Writing for Strategy+Business, Eric J. McNulty discusses the importance of structuring your new company the right way. Drawing inspiration from Derek Lidow’s book Startup Leadership, McNulty offers the following tips:
• Never assign anyone to a job at which they are unlikely to succeed. McNulty comments: “This may seem obvious, but I’ve seen many organisations where people are moved into positions because of a predetermined career plan or because the firm is plugging who they have into a spot they need to fill.”
• The success of a reporting relationship is the responsibility of the supervisor. Underlings should not be blamed for their manager’s failures. The leader is responsible for recruiting the right people, setting clear expectations and objectives, acting as a role model and providing regular feedback. The best leaders see their job as removing obstacles to the success of those working under them.
• Do not design your organisation around certain individuals or personalities. All stakeholders should be given “a seat at the table and a voice in the process”, insists McNulty. He advises: “Empower everyone involved in the process to speak up in order to hold the group accountable to the organisational principles or give someone the job of representing the system rather than a particular component.”