A pattern we regularly observe as social purpose organisations grow is the tipping point between having only an Executive level team, and standing-up a Manager-level team.
It’s not always easy to know when the time is right, and it takes commitment to the change management required to successfully establish this new team. But we see great outcomes when it is done well.
Here’s three key contributors to success:
- Within the Executive team explore and test your assumptions and resistances around standing up a Management team. Risks of not establishing this team when it is needed include inadequate problem solving, decision bottlenecks, lack of cohesion, missed development opportunities and organisational siloing.
- Provide the Management team with meaningful and skilled support to shape their role, without the Executive team present. Value they might consider includes providing a space for an operational focus including around resource allocation, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, empowerment in problem solving, and talent development.
- Intentionally decide how and when the two teams will come together, addressing the need for strategic alignment, effective communication flows and integrated planning.
If you’re wondering whether this might be relevant to your organisation, we’d be very happy to talk.