Why is a Strong Management Structure important?
Now, this topic is what I like to call, a no-brainer. Although, it’s something that needs to be addressed quite early on. A strong management structure is crucial as it’s the infrastructure that guides you through success, especially with accelerated growth. As Acceler8me offers HR consulting services we’ve decided to put together a blog post on the importance of a strong management structure.
If you want to build a successful business you will need to establish the standard, your staff need to know how to grow the business with you. Be investable and create value in your business, don’t just make it all about the owner/director. Too often enough owner managers hit walls because they want to retire and/or exit but find their businesses are all about themselves, without direction and standards set this could lead to your business being directed down a different path. You want to be able to trust that your business won’t fall apart if you happen to go on holiday.
However, if you create a strong management structure then the business is being run on the backs of others who are hopefully well paid, valued and, because of the structure, are now replaceable individuals.
If you’re reading that and thinking “Oh, crap, I have created a business all about me” then it’s time to reevaluate your goals and standards. A business should revolve around its customers/clients, the service is what people need to remember it by, not the owner.
Let’s look at an example, say you hired a new member of staff if you had no management structure it would take you weeks of wasted time training them. Create a business where the standard speaks in the service, they should be instantly aware of the standard of work that is expected of them. Clear responsibilities need to be defined, with a standard that is met continuously. Honestly, this will truly help in the long run. Think about it, your business is being run exactly the way you wanted it to, with the standards you set, and is soaring in revenue, why not retire right there and then?!
A business owner can’t run a business forever, it’s just human nature, but that doesn’t mean that your business can’t run forever. If you have a strong management structure your business is more than likely to sustain itself because of the work put in by your team towards a succession plan that you envisioned for the future.
Don’t close yourself off by not letting your team in on the future plans, be transparent and gain help from all angles that you can. You might think you’re the star of the show, but at the end of the day, even Alan Sugar has a strong team behind him.
I’m well aware that business owners don’t like to think about this but, what about when things go wrong? Sorry to say, but they can do. If you have a strong team behind you who can help you come up with crisis plans or implement procedures so things can’t go wrong in the first place. They will think of things and bring in more resources that will help you in the long run. Plus, brainstorming meetings are highly effective when covering all the avenues that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own, such as policies, government regulations, customer needs, economy, public interest etc.
Let think about this is a logical sense too, although it may seem expensive at first to maintain, they reduce your operating cost and save you money in the long run.
I talk about this a lot but it’s something that I truly believe in, staff will work harder if they feel valued. You can read my article here about (What is staff efficiency and why is it important? LINK). In summary, having an efficient, hard-working, loyal team increases productivity, allows them to be target-oriented and helps them see the business as their own.
Too often enough I witness entrepreneurs who forget what the business is about. It’s perfectly normal to become, in a way, protective over your business but the sooner you realise that not everybody is against you the better. This may not be something that you want to think about right now, especially when just starting out, but every entrepreneur should think about what they are leaving behind once they’ve gone. A perfect example of this would be huge chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, and Apple, they all have one thing in common: they’re built on a strong management structure and will continue forever, without the original director.
This shouldn’t be confused with just having a good management team, it’s about the infrastructure of this standard of the business that should be upheld at all times throughout time.
A good way to start building your management structure would be to think about where you see yourself in 20 years, are you still working for the company? If not, and then who is running your company? You won’t want to just pass on your business to any Tom, Dick and Harry, the only way entrepreneurs feel confident that they can pass on the baton is if they have built the management structure themselves. This way, your goals, vision and reputation will be upheld when you’re gone, and your business will, therefore, live forever.
Get in touch if you need more information regarding building your management structure. Every structure is different, depending on the area and stage of the business. Our professional team can work with you to develop, strategize and create the infrastructure you need to keep your business soaring.
Brad Channer,
Director, Acceler8me.