How to Groom a Strong #2
“To grow to the next level, my key managers—and myself as well—need to develop more of an executive mindset.”
As I talk with business owners about their barriers to growth, here‟s what I often hear:
“I‟m ready to make a big move, but I see that my top manager cannot be relied on to handle the operation while I focus on growth.” “I keep getting pulled back down into doing the job that I hired my high-salary Ops Manager to handle.” “She knows her stuff all right, but her leadership and communication style say, „I‟m not in charge.‟ Employees don‟t respect her.” “I‟m so caught up in the day to day, I can‟t devote the time needed to go after the new business I know is there.” “I‟m part of the problem. It‟s hard for me to hand these things off cleanly. Part of me wants to hold on.”
Do you hear yourself in any of these? As companies get to a certain size—maybe 15 or 25 or 50 employees— the owner sees that the way he or she is running the company is actually holding it back. The growth team— owner and top managers—need to think like executives, not just managers. They need an “executive mindset.
But how do you get this executive mindset?
5 Steps to an Executive Mindset
1. Have the Right Stuff. Make sure you have the right person. When we first launched this program, several owners quickly discovered that the person they had in the #2 job wasn‟t up to it. In short order, these managers either left or were fired. This may sound extreme. But remember, we entrepreneurs often operate in hope that our current people will step up to the higher challenge, and it‟s such a pain to replace someone. But you cannot attain your growth goals if you‟re held back by a manager‟s limitations. 2. Work on Yourself. You may be the barrier. For your top manager to move up, you also have to move up; otherwise you‟re still occupying the role you want them to take on. Moving from hands-on manager to strategic executive may be a tough transition for you as well. 3. Heroes can be Groomed. You may not have the perfect candidate. But if they have the right potential, you can groom them with the right training and coaching. Do their training in the context of their job. Set goals and targets, carrots and sticks, that are related to their new, upgraded job. 4. Provide Support and Systems. To master their new job, they must hand off a major chunk of their former responsibilities to someone one rung below them. Also, upgrade systems and procedures that allow them to use their time strategically. 5. Get a Coach, if you‟re not attuned to coaching someone for an executive position. You may need one yourself.