Is any of this familiar?
Your business is going well. So well that you can’t fathom how you could step away for a vacation. You have a great team, but they require your leadership to get the job done properly. Mistakes have been made in the past and it’s just too risky for you to leave it up to someone else. After all, no one understands the big picture as well as you and no one cares about the business’s success like you do.
But everyone — including yourself — knows that this situation is unsustainable. At some point, you will have to let go of something for your own sanity and the health of the business.
If you have designs on continuing to grow your business, it might be time to start planning for a layer of management. Here are a few things to consider:
Lay out your strengths and weaknesses
Both personal and organizational, and be honest! As a leader, you have unique strengths that have helped you get to where you are today. But as the business becomes more complex, your weaknesses become more prevalent. Take an honest look at yourself and the current state of your business. What do you have energy for? What is taking up the most time while delivering the least impact? There are likely areas of your operations that have been neglected due to a lack of passion. These are a good place to start.
Look in-house first
Having someone familiar who understands you and the business is of significant value. Take a look at those employees who you can always rely on to get the job done with little supervision. Are they ready for an increased role? Do they have a complimentary skill set to yours? Be cautious to not just select someone simply because you like them. You are going to need people who will disagree with you and stand up for what they believe in.
Evaluate the true need
Do you need management personnel or just a seasoned specialist to take care of Human Resources or Finance? Are there fractional services that would serve your needs? Maybe you need a little of both? Break out your needs clearly and specifically. You’ll likely find a solution that differs from your first inclination.
Be Patient
This isn’t something to rush. The investment is significant and the right solution should be as unique as your business. Take your time to find the right fit for the need. As you search, don’t just look at putting out an immediate fire, consider how the new resource(s) will help your business to grow and thrive in future.
Make yourself available
Once you are ready to take the leap, invest your own time and energy so that these new resources are set up for success. Don’t hold on to the things you brought them on for, but don’t dump everything on them immediately either. Make time to walk them through the way things currently stand and let them know of the improvements you would like to see. Do frequent check-ins and ask questions instead of giving direction. After all, you brought in this talent to own the areas you chose to let go of.
Be prepared to let go
One of the biggest challenges founders who reach this point go through is letting their growing team make mistakes. But leadership is about letting your team learn, not telling them what works and what doesn’t. Provide the guidance, but let them make the decisions.
Connect with BeachHead
At BeachHead, we are passionate about helping businesses scale up from a strong Operations foundation. The BeachHead Organization Audit (BOA) helps founders evaluate their business through an objective lens. Our BOA scorecard allows us to evaluate all aspects of a growing business so we can recommend changes based on what the organization wants to accomplish in the next phase of growth.
If you’re ready to take your company to the next level, reach out and let’s start a conversation.
Email: rdrynan@beachheadstrategic.com
Phone: 416.888-4004
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