Most people like to research a company before they go in for a job interview, which is smart. This is when you can come across information like – the company has over 100, or 300, or even 500 employees. And it can be a bit intimidating. However, what most of us tend to forget is that every company, no matter how large, has humble beginnings. It usually begins with a creative idea over drinks, a small investment and a core team that works their backs off. And, if you’re lucky enough, all that work pays off and leads to an explosion of success and a rapid expansion. This is what business development is all about, but it also carries challenges with it. One such challenge is how to manage a growing team of employees as you move along?
Growing Mindfully
Movers Development puts a priority on expansion and growth as much as the next business, but we also understand the importance of meeting the demands of that growth.
In fact, popular research shows that 97% of employees value the influence of team alignment as the key to the outcome of success of a project. However, if the team were to expand rapidly, all of this comes into question due to the time it takes to get the team aligned.
It’s essential that you focus on the right method to make this happen. And that way is through the use of the right Human Resource plan. The layout of this plan will vary, depending on your internal organization. However, it should detail the following:
- roles and responsibilities,
- a hiring schedule,
- an organizational chart,
- job descriptions,
- and information on how you plan to recruit, retain, and develop new employees.
Guide to manage a growing team in 5 simple steps
You have to understand that with the expansion of your team, management tactics change. So, here are five guidelines to effectively lead and manage a growing team:
Trust your management
Finding and employing the perfect management team can prove challenging. However, bringing them together is not enough. You also have to provide them with a sense of authority and guide them towards their own way of establishing themselves. You need to trust them to make decisions and direct their own reports without you being their safety net. Micromanagement is not something you should ever confuse with hands-on leadership.
Establish clear processes to help you manage a growing team
You have to come to terms with the fact that you won’t be able to work closely with each team member as your staff grows. For this reason, it’s important that you have established and well-documented processes. This is essential when you hire positions that already exist – after all, chances are good that certain tasks will be done better if there is a pre-defined way to do it. Here are some useful tips to introduce:
- Have existing team members help you document their procedures. This will ease any friction because you are involving them. And in return, you receive valuable and detailed insight.
- Have systems set up for communication and overall work organization? To help you streamline team communication, you need to implement the right project management system. In fact, project management software is something that over 87% of high-performing companies use.
In retrospect, the more devotion and focus you invest in the development of your internal systems and procedures, the easier it will be to manage a growing team.
Hierarchy and a clear structure are good things
We know, it might not be the most popular word, but it holds meaning. And perhaps this is not something you imagined your team would come to when this all began. However, now that everything is expanding and changing, there is the need to introduce hierarchy. There are several reasons for this:
- To start with, it differentiates who employees report to and who has the final say on decisions.
- It also offers the chance for ambitious and hard-working employees to move up in your growing team.
You shouldn’t concern yourself with popular opinion on this matter. Employees actually prefer hierarchal relationships to equal ones, as they’re easier to perceive and remember.
You have to recognize and reward success
It’s always easier to recognize and reward success with smaller teams. This is something that changes when you have to manage a growing team. After all, recognition can impact your employees quite a bit. Employees who don’t feel that they’re adequately recognized are twice as likely to say that they’ll quit their jobs within the next year.
This is why a reward system for team members is so important. And often enough, it need not be more than a simple expression of gratitude via official email or in-person. Yet another practical idea would be organized team-building events, to help build camaraderie. Basically, anything comes to mind that can provide announcements and celebrations for big wins.
Culture is essential
Companies with poor cultures have a turnover rate as high as 48%. In comparison to culture-rich companies with 14%, this is quite a difference. And when you have to manage a growing team, culture is something that can easily become watered down. Hence the importance of keeping an emphasis on it. So, what are some useful strategies you can practice?
- Hire for culture. There is no better way to maintain and manage a growing team than by ensuring that you hire people that match your company’s core values in mind. This will result in less friction and tension for all.
- Nurture traditions. Tradition is something you should never neglect. No matter how minor or insignificant, keeping some rituals intact will reinforce your company’s identity as you welcome new team members.
- Start mentoring. All of us need mentors – someone to rely on when starting a new position. So, consider assigning seasoned employees to help get new hires up to speed.
Food for thought on what it means to manage a growing team
You have all the reasons to be happy if your company is growing into something bigger and better. And when you invest in a growing team, it should be a worthwhile investment – not a hassle. Even if the ROI appears lower than expected initially, as long as you manage the growth of your team the right way, it will prove quite beneficial in the long run.
Naturally, as your organization grows, your owner mindset has to adapt to it all. Learning how to manage an expanding team won’t always be easy. However, you’re sure to head in the right direction as long as you remember to always grow mindfully and effectively communicate.
