Late Adolescence is where an ERG program proves it’s not just consistent—it’s ready for what’s next. After years of building structure, gaining trust, and delivering with reliability, the program enters a new era: intentional growth.

This is the phase where scaling happens—but not through a checklist of flashy new initiatives. Scaling in Late Adolescence is about serving more people, more effectively, without losing sight of what made the program work in the first place. The focus shifts from “How do we keep this running?” to “How do we take this further—without falling apart?”

What Scaling Looks Like

What “next level” means will look different at every company, and that’s the point. This model isn’t here to tell you what you have to scale—it’s here to help you do it your way. That said, common forms of scale in this stage include:

• Launching new ERGs based on member need
• Forming chapters (by location, time zone, or employee group)
• Creating micro-communities within an ERG
• Expanding eligibility to frontline, hourly, or part-time staff
• Rolling out global programs with localized support

Some companies may have launched with these in place. That’s fine. What matters here is that you’re ready to expand reach, deepen engagement, and manage more complexity without creating chaos. This is where strategy becomes crucial.

Growth Without Drift

Late Adolescence isn’t about proving that you can do more. It’s about showing that you can handle more without compromising quality. Many programs hit this phase and start adding initiatives: mentorship programs, large-scale events, or formal partnerships with external groups. Those can be powerful—but they only work if they’re aligned with your purpose and sustainable within your structure.

This is not the time to throw things at the wall. It’s time to double down on what works, and only expand what you can do well.

ERG Program Managers: Build Structure for Scale

Your job now is to make sure the program stays solid as it grows. That means:

• Supporting ERG Leaders through expansion—whether that’s into new geos, new member groups, or new formats
• Creating and maintaining documentation around any new process, structure, or partnership
• Ensuring that new relationships (internal or external) have clear expectations, touchpoints, and metrics
• Continuing to track and tie everything back to your North Star metric

You’re not just managing people—you’re managing systems. And as the systems grow, so does the need for clarity.

ERG Leaders: Expand With Intention

ERG Leaders are likely taking on more—new audiences, new programs, new responsibilities. But just like earlier phases, success here depends on sticking to the structure.

Leaders should be:

• Staying consistent with planning and reporting
• Scaling up only what’s already working
• Using engagement data to guide decisions
• Keeping programs rooted in the original purpose of the ERG

This is where it’s easy to lose the thread. But real leadership means knowing how to grow without drifting.

Expansion Isn’t a Detour—It’s a Climb

Late Adolescence is where programs begin to resemble mature, highly-functioning ecosystems. But you’re not quite at Maturity yet. Scaling isn’t a destination—it’s a test.

The point isn’t to do it all. The point is to do more of what matters—in more places, for more people, with the same clarity, care, and consistency you’ve built from the beginning.

Keep the original vision in sight. Let structure support your scale. And grow with intention—not urgency.

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