When the market shifted, the team at Knowit Connectivity South had to rethink how they worked. Plans changed, priorities shifted, and progress didn’t always follow the pace they had expected. Instead of focusing on rapid growth, the priority became maintaining stability while still developing the organisation.
Around three and a half years ago, Knowit Connectivity decided to expand its presence in the South of Sweden. At that point, the site was still in an early growth phase within the Connectivity business area. It was at this point that Camilla took on responsibility for leading the work forward.
The goal was to build a stronger presence in the South, expand within Connectivity’s focus areas, and grow a stable team that could support long-term client needs.
Growth meant recruiting new consultants and building delivery capacity. In practice, this meant that involvement of everyone in the site processes became part of everyday work rather than a side activity. For a smaller regional site with a clear growth mandate, this raised a practical question:
"How do we continue building capacity and credibility without creating risk for the people already in the organisation?"
The challenge was not only whether growth was possible, but how it could be approached in a way that remained sustainable for the team, the delivery, and the business as a whole.
Over time, growth showed up in everyday work through shared responsibility. People across the organisation took part in recruitment, onboarding, and day-to-day decisions. Staffing situations, priorities, and limitations were discussed openly so everyone understood the context they were working within.
Growth stopped being something people waited to be authorized. It gradually became something people felt accountable for in practice.
This way of working became particularly visible when the site needed to build a new in-house team within a short timeframe.
At this stage, the site did not have established recruitment pipelines or a large local network to rely on. Much of the hiring therefore depended on the existing team. Consultants helped identify candidates, took part in interviews, and supported onboarding once people joined.
As a result of these circumstances, 70% of new hires came through referrals. These efforts were initiated in the fall of 2024, with delivery beginning in January 2025. By April 2025, the team was operating at full scale.
As responsibility was shared more broadly, leadership also began to look different in practice. Less time was spent directing activity, and more time was spent removing obstacles. Ideas did not need to be fully formed before being tested. Some initiatives worked, others did not, but what changed most was the willingness to help.
People seemed more willing to help when they felt trusted to do so.
Reflections
Looking back, the experience raised questions about whether uncertainty always requires tighter control or slower movement. In this case, participation helped the organisation keep moving at a time when slowing down might have felt like the sensible choice.
As conditions became more uncertain, the focus shifted to how growth could continue in a way that felt responsible for the team and the work involved.