Episode Overview

Title: AUA: Why Is My Small Org So Hard To Run?
Hosts: Rodney Evans & Sam Spurlin
Date: March 16, 2026

This special "Ask Us Anything" (AUA) mini-episode addresses a listener's question: Why do small organizations feel so difficult to run, especially concerning intangible deliverables and multiple stakeholders? Rodney and Sam break down how workplace challenges and modern organizational practices apply to small organizations, highlighting unique complexities, missed opportunities, and the pivotal role of interpersonal dynamics and structure in shaping small teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Small vs. Large Organization Complexity

• Big ≠ Complex:

  • Sam clarifies that complexity isn’t exclusive to large organizations. “Smaller organizations are also complex in the complex adaptive system sense of hard to predict and control…” (01:14)
  • In small orgs, individual personalities and relationships have far greater impact on operations and outcomes.

• The Human Element:

  • In small orgs, “it’s much more human in some ways. ...When you’re a team of like 10 people, it’s like, ‘Mary sucks and Jim can’t get his shit together.’” (01:44, Sam)
  • Large orgs may depersonalize conflict (“this process and like this team in these roles”), but in small orgs, issues are felt directly and personally.

2. Missing vs. Excessive Structure

• Small Orgs:

  • Rodney points out that smaller orgs often lack explicit operating models, steering mechanisms, or principles-based budgeting. "They don't have a way..." (02:30)
  • The work with small orgs is about installing “minimum viable structure to tame the chaos and unlock capacity” (03:14, Rodney).

• Large Orgs:

  • Large orgs, by contrast, suffer from too much structure. The challenge becomes unwinding processes and removing unnecessary bureaucracy.

• Same Ideas, Different Application:

  • “The ideas are largely the same, but the motion is different...” (03:10, Rodney)

3. The Threshold of Awareness and Change

• Size Transitions:
  • There is a qualitative transition as organizations grow:
    • “Prior to this moment, everybody was involved in everything...” (03:46, Sam)
    • Eventually, it’s not possible for everyone to be aware of everything – a significant point for both logistical and emotional adaptation.
• Not a Precise Number:
  • No exact “Dunbar’s number,” but probably under 50 people (04:39, Sam & Rodney).

4. Practical Takeaways

• In small orgs:
  • Don’t conflate “small” with “simple.”
  • Be deliberate about putting in just enough structure to clarify operations and unlock productivity.
• As orgs scale:
  • Anticipate the emotional impact as decisions and conversations begin to leave some people out.
  • Iterate and experiment: There’s no perfect blueprint—adapt as you grow.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On small org complexity:
  “Smaller organizations are also complex in the complex adaptive system sense of hard to predict and control and need to iterate and experiment to understand what is happening. That is true even in small organizations.”
  — Sam, (01:14)

• On the human dynamics of small orgs:
  “When you’re a team of like 10 people, it’s like, ‘Mary sucks and Jim can’t get his shit together.’ And so it’s much more human in some ways.”
  — Sam, (01:44)

• On installing structure:
  “In the smaller space it tends to be more chaotic because there’s missing constraint. And in the big organizations it tends to be overly bureaucratic because there’s too much constraint.”
  — Rodney, (02:52)

• On the qualitative tipping point:
  “There’s this like qualitative moment that you hit where prior to this moment, everybody was involved in everything... And then there is a point that you hit where that can no longer be true...”
  — Sam, (03:46)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:52 – Listener’s question introduction
• 01:11 – Complexity in small organizations
• 01:44 – Personality impact and interpersonal tensions
• 02:26 – Small orgs and missing structure
• 02:52 – Chaos vs. bureaucracy: missing vs. excess constraint
• 03:46 – The transition point in org growth
• 04:39 – Approximating the org size that defines this shift

Overall Tone & Language

Rodney and Sam maintain a candid, conversational style, using direct language and relatable workplace anecdotes. Their tone is pragmatic, empathetic, and peppered with humor (“Mary sucks and Jim can’t get his shit together”) while offering actionable insights for leaders of small organizations.

Summary

This episode powerfully debunks the myth that only large organizations wrestle with complexity, revealing the unique—and often more personal—challenges of leading small teams. The core advice: install just enough structure to reduce chaos, expect emotional bumps as you grow, and remember that adaption trumps perfection. Whether you’re in a four-person startup or a scaling nonprofit, The Ready’s insights give you practical moves to improve your small team's ways of working.