Without thoughtful organization, a workplace can quickly become a hub for chaos and confusion. No one understands who they should be reporting to or what their exact role consists of. Disorientation rules the space and that is never a recipe for success. To avoid this kind of disaster, those in a leadership role must tactfully establish a hierarchy that lends itself to efficiency and logic. Employees should clearly understand not only what their roles are but what the roles of those around them are and how that affects their job. From responsibilities to personal relationships, there are numerous elements to consider when putting together a company’s structure. But when achieved, the well-thought-out structure of a company will propel it forward toward success in a way that unites everyone involved. Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd., put it best, “The organizational architecture is really that a centipede walks on a hundred legs and one or two don’t count. So if I lose one or two legs, the process will go on, the organization will go on, the growth will go on.”
What are the best tips for strengthening and structuring your management team? We connected with ten different business experts to uncover their answers to this question.
Pick a design
Ryan Azimi is the Director of International Development of ETIAS, a brand offering an application process simple and easy by providing the latest news and analysis about European Travel. He believes selecting the correct blueprint for organizational structure is a necessary step.
“Before you can begin assigning titles to people, you must know where and how these titles fit in your company. There are a few different types of common designs that companies use to create support, teamwork, and clarity within their walls. For example, if a company offers vastly different products, it could use a divisional design to have teams dedicated to each product. Or, a company can go a different route by grouping employees by job type so HR and sales would be their group. There are so many more designs out there and one likely suits your current situation.”
Get on the same page
Jae Pak MD Medical specializes in hair transplant services. Their Founder, Jae Pak, suggests making a concerted effort to coordinate leaders to promote teamwork and increase productivity.
“One of the most frustrating experiences for any employee is when two leaders come to them separately and make drastically different goals a priority. The employee is left being pulled in different directions because the leaders were not on the same page. When this happens, teams begin to fall apart at the seams and the pace of work grinds to a halt. As a leader, your job is to have people in roles that complement each other and bring the company together. If this isn’t happening or could happen more frequently, take a look at the structure of your company to see if improvements could be made.”
Clear guidelines
Professional respect and standards should be observed in every workplace for more than just legal reasons. Doing so lends itself to a healthier and more engaged environment. Personal Trainer Pioneer is a business providing information about personal training. Their Founder and Senior Editor, Tyler Read, consider this approach sensible.
“If your place of work feels more like an elementary classroom than a professional office, you’ve got some problems on your hands. Attitudes, lazy communication, work-life balance, and social standards should be in place and upheld by every member of your management team. Lay out the guidelines that make them aware of this as you’re beginning to put your structure and team together. At the end of the day, your workplace should be a place of dignity and professionalism and your management team sets the standard.”
Responsibilities and roles
Dr. Michael Green is the Chief Medical Officer of Winona, a brand offering an anti-aging and wellness center. He advises laying out transparent tasks to accomplish and themes to focus on is imperative to a well-rounded management team.
“Within every company, there are positions that rely directly on the work of other people. In some cases those relationships are symbiotic – they need each other in order to thrive. If your team does not know what their exact responsibilities and roles are they will either miss each other entirely or their work will obstruct the work of the other. Team leaders can assist with this but they should also be aware of what is required of them. Simply put, this process starts at the top.”
Build confidence
OSDB specializes in digital sports platforms with the most extensive sports information on the web. Their Co-Founder and CEO, Ryan Rottman, believes actively emphasizing an environment of trust is a surefire way to strengthen a management team.
“Any good management team features a person-to-person and person-to-team sense of confidence. Without this confidence in the goals, plans, and character of the people who make up a team, members of the said team may not feel comfortable voicing their opinions or contributing deeply. Like a lot of things, this starts at the top. If you’re the leader of a company, be quick to demonstrate honesty and clarity with every member of your team. Confidence is a two-way street and if you can start things off on the right foot and continue that idea forward, you’ll find your company much better off for it.”
Anticipate issues
Nothing is perfect and this applies to any management team. No matter how much chemistry exists among the members, disagreements will arise. Fighting For You is a business-providing personal injury law firm. Their CMO, Max Schwartzapfel, proposes being prepared for this.
“I think a lot of us have heard stories about business partners who spent years working together only to have a massive falling out before separating. Even people who are the best of friends outside of work will reach a rough patch if they’re on a management team together. This outcome is far more likely when a team is made up of people from different walks of life. Take the time to ensure that all members of your team know how they’re involved and that they’re willing to work with, not against, your team.”
Don’t ignore the order
Dan Potter is the Head of Digital of CRAFTD London, a brand offering premium jewelry for men. He cautions others to keep the chain of command in mind when dealing with managers and employees.
“Just because you’ve put your structure down on paper doesn’t mean that it works in reality. If you want to bring this structure to life, you must be intentional with your words and actions. Employees and managers alike have experience from previous jobs with how tasks were assigned or things were reported. Whether you’re restructuring entirely or simply adding a team member, everyone should understand the structure and make a habit of using it properly. Essentially, you’re instructing everyone to remember and follow the corporate order of the company.”
Decisions
AvantStay specializes in lodging, accommodations, event planning, transportation, and travel services. Their Head of Growth, Umer Usman, considers choosing the right method for making choices to be of the utmost importance.
“You could have a management team filled with people who have powerful resumes but if there’s no clear system in place for making decisions, your team is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. There are many options for systems of decision-making. For example, you can go the route of the traditional consensus, voting, or a single decision-maker. You should choose one not based on what ‘sounds best’ but on what is most applicable to your goals and team members. With clarity in place, there’s no reason coming to a decision should be a hassle.”
Support systems
A unique analogy for a company is that of a ship. The boss and mates make up the management team while the crewmen are the team members. Carvaygo is a business providing a car hauling service. Their Director of Marketing and Communications, Drew Sherman, advises the leaders to take note of the symbiotic characteristics of the relationship between these two groups.
“If the CEO or founder is the captain of the ship, then the first, second, and third mates are the team leaders. This makes the other employees members of the crew. On a ship, the captain needs efficient sail management and proper communication to steer well. The crew members need clear direction to make those things happen. It’s impossible to sail the ship well without help and it’s impossible to function as a crew member without instruction.”
Analyze
Jorge Usatorres is the Vice President of Universal Diagnostic Laboratories, a brand offering full-service reference and esoteric testing laboratories with a large in-house test menu. He suggests inspecting any current structure to discover if it can be improved or not.
“As your company grows and changes, so should your corporate structure. If you started as a one-man show, you know that keeping up that lifestyle would be detrimental to a person’s health. With this in mind, remember to regularly analyze the state and efficiency of your present structure as well as the demands of your customers and employees. Your goal with this is to find ways to enhance the effectiveness of people within your company.”
As seen above, there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to strengthening and structuring a management team. With numerous aspects to consider, it’s no wonder why not every team is effective. It is critical to remember not only how much goes into the structure of a team but also what it is capable of. Sports broadcaster and former football player, Mark Schlereth, summed this up, “A successful team, in sports or business, extends from the top of management down to the guys at the bottom of the roster or organizational chart.”
