Are You A Go-Go?

My Dad, Henry, was a classic entrepreneur.  Full of ambition, ideas, and Irish glee, he built a family business that lasted over 50 years and employed over 50% of my O’Donnell Clan in Philadelphia.  My high school buddy, Mike,  saw my Dad’s creativity  in action while joining us for a Sunday dinner.  Mike was bemused by my father’s non-stop flow of new opportunities, untapped potentials and wealth creating ventures.  During  dinner my Dad’s enthusiasm  leapt from growing and selling pumpkins to harvesting Christmas trees, importing Irish clothing and, as only the Irish can do, celebrating death with a fine assortment of all-weather graveside statuary and wreaths.  Amazed at this blizzard of creativity, Mike exclaimed,”Hey, Mr. O’Donnell, you need a new name! I think we should all call you “GoGo” because you have more ideas than Einstein!”  Well, the glow of satisfaction that spread over my Dad’s face was stunning!  “Mike, my young man, I love it! You can call me “Go Go” anytime  because, borrowing a well known phrase from comedian Jackie Gleason,”with Henry O’Donnell, it’s always “away we go!”   Glancing knowingly at each other with dramatic eye rolls, we kids silently wished Dad would just shut up!  It was not to be. For the rest of his life my dear Dad proudly exclaimed his “GoGo” nickname to all. We even thought about putting it on his tombstone though wiser heads prevailed. 

     Imagine my surprise when 45 years later a Vistage Resource speaker Ian McDougall explained me  the business life cycle stages identified by Dr. Ichak Adizes.  One of the most challenging stages of business growth Adize’s has labeled “Go Go."   During “Go Go”  raw ambition runs wild. Opportunities are everywhere and the sky is the limit.  There is a addictive spirit of adventure and all hands are fully engaged at whatever task is most pressing. The founding visionaries gleefully watch as earlier dreams become reality.  The marketplace loves them!  There’s enough cash to pay the bills so let’s start growing!  Their business has come from a ???? to a !!!!.  Exciting!!!!!

     Sadly, it doesn’t last.    With everyone doing everything, no one was accountable for anything.  I could see the toll it was taking on my Dad. Business got to be “no fun”  Employee turnover and declining profits became a big problem.  Dr. Adizes’s discovered this to be a natural stage in a business’s evolution.  Entrepreneurial companies “hit the ceiling” many times in the course of their successful growth.  Those that thrive are able to break through the ceiling by purposefully simplifying and focusing.  That is what inspires me about EOS and the work I do with entrepreneurs.  We help firms like my Dad’s.  Companies run by good, caring entrepreneurs who deeply desire to make a difference. They’ve simply “hit the ceiling.”  We help them transition their business through “GoGo” to “Grow Grow” and, in doing so, realize the dreams that inspired them to take that very first step.  Sadly, EOS wasn’t here for my Dad’s business.  Happily, it’s around for yours.