Making the most of a small team
When you are building a business with just a few employees, multitasking does not have to mean chaos. Follow these steps to lay a strong foundation of function and efficiency. Every business, no matter the size, needs systems that allow its team to move fast without breaking.
As the CEO of DM Consultancy, I am faced with big challenges. How do I accept entrepreneur and startup clients? How to build checks and balances that begin at a macro level and then work it down to the micro level. To keep a small team functioning, consider five principles:
- Set expectations – When you build your team, it is important for new hires to understand that the job will require work outside their typical scope. Team members need a clear understanding of the mission and their responsibilities.
- Learn from others – Leverage the power of mentors. Find someone who has walked in your shoes, explain one problem you have, and see what their advice is.
- Assign a project manager – Every aspect of your business should have an “owner”, someone who keeps all the darts from falling off the board. Based on their subject matter expertise, the
owner will be assigned to client services and internal functions. - Weekly check-ins –At each of my projects, I gather on a weekly basis to run through the primary goals with the team. On Thursday, I block out an hour and check in on those goals. In case the goals are not met, we discuss why and outline a solution.
- Daily check- ins – Meeting culture can be an issue, yes, but if you keep daily check-ins to just 15 minutes, they do not feel like meetings. Instead, they are considered quick conversations that are more about support and care. When things are moving fast, it is important to make sure your team is doing well and knows that you have their support.
Remember: Multitasking does not have to mean inefficiency. But it requires transparency, planning and backup systems. In the short term, it will improve the function of your business. In the long term, it will help identify where you need the most support as you continue to grow.
