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Writer's pictureSamantha Stilwell

Surviving a Company Transition

Updated: Jan 24, 2022

Lessons I've learned from building a team during a company transition, and wisdom I shared with them through the journey.





Whether you have been a part of the team from the start or just joined the family recently, it doesn’t take long to recognize when your company is working through start-up adjacent growing pains. In the event that you’re still skeptical, ask yourself these questions:


- Do the team members wear multiple hats on any given day?

- Are policies and procedures being developed for the first time?

- Does your work seem never ending?

- Is there a snack bar in at least one of the offices?


If the answer for many of these questions is a resounding “yes!” then I encourage you to read on.


The start-up/ transition phase in any company can be cumbersome, unbalanced, stress inducing and disorganized; but it doesn’t have to be.While the core values and strategies tend to stay strong, the execution and approach are what often experience a shift and these things definitely take time and work!



What makes the dream work is three simple rules to live by:


1. Your team is your tribe, value it, grow with it, protect it
2. Never let your work get in the way of your hobbies
3. 10 hours of work does not equal 10 hours of productivity

Let’s dig a little deeper. There’s a common misconception that in order to be “a team” you have to be in close enough proximity to smell that lasagna your colleague just heated up, update people to the extent that everyone on the team knows how many seagulls you spotted on the way to work and be so tight-knit that you don’t remember there are other employees most of the time. This isn’t the most effective approach to team-work. By establishing that your team is your “tribe” you recognize each member as next-of-kin, people you can be honest with, laugh with (and sometimes cry with) and can Trust and once you have these foundations, you don’t always have to be in the same cubicle, or even the same city to stay connected and in-sync.

In order to be the best you can be for your team/tribe, you need a life. Not a “my heart beats and my lungs take in oxygen” life but a “I can talk about things that don’t involve work for more than five minutes” kind of life. You need friends, hobbies, things that excite you. If these all happen to be satisfied in the workplace, then you’re already doing better than most of the working class. But, if you aren’t 1% of the population, you will need to seek these things outside of your 9-5. It’s ok to not LOVE your job, or even your colleagues, and it’s ok to hate Mondays but don’t let those feelings bleed into the other 16 hours of your day. Expand your knowledge for free, learn a new language, go for a hike or try cooking something new! Whatever you do, make sure your email notifications are off and your Slack account is on “do-not-disturb”.


How to move forward?


In order to do any of this though, you have to actually leave the office. Will there always be work to do? Yes! Will there always be tight deadlines? Absolutely! Are 10 hour days going to change any of that? Not one bit. Your time is as, if not more, valuable than money, do you spend $100 on a plane ticket you could have gotten for $50? Well your approach should be the same when it comes to your time.  We’re living in an era when employees are encouraged to work Smart not Hard. A company that requires long hours, short breaks and always being on call is either part of the health care system or completely unrealistic.  The sooner everyone realizes this, the faster we can rise. In the event that you have to work long hours one day to complete a task, try starting a bit later the next morning, or working from home the next day so you can keep your pyjamas on and your coffee fresh! And if these long days are happening too frequently, talk with your manager or HR person so they can help you find a balance.



Find your balance...


“ It’s ok to not LOVE your job, or even your colleagues, and it’s ok to hate Mondays but don’t let those feelings bleed into the other 16 hours of your day.”

When it comes to being a successful company, no matter the size, the employees need to be and feel valued. This starts with being allowed to prioritize your health and well-being and by doing this, I think you’ll be astounded by how much more progress you make at work.

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