As Your Company Grows, So Should Your Management Style
Why the Traits That Made You Strong Now Put You at Risk
By:TJ Tedesco, President, Grow Sales, Inc.
For:EDITOR, High Volume Printing
Published: June 30, 2004

The driving force in most young companies, of course, is the personality of its owner. A variety of skills are necessary to lead a company, and chief among them stands a founder’s ability to self-regulate and evolve. Action-oriented small business leaders are often betrayed by the very top-dog personalities that initially brought them success. The ability to adapt when the opportunity for real growth is finally presented is crucial.

Often, the style and skills that make a great entrepreneur can hamper company development and limit its ability to thrive. Know anyone who has been hurt by his or her own “take charge” mentality? Vision, crisis management and control are all essential traits, but not at the cost of flexibility and progress. Consider the following strengths and the ways they can become weaknesses if not managed carefully.

Transferring The Load
The determination of small business owners to advance their vision despite adverse conditions can become the uniting energy for a support team. Perseverance and dedication are vital to a young company’s health. Refusing to accept ‘no’ as an answer builds resolve in employees and demonstrates commitment, particularly when the same obstacles have defeated others.

Similarly, business founders may insist projects and operations be handled ‘my way,’ giving staff a feeling someone capable is at the helm. Suggestions of others are heard and evaluated, but the final decision is in the hands of the owner. There isn’t time for popular management techniques, and very little interest. Everyone knows who calls the shots. And if the company is succeeding, changing management technique may seldom be suggested.

Stubborn attitudes, however, frequently reinforce a sense of infallibility when rewarded with success. No one, of course, possesses such a quality. As the company achieves and expands, the founder may enter unfamiliar arenas and still be convinced of possessing superior knowledge tied to the company’s development. His can harm both the product and the good faith held by the staff that the manager is competent. Disagreements can be seen by managers and others as defiance and make owners reticent to rely on the surrounding talent. Placing trust and responsibility in others is a major step in developing as a manager and as a company.

It is essential small business owners mine the support team for fresh perspectives during growth periods. Insistence on ‘my way’ management can engender negative feelings in a loyal staff, and chase off competent prospective employees. Capable new hires seeking independence and responsibility can quickly become marginalized if management does not seek to utilize their skills.

Changing Courses Mid-Stream
Early on, new business owners generally make an effort to become part of every activity—if not at its center. Placing their mark on every service and product ensures that ownership is knowledgeable and involved. It is also an excellent quality-control tool that allows the founder to demonstrate procedures to staff. And above all, it helps the owner refine the vision of the company, piece by piece.

Naturally, an interest in quality and procedural knowledge are valuable for all staff members. But as the company grows, micromanagement limits the owner’s ability to focus on developing relationships and soliciting clients. Relying on a well-trained staff to develop other staff, prioritize assignments and concentrate on delivery is a crucial step in company progress.

In many cases, entrepreneurs simply make it up as they go along, particularly in the early stages. Because of the demands on their time and the unpredicted scenarios all new business owners face, crisis control becomes second nature. In its infancy, the company relies on this skill to remain flexible and respond quickly to rapidly approaching deadlines and unscheduled client needs. At once adaptable and effective, crisis management techniques fortify a company when responsive action is needed most.

Unfortunately, this on-the-fly mentality can undermine growth. Accepting ‘crisis mode’ as business practice sends operating costs skyward because efficient methods are never developed and power is never transferred to another set of managers. As a result, workflow can become delayed or blocked. Energy and resources are pulled in too many directions, and everything grinds to a halt. And the biggest risk, of course, is company leaders becoming deluded into thinking completing projects, rather than generating revenue, equals success.

Commanding the Troops
Managers often like to make rules and set boundaries. In the beginning, this establishes guidelines for performance that can be comforting, or at least establish a standard. In many cases, this means control. Owners and managers often feel it incumbent upon them to maintain command. Extremely capable and armed with a take-charge attitude, many managers can become eager to demonstrate proper techniques and processes, directing the team from the ground.

Eventually, the manager needs to seek a higher command position. Instead of engaging in projects, detaching from production efforts can offer a better point of view. Commanding from a control tower can allow managers to better direct personalities, skills and resources that may not be seen from the ground.

The challenging—and usually engaging—personality that defines a successful manager can become his undoing if unable to change the rules. Changing management style seldom means caving to challenges to authority, though it may feel that way at first. Seeking to maintain order at the price of poor accounting and other sloppy work can cripple a company just as it is about to start peaking. The efforts of an owner to transition the role of management will be recognized and enable the company to prosper.

For many companies, taking the next step, breaking “the glass ceiling” and stepping toward continuous growth can be a difficult transition. But these growing pains are critical as owners seek to reshape their focus and redirect their energy. It involves letting go a little, sure, but that’s necessary for the company to make the leap to a higher level of organization and revenue. Remember, if not flexible enough, the management style that brings success can also take it away.

T.J. Tedesco is a “hands-on” marketing, sales, coaching and training consultant to the post press industry. He is the author of Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word, and Win Top-of-Mind Positioning, both published by GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.