Ignite Your Company's Intelligence: Hire Professional Managers

The second phone call came a week after the first. I had explained on the first call that we really weren't hiring right now. I was a bit surprised when I was told who was on the line. The thought that ran through my head was one of irritation -- now what?

By the time I hung up, I had agreed to a face-to-face meeting. They were going to be in the area next week as her husband was being transferred from New York to Denver and could she stop by?

That chance meeting led to one of the most strategic and beneficial hires I had ever made. In my office, she explained to me that we needed her. That she had followed our growth from a distance and even though creatively we were considered one of the best shops around, she could take us to that next level. She did.

As I reflect back on my hesitation in making this critical hire, in hindsight, I know I was worried about how I would handle someone that experienced. I think it's human nature to be a bit intimidated by someone who knows more than you do.

Stage 4, with 35 to 57 staff, is called the Professional Stage. (The 7 Stages of Growth identify the stages a company moves through as they add employees) This is the time you need to focus on hiring or promoting and training to get experienced managers who have been there, done that or who want to learn this valuable skill. Your company has outgrown your ability to keep all those balls in the air.

An experienced manager will come to the table understanding the need for operational processes and more importantly, how to implement them. They are experienced in how to handle the people side of your business. They can create and effectively manage project teams. They know how to budget, schedule and address client issues.

This is the time, as a leader, that you want to surround yourself with capable people who will share your vision, your passion and bring a different expertise to your company.

Stage 4 Leadership Rules of the Road 35 to 57 employees:

Rule #1: Hire or effectively train professional department managers who are responsible, accountable and proactive.
-- define clear roles and responsibilities for all department manager positions
-- meet weekly to support department manager's commitment to reach their goals
-- reward them when they demonstrate proactive signs of leadership

Rule #2: Create strong performance-driven department fiefdoms that compete with each other.
-- have each department establish clear, measurable goals and objectives that show up in performance reviews
-- have each department hold weekly meetings centered around key health indicators for their department
-- have each manager establish, get approved and manage their department's budget

Rule #3: Allocate 5 to 10% of gross revenues to identification, acquisition and implementation of new systems.
-- identify key systems required to sustain enterprise health and improved performance
-- research and acquire key systems
-- organize and execute the implementation of those key systems

Rule #4: Identify and set in place with management team the company's core master processes.
-- identify the top 10 to 15 master processes needed to create and sustain the company's health
-- design, document and refine those top 10 to 15 master processes
-- implement and make the necessary improvements to the top 10 to 15 master processes

Rule #5: Establish a strict company project management template.
-- research and design a clear, consistent process to manage internal projects
-- train all management staff on the project management template
-- communicate and train all staff on project management template

In every stage of growth, there are 3 Gates of Focus: revenue/profit, people and process. These three gates of growth help create a functional way to address every single issue that occurs within a company. For a Stage 4 company, the Process Gate is top priority.

When a company moves into Stage 4, establishing key processes that will provide you a foundation of growth is critical. Remember, the old adage that says if you have time to do it over again, you had time to do it right the first time.

If you ignore Stage 4 rules of the road, I'll guarantee you'll be gearing up for a do-over sooner than later!

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