| THE NUMBER ONE RULE, THE BIG ONE | | | | and have to manage all these guys too. You have a |
| The number one rule with organisation charts is make | | | | partner who makes the "stuff" - she's in charge of |
| sure you have one before you need one. Okay too | | | | Operations. So, your org chart needs to have you at |
| late - but still, today is better than tomorrow, and | | | | the top (as Shareholder), then another box |
| this week is a lot better than next year. Why? Well | | | | immediately below with you again (MD or CEO). So |
| the organisation chart isn't really about empowering | | | | now there are two boxes with the MD (you) |
| the organisation. What?!? That's right - its about | | | | reporting to the shareholder(s). |
| empowering yourself to let go, to delegate, and | | | | Out to the side of the MD box you need the Sales |
| most importantly to delegate well. Sounds good - or | | | | Director (okay you again!) and the Operations |
| at least it ought to. If you aren't focussed on letting | | | | Director (your business partner), plus a box for |
| go then ask yourself two serious questions? | | | | Finance Director (yes - you again). Then under Sales |
| 1. Why are you running your own business? To make | | | | Director you want the Sales Manager (yes you) and |
| money of course, but surely you want freedom too. | | | | then under this you can start to put your sales team |
| Freedom to do what you want to do, when you | | | | (note - if one of them does maybe some selling and |
| want to do it. You aren't building a business for | | | | marketing, or is also the product manager say, you |
| someone else - it is there for you - so lets make | | | | should give him/her more than one box too). You |
| sure we get what we want. | | | | repeat this for your Marketing team (under the |
| 2. How are you going to build this business if | | | | marketing manager - you again) and the Ops team, |
| everything it does is reliant on you? | | | | finance team etc. |
| SO LETS GET STARTED | | | | WHY ALL THESE EMPTY BOXES? |
| Think big | | | | Well, take a look at the chart you have just drawn. |
| Building an organisation chart is easier than you think | | | | Now you know where you are going in BUILDING A |
| it is. But, don't waste your time building one for the | | | | BUSINESS and being able to DELEGATE to others. |
| current organisation, at its current size with its | | | | Somehow, in growing the business you need to find |
| current staff. You need to think forward to the sort | | | | a Sales Manager and eventually a Sales Director, etc. |
| of structure and organisation that you will want when | | | | etc. Only by filling these positions will you be able to |
| the business is two, three, five times bigger. Sure | | | | build a successful business that doesn't entirely |
| that means more boxes than people, but that's what | | | | revolve around you doing all the work (and hence |
| we want. | | | | having no time to build the business - the classic |
| THE EMPTY BOXES | | | | trap!). |
| When you create the organisation chart, create | | | | ONE FINAL PROBLEM |
| boxes for staff who you don't have yet. This is the | | | | One problem I see everyone struggle with, is the |
| most important bit! You'll see why shortly, but first an | | | | difference between Managers and Directors. What is |
| example to make things clear. | | | | the real difference? do we need both? Well you'll |
| AN EXAMPLE USUALLY MAKES THING CLEARER: | | | | have to wait for a future article on that one. But I've |
| For example, lets say you run the business and have | | | | enjoyed writing this one so I hope to get onto that |
| day to day responsibility for managing sales, | | | | subject before too long. I'll also be tackling Job |
| marketing and finance - you have a few sales staff | | | | descriptions too - a bit of a natural follow-on from |
| and a marketing guy but do the invoicing yourself | | | | this article. |