#45: Q&A: Early Stage Priorities, Scaling in Anticipation of Growth, and Employees That Just Don't Care

Get practical answers to questions COOs are asking—about SOPs, staffing ahead of growth, and managing disengaged employees.

In this Q&A episode of The Right-Hand Roadmap, Megan Long tackles real-world questions from second-in-command leaders navigating fast growth, resource constraints, and team dynamics. Whether you're wondering when to systematize your startup, how to staff for a 30% growth forecast, or what to do with employees who are just clocking in and out, this episode has guidance you can apply immediately. Megan draws on years of experience working inside and alongside founder-led businesses to help you set smart priorities and avoid common missteps.

You'll hear all about:

• 00:00 – Introduction to the Q&A format and how to submit your own questions

• 01:47 – Q1: Prioritizing SOPs and processes at an early-stage company with ambitious growth goals

• 02:11 – Why sales and marketing systems must come before internal process-building

• 03:10 – Strategic planning example: focusing on partnerships and lead gen over documentation

• 04:08 – A warning: 300% growth will break your current systems—so build flexibly

• 05:08 – Story: Megan’s mistake of over-documenting accounting procedures too early

• 06:47 – Challenge your CEO on whether SOPs are the most urgent need right now

• 07:08 – Q2: Should you staff up in anticipation of growth or wait until overwhelmed?

• 08:16 – The cultural and operational risks of premature hiring

• 08:46 – Megan’s rule of thumb: distinguish between proven vs. unproven growth

• 09:04 – Second First benchmarking data: turnover and revenue trends across members

• 10:07 – Forecasting in the post-2020 era: why historical data can be misleading

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Links mentioned in the episode:

• Second First Membership
• Second First One-on-One Coaching
• Second First on Instagram
• Second First on LinkedIn
• Megan Long on LinkedIn