In today’s business world, the demands of economic change frequently require senior staff to wear multiple hats – for example, commercial, strategic growth and HR. As businesses look to create new areas of revenue rather than relying on one income stream, you may find yourself having to train up the sales team in using a new piece of software, or rolling out training programmes for administration.
The consequences of taking senior colleagues out of their everyday working role to assist in staff development will inevitably have a knock-on effect on the workload of others. The need for flexibility is paramount, with redefining of roles, and consideration of short and long term plans for ensuring a successful team.
So, how does your company cope with the demands of an expanding business and the impact on resources within its teams? In this article, we look at the effect of a ‘multiple hats’ situation, its effect on the structure of your team, and how assessing your team capabilities will ensure you are getting the best out of them.
Wearing Multiple Hats
One size does not fit all.
In a world of dynamic progress, managers who become responsible for the continuous learning and training of staff find themselves transformed into coaches. These expanding responsibilities require a manager to navigate new skills sets and can cause ambiguity in how they identify themselves. Often a shift in mindset is required, and wearing multiple hats presents a set of challenges for the individual in terms of their role within the business, and they need to not only embrace change to include new skills but also possibly values and ethos.
Organisations need to recognise the importance of coaching in these circumstances. The use of specialised external and internal coaching to support the learning and development of executives, managers, and employees is on the rise on a global scale. So, it’s a good start to ensure your teams are working to the best of their ability in times of fluctuating business priorities.
Opportunities and Threats for the Team
Firstly, you need to prepare your growth strategy, asking yourself how you can best progress, taking into account the risks and opportunities by evaluating the marketplace, your resources, and the economy as well as your competitors. Funding streams are available for fixed assets, and development of IT and AI will see a return in investment in the efficiency of your business.
But you may find that to roll out new procedures, equipment or diversifying into new areas means, especially in an SME, that senior staff are being redeployed to train and coach teams in the use of equipment, upskill for new roles or have to train up other members of staff.
While senior staff are implementing new systems, is upskilling your team or employing temporary staff the more viable option for your company? Looking at the current team and analysing skills can mean you can redefine roles. Interim staff may be the answer for your organisation, but expansion in business growth does not necessarily equate to expanding the team.
Creating a Great Team Structure
In this environment, it’s important to have the skills across your team to enable them to get the job done, especially if senior staff have multiple roles. Building a great team is the key to ensuring success. Each person needs to be clear on their role, and understand the overall structure, as well as being prepared to work across teams within the organisation to ensure clarity and purpose overall. Many businesses struggle with optimal team size and efficient composition. Investment in time planning your team structure will help you avoid the pitfalls. So, is your team working smarter, not harder?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does your team structure utilise the strengths of its individuals? Knowing where individual skills lie means you can make the most of your staff’s strengths.
- How many of your staff are involved in more than one area or project? Too much multitasking can lead to a drop in efficiency.
- How often do team members change jobs? Membership of a team will create a bond that encourages better productivity and accountability.
- Are component teams used in limited cases, and are those cases justifiable?
- Does your current structure allow for easy communication between teams?
- Is there a clear line of accountability? The team structure should encourage shared ownership and clarity of responsibility.
It’s important to take a step back and analyse the structure of your business to gauge efficiency. Ask yourself if your team structure is effective. Do your systems work efficiently or are they archaic? How are system developments for the business impacting on teams in terms of staff numbers, skills and training?
If you think your business could benefit from help in assessing where your team’s skills lie, we can help. Contact us for an informal chat on maximising your employee’s skillset to enable your business to flourish. Call us on 01282 930930 or email here.
Thanks,
Rachel
About Rebus Financial Recruitment
Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from a wide variety of organisations including SME’s to large PLCs.
We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs; and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930.
