In most companies, the success of a manager depends entirely on the success of the team. As you hire employees for your business team, you must find the size that works best for your company. In doing so, you can ensure that work gets done efficiently and that each team member is sufficiently challenged.
As a management professional, team building is arguably your most important responsibility. When you choose people with complementary skills and assemble them into a team of the right size, your everyday work is considerably easier. For many managers, the size of the business team is the most challenging aspect of the team-building process.
When it comes to building a business team, size is crucial. On a team that is too small, members will be overworked and unable to handle the workload. As a result, they may become frustrated, stressed, and burnt out. Managing teams that are too small is also a difficult process that may compromise your ability to lead. When you have a team that is too big, the opposite can happen: team members won't have enough to do, which can result in boredom and a loss of motivation.
The size of a business team also depends on the skills you need to complete each project. If you are managing a creative team, for example, you might need people who are skilled in Web design, programming, photography, illustration, and writing. When it comes to managing teams, it is crucial that your group is big enough to contain all of the skills you need on a daily basis. Otherwise, you may encounter situations when your team's knowledge gap causes delays, bottlenecks, or poor performance.
As you build your team, consider group dynamics. In business environments that require a great deal of communication and collaboration, smaller teams are often more effective because they can share information quickly with the whole group. If you handle projects that are more segmented and require less communication, a large team is a suitable solution, and, according to Business Insider, teams of all sizes need high-performing individuals who can motivate the rest of the group to work harder.
While you are finding the balance between small and large teams, it is often best to start small. Survey the tasks in your current and future workload and estimate the number of people it will take to complete the projects successfully. When in doubt, go with a smaller number of people. If you are building a business team to handle a rush project or to work with a crucial new client, aim for a larger team. Otherwise, you run the risk of falling behind schedule or producing subpar work.
The process of building a business team takes time but is well worth the effort in the end. By taking time to select team members carefully, you can improve performance and create a pleasant working environment for everyone involved.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!