"Right Seats" Then "Right People"
As a start-up you look for the right people then create a roll for them because there is plenty of work to do. But as you business grows and matures, you have to think differently about your business design and look at getting the "right seats" in mind first, then getting the right people in the right seats. If you're dealing with this issue right now it's a good sign that your business is growing! What does the inside of your bus look like? Here are four steps to redesigning your "bus"...
Step 1: Examine the future design of your organization is to step outside of your business. Pretend for a bit that you are actually on the Board of Directors or a business advisor sitting outside of your organization looking in.
Step 2 is to ask yourself, what is the right structure for the organization as you take it forward? Don't look back to how you've done it in the past, keep your eyes focused on the future. What does the leadership structure look like? Every organization has a leader (we call it an Implementor) and some have a Visionary - or both. There are at least three groups under the Implementor and they tend to be some variation of Sales/Marketing, Operations (Product/Service), and Finance/Accounting. Identify these first, then build out the organization from there!
Step 3: once the "Right Seats" are defined, give each role 3-5 primary job responsibilities that are unique for each "Seat". This gives those seats accountability for specific roles and functions within the organization. No two people should have the same bullets at this point.
Step 4: put the right people in the right seats. Ensure the individuals are still a great fit for your organization's culture, that they understand the new role and "get it", "want it" and have the "capacity to do it". We call this GWC.
Ultimately we call this an Accountability Chart because it clearly identifies the rolls of responsibility for every seat, and thus every individual, in the organization. When one pair of eyes is responsible for a function within the company, it is much easier to get more done in less time and with fewer resources.
Questions? Just contact us and we're happy to share more!