Leverage Your Roster for Success

As the head coach of your business, you face a multitude of decisions to make on a daily basis. There may not be one as important though, as having the right folks on your team, playing the positions that will make the highest impact on your organization. These positions can be clarified beyond those who work in the carpeted areas and those that don’t. You have appointed leaders as well as the natural leaders. You’ll also have those that are happy to follow, and those that color outside the lines. Your job is to understand what you have to work with, and leverage your roster for success.

Appointed Leaders

Directors, supervisors, and department managers make up the appointed leaders. They often earn these positions after having risen up through the ranks. Their institutional knowledge of the business and customer expectations help them make good decisions based on win-win outcomes.

A few different scenarios can play out with these folks. In one case, the rate and pace of change that they are comfortable with exceeds that which is the unwritten norm of the company. These leaders are always bringing up new ideas and making recommendations they feel are in the best interest of the company. Their efforts are either accepted or not. When they are not accepted, sometimes it’s just a bad idea. Sometimes they just didn’t present it in an effective manner. They didn’t sell it.

In another example, there are times when the business accelerates past these leaders, and their base of experience has a difficult time keeping up. These are the folks that got you to where you are, but may struggle to get you to the next level.

The Natural Leaders

A natural leader can be someone in any department. These folks don’t have titles, and usually don’t want one. They have the experience and demeanor to be the go-to person in that area. And while they are not the official leader in that area, those around them follow their lead, their pace, and their attitude. It’s important to know who these folks are. Your engagement with them can either help, or hinder your efforts— you decide.

Test Key Positions

As you review your player roster, having a good grasp of the effectiveness of both the appointed and natural leaders is a good place to begin. Gain an understanding of who is playing to their potential, and who is out over their skis. You should also review how effective you have been in communicating your expectations.

Once these areas are determined, you can be effective by either coaching someone up, become a cheerleader for an individual, or determining a different role for that person — either within your company, or allowing them to continue their career with someone else. These decisions are not to be taken lightly and can determine the trajectory path and pace of your business.

What Can You Learn

The playbook that you chose to coach your players should not be taken lightly. Take the time to align your plan with the core values and mission of the business. Remember, you are dealing with their livelihoods, as well as the success rate of your business. If you have tackled these issues recently, let us know how things turned out. If you want to get started down this path, let me know. Good luck.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.