Step One
Hiring and Training
Keep company growth top of mind and make sure you have a pipeline of new leaders who can respond to a growing company.
When hiring, look for character, work ethic, and cultural fit over skill set and experience. For existing hires, train most employees in ALL departments and evaluate for future growth potential:
- Have them work side by side with the best in the department.
- See if they can contribute and communicate new ideas in multiple areas.
- Get feedback on these future leaders from current employees.
Step Two
Set Common Goals
Shared goals build strong teams. Put everyone on the same page and create a culture that values input and growth.
- Meet with managers and departments to identify four goals for the year.
- Continue meeting and refining the list until everyone can recite them when asked.
- Focus on succeeding in a few areas, versus trying to do it all.
- Create accountability and teamwork: regularly ask and celebrate what each team member and department is doing (that day, week or month) toward one or all of the goals.
Step Three
KPI Management
Have each department review their data and determine which areas of the business they should be measuring and monitoring. You can track trends, areas of opportunity, challenges, and deviation from goals. Over time, you’ll go from senior managers asking questions and pointing out issues, to department leaders sharing relevant information and action plans.
Step Four
Personal Growth Development. Create constant opportunities for leadership.
- Use monthly meetings to introduce leadership concepts and challenge the team to grow their skills.
- Share resources related to leadership and manager development, from podcasts to short videos to inspirational quotes and leadership books.
- Subsequently have each manager run a meeting and present a new leadership topic.
- Continue to prioritize the cycle of leadership development by bringing new supervisors to the manager meetings.
