The Process Paradox: When Growth Slows You Down

When companies are small, things move fast.
Everyone knows what everyone else is doing.
Alignment happens naturally because communication is constant.

But as companies grow, they add structure.
They need forecasts, visibility, consistency, and cross-functional coordination.
That’s healthy and necessary, until it isn’t.

Somewhere along the way, the processes that once helped create alignment start to feel like red tape.
Salespeople spend more time updating the CRM than selling.
Project managers spend more time updating spreadsheets than leading projects.
Researchers spend more time documenting than discovering.

It’s not that process is bad. It’s that it tends to accumulate faster than it’s pruned.
Every new layer of coordination promises efficiency, but each adds a little more friction.

The challenge isn’t “process or no process.”
The real challenge is keeping process light enough to serve the work, not replace it.

In healthy organizations, your teams should spend roughly:

Role % Direct Execution %Coord/admin/leadership
Individual Contributors - 70%-85% 15%-30%
Frontline Managers - 40%-60% 40%-60%
Senior Leadership - 20%-40% 60%-80%

When any of those numbers flip, productivity and morale start to fall fast.
Growth demands alignment, but alignment shouldn’t come at the expense of momentum.

Business process must constantly be managed and evaluated with only the most necessary elements remaining in place. When something no longer serves its purpose, it must be removed. Sounds easy, but really requires focus and effort.

What’s the right balance where you work?
How do you keep structure from becoming bureaucracy as your company grows?