Where's the Beef?

You like to think your company changes as it grows. But it may not be changing as fast as you think. Just below the surface, every company has a few "sacred cows": policies, products, procedures- sometimes even people- lost their effectiveness a long time ago. Maybe it's a way of recording sales or a job position that made sense during the first two years of business but seems redundant now. Whatever it is, the result is the same: Sacred cows can get your company stuck in the mud.

It's a critical time to scan your workplace for the sacred cows that are hindering growth, says Tim Connor, president of consulting firm Connor Resource Group in Davidson, North Carolina. "Changes are coming very quickly today," he says. "Smaller companies have the opportunity to beat larger companies because they have maneuverability, but sacred cows prevent them from acting quickly. You need to be willing to reinvent yourself as an organization."