How to Manage a Growing Team

All businesses start from small teams. Sooner or later the desired progress arrives — a growing team is a clear sign — and it inevitably brings change. No matter how we welcome success, if it happens too fast there may be not enough time to adapt and restructure processes within your company swiftly. Let’s explore the main points on how to manage a rapidly growing team.

1. Explain the prospects and main objectives of the business to the new members of the team. By talking to people and making sure they get what you are saying, you will guarantee productive teamwork. The best investments are in people, professionals agree. It is crucial to allow new players to have a clear understanding of the current tasks and at the same time be fully aware of the big picture and the future of the company. You will boost their motivation and develop a sense of shared responsibility and credit for further success.
2. Starting a new job is always stressful. It is a challenge for new employees as they have to prove their skills and meet employer’s expectations. They find themselves in a completely new environment and they need to adapt to and look for ways to collaborate with new co-workers effectively — there is a lot to take in. If your team is growing fast, you need to make sure that everyone is apt for the position and help them disclose their true abilities and potential even at the initial stages of work. Aim for a win-win situation where your new employees understand their duties and tasks, and your business is not suffering. Provide new employees with a detailed job description and scope of work, define their role in the team and communicate your expectations. This will prevent misunderstandings and professional lapses in the future. Also, when newcomers have a clear vision of their role, they will be more confident with their first steps on the job and will integrate better with the rest of the team.
3. Implement convenient tools for management and communication. When you have to manage more than two employees management and communication tools are essential. Time tracker, for example, allows to view time spent on projects and tasks, so you can make informed decisions and manage the work of much bigger teams than you are used to. These tools also solve the problem of accountancy and planning, as you can adjust these tools to your needs. So, don’t panic, let more people on board!
4. Everybody hates meetings, however, they are mandatory for growing teams in particular. Co-workers have to be aware of who is doing what in the team, to know each other's deadlines, and feel like they are integral parts of one team. Have regular daily meetings or even meetings several times a day with different collaborative teams. Try to make them as productive as possible. They will continue to serve as a binding factor for your fast growing team even when you have to order more than two pizzas.
5. Plan and assess your resources realistically. It is crucial for business success to be one step ahead and start having interviews before a personnel gap occurs. It takes time and effort to find the right people that will make a great team. Think beyond resumes and ask candidates to do something instead of routinely going through the list of skills they have. Use trial periods to make sure you are going to hire the right people, observe how they behave in non-interview format, at lunch, for example. You need to make sure they’ll fit into the corporate culture. Select individuals, but keep the whole team in mind.

To sum up, all startups and small businesses have to be prepared for significant team growth that may come out of the blue and will mark a new chapter in their business. Most of this growth is not easy to forecast and manage, however, a number of sensible steps discussed above will provide a robust solution to the problem.

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