From Founder-Led to Teamwork – and Doubled Assets Under Management
    Contact us
    kuva-1-2

    Many growth companies run into the same situation: things are moving fast, but too many rests on one person’s shoulders. Mikael Beck, founder of Conifer Consulting, saw that the company was growing at the expense of his own motivation. It was time for a change.

    “It was so heavily centred on me that it drained my energy and, in the long run, my motivation too. I had to take care of every area myself, and that’s exhausting,” Mikael Beck explains.

    Growing Pains

    Conifer had grown from a handful of people into an organisation of more than 20 experts. The problem was that its ways of working hadn’t grown at the same pace. Decision-making and scaling slowed down because most decisions went through one person.

    COO Otto Heiskanen knew the situation well:

    “Conifer is Mikael’s ‘baby’, and he has always done things a certain way. It can be hard to let go of that when someone else does things differently, even if their way is just as good or even better,” Heiskanen agrees.

    The goal was to move from a founder-led model to systematic teamwork, where responsibility is shared and the whole team’s potential is used.

    Responsibilities were shared, and results followed

    Over two years of working together, Conifer has reached a new level. The results show both in the numbers and in the people:

    Assets under management have doubled.

    Employee satisfaction is higher than ever.

    The company no longer depends on individual people, and the management team now works as one unified team.

    The same team has stayed on board the whole way.

    The biggest change, however, is in the culture.

    “We now have people who take ownership and step up into roles. They no longer wait to be told what to do; they figure it out themselves. That’s vey important,” Heiskanen says.

    From a Spark to Systematic Leadership

    With responsibilities more evenly shared, the company can handle change and renew itself without crises.

    “Now several people could leave, including me, and things would carry on very well. For a 20-person organisation, that’s a pretty good place to be. It’s essential for my own wellbeing and for renewal,” Beck says.

    The journey began with clarifying the company’s direction in sparring sessions with Jari Sarasvuo. It then moved on to building a practical management system, led by Harri Koski.

    “What appeals to me about Jari is his broad understanding of things. And Harri has been the right person for putting it into practice. These are people who understand more about life than just their own coaching methods,” Beck notes.

    Ad hoc meetings have been replaced by predictable, systematic work, with clear roles and weekly forums for the management team. Communication has improved, and all employees have been brought into sales and growth.

    “It’s no longer about Mikael telling us how things are going to go. Now we make decisions as a team,” Heiskanen explains.

    An External Partner to Ensure Change

    An external partner to keep the change on track

    When everyday work gets busy, development work is easily pushed aside. An external partner made sure the important things were in the calendar and made sure they got done.

    “Without sparring support, you just don’t stop to move things forward. Having clear, scheduled sessions has made sure things get done,” Heiskanen says.

    The lasting change didn’t come from a single insight. It came from external sparring, systematic work and a shared will, all together.

    “Real change only comes through work and repetition. You can get the spark and the tools from Trainers’ House, but you must make the change yourself. You need to tap into the organisation’s own source of energy and get it flowing,” Beck sums up.


     

    Here to help you

    Ajanvaraus

    Varaa kasvukartoitus

    Varaa aika Trainers' Housen konsultin kanssa, niin keskustellaan teidän tilanteesta, tahtotilasta ja tasonnoston paikoista.