforts, and creates operational inefficiencies. Organizations committed to sustainable growth recognize the importance of a flexible structure that prioritizes collaboration over rigid hierarchies. It's an investment in operational excellence that can be hard for some to accept or even operate in, but it will pay true dividends down the road.
Organizational Development principles are key to realizing the potential of a company. By breaking down silos, fostering collaboration, and embracing structural freedom, organizations empower themselves to achieve growth and operational excellence. Revenue enablement, or any enablement, is not confined to a specific department or role; it's a collective effort that involves the entire organization working collectively. As businesses look to either create or continue success, the ability to adapt and collaborate will be the differentiator between stagnation and sustainable growth- and an effective organizational structure and collaboration will be imperative.
