From "Making Do" to "Always Ready": Building Systems for a Resilient Organization

One of the joys of working in a small team is the close collaboration that often fuels early success. That "can do" spirit and agility are essential in those initial growth stages. However, as your team and ambitions expand, you might find your organization in a perpetual state of “making do”, patching inefficiencies, reacting to crises, and relying on the heroic efforts of individuals rather than the strength of robust systems. Eventually, what once worked well enough can buckle under the weight of your very success.

The path to lasting success lies in intentionally transitioning from a state of constant improvisation to one of being “always ready.” The key? Building systems that anticipate challenges and adapt with ease. The good news is, you don’t need enterprise-level tools or a dedicated operations team to prepare for growth. All it takes is scalable thinking, and the right habits.

How to Spot a “Making Do” Culture

Company culture is a well-intentioned topic that has become a buzzword. It can be difficult to make intentional changes to culture when you’re working with an abstract term. So, for this article, just remember this: what you do is who you are. The repeated habits of your organization create your culture.

Identifying a "making do" culture within your organization is the first step toward building resilience. There are several telltale signs that, while minor on the surface, can collectively stifle progress and create major vulnerabilities. Look out for these bad habits:

Reliance on "Hero Culture": Do you frequently hear stories of individuals pulling all-nighters or single-handedly resolving critical issues? Or how about the office “go-to” you call whenever a specific issue comes up?

Prevalence of Workarounds: Are teams constantly inventing temporary fixes to address recurring problems? Or do you do it yourself because it’s faster that way?

Knowledge Silos: As a leader, how often do you find yourself pondering, “I wasn’t aware that happened,” “Did this report go out on time?” or my favorite, “Didn’t we do this already?”

Reactive Firefighting: Is the primary focus consistently reacting to the latest issue rather than building preventative measures? Is strategic planning overshadowed by urgent operational demands?

The Core Principles of Scalable Systems

Transitioning away from "making do" requires a fundamental shift in how your organization operates. These principles provide a framework for designing processes and structures that can adapt and grow without breaking down. Your systems should follow three key principles:

• Repeatability: Can someone else do this task the same way without reinventing the wheel?

• Visibility: Can you easily see where things stand—whether it’s a project deadline, a grant report, or a client deliverable?

• Adaptability: Can this system flex when your team, funding, or programs evolve?

If a process isn’t visible or repeatable, like tracking required tax filings or grant deliverables, you’re inviting chaos later. You don’t necessarily need a full overhaul to move toward a scalable system. To start, you can pressure-test your existing systems with the following approach:

• Process Map: Choose a high-stakes workflow and sketch it from start to finish. Are there gaps? Are there unnecessary detours? Should it actually be two processes? Remember to keep the end goal in mind.

• Assign Ownership: Clearly define who is responsible for each step of the process. If no one is accountable, or if everyone is, it's time to make specific assignments. Ensure these responsibilities are clear and well-communicated.

• Build a Calendar: Is the timeline for key activities clear to everyone involved? Are there firm deadlines with understood consequences? For priority deadlines and routine processes, schedule as much as possible. Use a shared calendar or invite to keep it visible. And set reminders. Save your brain space for better things.

Build a Culture of Readiness, Not Reactivity

Moving from a reactive to an “always ready” state requires a conscious effort to prioritize anticipation, preparedness, and continuous improvement. This involves more than just implementing new systems—it requires a shift in mindset and behaviors across the organization. Systems are only as good as the people who operate within them.

• Invest in Training and Development: Equip your employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use new systems. Encourage cross-training to broaden understanding of different team processes, fostering a sense of the “bigger picture” and building valuable skill redundancy. 

• Proactive Risk Management: Instead of waiting for problems, actively identify potential risks and revisit them in regular assessments. Did the risks ever come to fruition? Are you in a place where you can more confidently address the risk with new information? Document your decisions and actions, reviewing them on a cadence that aligns with your organization’s needs.

• Foster Visibility: A culture of readiness thrives on transparency and shared understanding. Making potential risks, deadlines, and key performance indicators visible to the entire team ensures everyone is aware and on the same page. When it’s visible, it becomes a shared responsibility. 

Quick Wins for Immediate Impact 

Building truly resilient systems is a long-term endeavor – but who doesn’t love a quick win? Here are several low-lift strategies that organizations can implement to make immediate impact and start the transition away from a "making do" culture. 

• Approach Firefighting like a Triage: While completely eliminating reactive situations might be unrealistic, you can train employees to take a systematic approach when they arise. Every triage is a process of sorting and prioritizing needs. What are the issues at hand? Which is the most critical to address first?

• Build in Debriefs: After critical projects or incidents, take 15-30 minutes to discuss what went well, what could be better, and lessons learned. Building this habit will prevent you from reinventing the wheel. 

• Implement a Simple Knowledge-Sharing Platform: Introduce a shared document library or internal wiki for easy access to information and best practices. Our team implemented a “New Prospects” Microsoft Teams chat to keep everyone in the loop with little effort. 

The early, collaborative energy of a small team is invaluable, but sustained success demands a move beyond "making do." By building repeatable, visible, and adaptable systems for your team members to operate within, you’ll cultivate an “always ready” culture that carries significant momentum into your next stage of growth.