TL;DR: Do you recognize this?
- Continuity is lacking, leadership changes or is absent
- High turnover and long-term absence
- Go-getters keep things running, but work in silos
- Basic agreements become diluted, information is impossible to find
- Strategy remains on paper, implementation capacity is zero
When talking to clients, you sometimes refer to “the neglected organization.” What exactly do you mean by that?
Koen / It is a lens for looking at organizations where the basic functioning is eroding. I link it to the educational metaphor of neglect in children. If a child receives too little structure or guidance, they develop a self-reliance that has two sides. On the one hand, you get a lot of initiative and prematurely adult behavior, but the downside is unwanted or destructive behavior. You see the same thing in organizations when leadership is absent or fails over a long period. Processes grind to a halt, knowledge evaporates, and people mainly start doing their own thing.
How do you notice that in practice?
Koen / There are a few consistent signals. Continuity has disappeared because of changes in management or interim managers. Basic processes are unclear: how do we invoice, what is our budget, where can which information be found. There is a lot of turnover and absence. The meeting culture deteriorates, people arrive late or unprepared, and no one holds anyone accountable anymore. Sometimes the knowledge is there, but scattered and forgotten. Then it turns out there is a SharePoint with clear budgets; it is just that no one knows where to find it anymore.
Do you have a concrete example of how basic it can get?
Koen / Absolutely. I once arrived somewhere and my badge did not work. Everyone said you had to “charge” it, but no one knew what that meant. At the same time, no one still knew who managed access. If, as a team, you literally can no longer get into the office, that says a lot about the state of your organization. The same goes for a meeting culture with meetings that “eventually start somewhere around the scheduled start time.” That may seem trivial, but it undermines collaboration and change.
Many organizations ask you for strategic advice on one part of their organization. What goes wrong if you start with that right away?
Koen / It goes wrong when you limit yourself to a paper strategy. On paper it makes sense; in reality, nothing lands because the foundations are missing. If no one can coherently state what the current financial situation is, then you cannot roll out a financial strategy. Implementation capacity is zero when processes and responsibilities are not working.
What do you think is the first step in turning the tide?
Koen / Press the pause button. And before people panic, by that I do not mean shutting down your entire operation, but temporarily slowing down the ambition for change. First stop the neglect, and only then implement changes. That means taking back and clarifying basic processes: how do we do things today, who does what, where is which information stored, which agreements apply. You clearly map the starting point before moving toward the future.
“I came in somewhere and my badge didn’t work. Everyone said you had to “recharge” it, but no one knew what that meant.”
And then you run into people who have been improvising for years. How do you deal with the self-reliance of those make-doers?
Koen / Make-doers are often the reason the organization is still running. You have to be grateful for that. Being able to cope with chaos is truly a quality. At the same time, behavior has been shaped that no longer fits the new phase. If you want to turn that around, you need directive leadership and clear boundaries. In the best case, you bring them along by channeling their strengths toward clear goals. If the resistance remains too great, the conclusion is sometimes that paths must part.
Without stable leadership, this seems difficult.
Koen / That’s right. You need a manager who is consistent and directive enough to make basic agreements collective again. That can be done internally or temporarily through transition management. Without such a role, you quickly get bogged down in old patterns.
What do you do at S&L when you are asked “for something else” and see this picture?
Koen / We name it and shift the focus. No folders full of paper strategies while the basics are shaky. We start with a targeted scan of core processes and knowledge safeguarding, check the current capacity for change, and tackle the first blockers. If necessary, we help steer things temporarily, or look for the right profiles to do so. Only when the foundation is solid do we build further on strategy, policy, and implementation.
What does that approach deliver?
Koen / Calm and rhythm in the basics. From there, you can actually change, carry out projects, and achieve results. Impact requires smooth basic operations; otherwise, every change remains theoretical.
Checklist: quickly test it yourself
- Do meetings start on time and end with decisions and ownership
- Does everyone know where key information is stored and is it accessible
- Is the current financial position reliable and understandable
- Are there clear roles for critical processes such as invoicing, HR and IT access
- Is there stable, visible leadership that follows up consistently
Does Koen's description sound a little too familiar? Let us take a look with you. We’ll get your foundations in order and work together to ensure that strategy does take root in the future.
