The same conversation, different industry

One of the things I appreciated most about spending two weeks in Scandinavia was the pace. Whether it was hygge in Denmark or fika in Sweden, there seemed to be an appreciation for slowing down. People lingered over coffee. Meals weren't rushed. It felt like there was room to think.

That space has a funny way of changing your perspective.

I came home feeling refreshed and jumped back into work with a business development call. The company couldn't have been more different from the organizations I typically work with. They're an agricultural land development company. They manage field crews, heavy equipment, mechanics, contractors, and office staff. My background has mostly been with agencies, software companies, banks, museums, nonprofits, and consulting firms.

On paper, we don't have much in common. But within a few minutes of talking, though, I realized we were having a conversation I've had hundreds of times.

The owner described a business that had grown successfully over the years, but the way work was getting done hadn't evolved with it. Projects were moving, but information lived in too many places. Conversations happened in hallways, over email, in meetings, and in people's heads. Everyone was busy. Everyone cared. Keeping track of everything was becoming harder than the work itself.

I've seen that exact same pattern everywhere I've worked, and the industry almost never matters.

Growing organizations eventually reach a point where the informal habits that helped build the business start getting in the way of running it. Leaders find themselves answering the same questions, following up on the same commitments, and carrying more of the organization's mental load than they realize. As the business grows, people need more than good intentions and hallway conversations. They need shared visibility, clear ownership, and a common understanding of how work moves through the organization.

That's why I spend so much less time talking about software than people expect.

Yes, the right tool matters. I'll almost certainly recommend one as part of this engagement. But software works best when it's supporting a clear way of working. Without that foundation, even the best platform becomes another place where information goes to die.

That's one of the biggest reminders I brought home from this trip.

Perspective doesn't always come from seeing something completely different. Sometimes it comes from realizing that the same challenges show up everywhere. Whether it's an agency in Philadelphia, a museum in New York, a hospital, a bank, or a farming operation in California, growing organizations eventually start asking the same questions:

• How do we keep everyone aligned?
• How do we make work more visible?
• How do we stop relying on one person to hold everything together?

Maybe that's the perspective I brought home from Scandinavia. The industries may be different, but the challenges of growth are remarkably similar. Helping organizations navigate that transition is one of my favorite parts of this work.

TL;DR - After returning from Scandinavia, my first client conversation reminded me that growing organizations face remarkably similar challenges, regardless of industry. The right software can help, but lasting progress starts with clear communication, shared ownership, and a better way of working.