Managing a team is never easy. When you start growing your company, things get even harder. How do you balance the needs of the entire organization while keeping everyone happy?
At the start of your field service business, it might just be you and one other person, but as you continue to grow, you’ll probably start to have a larger team. However, the management styles between a 10 person team, and even a 50 person team can be very different. If you work with a small team, you will likely find that each member works best when given the freedom to tackle projects outside of his or her job description. This makes teamwork more effective. When working with a large team, you need to consider everyone’s needs. Sometimes, this may mean that managers should delegate specific tasks based on what members can handle rather than simply giving them all the same tasks. While hiring more employees is a good idea, it also brings some organizational difficulties.
As team size increases, it becomes harder to manage every single aspect of the project. A bigger team means having to deal with new issues and challenges. Managing a large team requires a certain degree of patience and diplomacy. If you aren’t careful, you’ll burn out or sabotage your own relationship with other team members. How do you handle these larger teams? What should you keep in mind when you manage such teams?
Here are some key points to consider when you run a larger team after previously running a smaller team:
1. Smaller teams have fewer members so communication tends to be easier and less formal. The smaller size makes it possible for everyone to work closely together and make decisions right away. Larger organizations also can have numerous levels of management that add additional layers of bureaucracy. Therefore, it becomes much more difficult to communicate effectively throughout such organizations.
2. Because there are fewer people involved, decision-making tends to become more informal. When more people are in conversation, it becomes harder to come out with a clear idea of who wants what and why. This can lead to confusion among participants, and ultimately poor decision-making. That said, one advantage of smaller groups is that they tend to create a tighter bond because they know each other better.
3. Working with small teams can often be more motivating and fun. Some people like working by themselves, some enjoy working in groups, and others thrive off of teamwork. Regardless of how you prefer working, it’s good to mix things up every now and again. Working in a group gives individuals the chance to learn from each other’s styles and perspectives.
4. Managing a larger organization tends to give people power over others. People usually want to see themselves as being “above” others, and therefore leaders are seen as superior to subordinates. Managers need to be aware of this dynamic and find ways to counteract it if needed.
5. Large organizations tend to lack structure and focus at all levels of the chain of command. One consequence of this is that people don’t always know whom to go to for information or help. Another problem arises from the fact that people often spend too much time focusing on personal issues instead of taking care of their job responsibilities.
6. Decisions made by multiple people in an organization take longer than those made by just one person. Thus, it can be beneficial to break down complex issues into smaller pieces and assign them to individual people. In addition, smaller groups tend to require less communication than larger ones.
7. A good manager has to manage every aspect of his or her team. To increase productivity, communication, efficiency, etc., the manager has to organize his/her time efficiently. The size of the team you’re managing affects how much time you spend on each task. Thus, managers have to adjust their management style depending on the number of people they’re working with.
Tips on Transitioning Your Management Style From a Small Team To A Large Team:
1. Be patient – When first starting out in a small team, you will need to be more directive than if you had a large team. You may feel like you need to take control at times, but over time you will gain confidence in your team members. It takes time to develop trust with your team, so be patient!
2. Provide clear expectations – As previously mentioned, in a small team you will want to direct your actions. Provide clear expectations with your team members before you hand them work. Explain what success looks like, give examples of what is expected, talk about how often they should check-in, etc. If you don’t clearly define what is required by your team, they will not know where to focus their efforts. So make sure that everyone has a good understanding of what needs to get done and who does what.
3. Be available – In smaller teams, it’s important that every member feels supported by their peers, especially since they’ve been in the trenches together. One of the best ways to show support is to provide frequent feedback to help them improve. Don’t wait until things go wrong or someone gets into trouble before giving feedback; instead, help ensure that you all stay focused and keep moving forward.
4. Give ownership – Give your employees ownership of their jobs. Letting them handle the situation themselves will allow them to focus on being successful without always having to rely on outside assistance. They can manage the problem themselves and even turn it around. Plus, they will learn more by handling situations themselves.
5. Focus on solving problems rather than getting mad – Employees are human beings too, and mistakes happen. Don’t look at each mistake that happens as an opportunity to reprimand someone. Instead, think of these opportunities as chances to solve the issue. You can still address the issue after it occurs, but you mustn’t let it affect your relationship with your team. Remember, people will try to avoid doing something bad, not because they’re trying to hide it. So just forget about it. Focus on the solution, not the failure.
6. Work hard, play harder – While working toward your goals is most important, remember that life isn’t always fair. There will likely be instances in which you aren’t able to achieve 100% of everything you hope to accomplish. For example, sometimes your customers won’t behave properly towards you. Rather than letting this discourage you, use it as motivation to do even better next time.
7. Keep expectations realistic – It is easy for a manager to get tunnel vision while managing a team. Make sure that your expectations remain reasonable, and don’t set yourself up for disappointment. If you expect the impossible from your team, then they will feel entitled to meet those unrealistic demands. Everyone knows that no one else is perfect. As a leader, you need to know when you fail and when you succeed. Clear expectations and standards allow everyone to understand what’s expected but also allow you to own your failures without feeling embarrassed.
8. Embrace change – A successful company must constantly be adapting to new technologies or changing market demands. Many companies have failed when they haven’t changed along with the times, and many others succeed simply through adaptability. Look for areas where your company can grow and evolve.
9. Reward and recognize great work – Great managers recognize the value of their employees’ contributions. This may mean awarding prizes, offering bonuses, or providing extra benefits. However, making sure that your recognition comes quickly (i.e., within 24 hours) avoids giving praise based purely on performance, and makes it more meaningful. Recognition also needs to be frequent enough to make an impression on workers such that they continue to perform well in the future.
10. Make management visible – Effective leaders have open doors so that subordinates can come to them directly if they need help. It takes little effort to ask how something should be done, why it was decided the way it was, or what other options were considered. No one expects you to fix every problem that happens. But there is a difference between accepting blame and taking responsibility. Accepting blame means you’re not willing to accept any responsibility; instead, you place the blame elsewhere. Taking responsibility means accepting some level of accountability for things that went wrong.
When you’ve run a small team for so long, managing a large team can be hard at the beginning. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to delegate authority to others. It’s okay to admit mistakes. Mistakes happen and learning from these mistakes is part of being a good manager. The key is to learn from the mistakes and keep moving forward! Change is difficult, but if you transition slowly, and make communication with your crew clear, a larger team can help your business be even more profitable than it already was. Get out of your comfort zone, because it can lead to a more successful business!
