Unfortunately, there is the common problem of managers being
control-freaks, forcing all processes to run through them – sometimes, this
bottlenecks workflow, and causes the company to move sluggishly or break
down. Another similar but far more subtle problem is
when management limits the emotional excitement of the company and excludes
their team.
Today, I’m spending the day setting up our new Brantford
office. It’s an exciting time, because
it means growth and prosperity for our company.
And it would be very typical for me as an employer to speak to clients
and potential clients about it. However,
all that positive emotional energy is wasted if it isn’t shared with the
employees who made it possible to grow, or giving them some input and control
over the growth of the company.
I’m happy to say that our new Brantford branch was the unplanned
brainchild of our staff – we were growing at a quick clip and had quickly grown
to capacity at our Cambridge branch, and our Pointe-Claire office was struggling
to accept more assignments – so in one of our team meetings discussing the
enviable problem of too much business flowing in, we discussed options. Some suggestions in our meeting included co-opting
another 4000 square feet in the office building in Cambridge we occupy, parachuting
staff into Pointe-Claire to help with growth, and several other options, before
a contingent of our staff who commute from Brantford suggested a local branch
in their local town 35 km away. This
wasn’t part of our long-term business plan, as we have a projected branch in
Sarnia for 2015, but it was a sound suggestion that would deal with our
immediate needs -- aside from the cost of commercial office space being low,
Brantford has a number of collection and call centre businesses and experienced
staff to draw from, and it was close enough to launch quickly.
Members of our team not only suggested the idea, they canvassed
real estate agencies, found the office, and set the appointment to view the
location that we ultimately acquired. Naturally,
they are excited that we are opening this office, and not just for the reduced
commute to work, but because they are emotionally invested in the company. One of Receivables Managers making the move
is Cheryl Fraser, and she has been with
the company since we launched the Cambridge office three years ago. This has a definite sense of déjà vu for her
and myself. We haven’t segmented the
Brantford office, or parachuted in an arbitrary manager from outside – that would
be totally out of the question, because it wouldn’t capture the enthusiasm and
commitment of Cheryl and other members of our team.
So, once all the networking is done, the furniture is
delivered, and everything is tested, we’ll be moving our Brantford staff to the
new location, and giving them the challenge of managing our third branch. It’s an exciting time for us as a company,
but it’s especially exciting for the people who brainstormed and launched the
idea, and are being given the reigns to make something great in the city of
Brantford. Rather than isolate this
project to the directors of the company, it’s being handed mostly in total to
the team.
While not all managers or business owners reading this blog
are having the unique launching new office locations, I’d be happy to talk
about team building and emotionally rewarding team members, and allowing
positive change and agile management by individuals. Feel free to drop me a
line or an email to talk.
Thanks kindly,
Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer
KINGSTON Data and Credit
Cambridge, Ontario
226-946-1730
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