Does this feel familiar?
You know you're the bottle neck to growth but don't know what to do about it
Everything feels like a priority and you and your team are drowning and there are not enough hours in the day
You know you need to grow your team, but it feels like you need that one next person to do 7 roles
Get Clear on Expectations
It’s easy to get into the mode where the “norm” has become operating in chaos, reacting to and handling one situation after the other. Basically, flying by the seat of your pants!
Then you take refuge in doing what you love (often that’s the serving-your-client part of your business or maybe it’s the sales part and spreading the word about your business) and all that “operational, running the business part” can be pushed aside for a bit.
What successful businesses understand, is just as you invest time and thought into having an Annual Sales Plan, Marketing Plan or Strategic Plan, a People Plan is essential to help manage your growth.
A People Plan helps you disrupt the reactionary cycle and moves you into proactive action.
Deciding to develop a People Plan
Creates a framework to move your team forward (training, development, promotion opportunities, succession planning, etc)
Gives you a clearer picture of the best next role to hire
Provides transparency on who is doing what work, for both you and your team
Helps identify pressure points, so you avoid the pitfalls of scaling up.
Most importantly, you get clear on the true “state of the union” and it prioritizes the strategic thinking around your team so that when a problem inevitably arises (and it always does) you are prepared and can make faster, more confident decision.
At our core, leaders truly want to develop a cohesive, values driven team. We want our people’s strengths aligned with their work. We want to create a great place to work with a loyal team. And yet, we can miss the simplest things to do because we’re too busy. We overlook problems with alignment (duplication of effort, missed responsibilities, finger pointing, miscommunication, etc.), because we’re so busy reacting to the day-to-day work.
Of course a People Plan that puts focus on your team makes sense for the bottom line too. Turnover is expensive and stressful. After the last couple of years of turmoil and higher turnover rates, it’s undeniable that your team is essential. While the reasons are evolving, the trend of employees quitting for the next opportunity, may trickle into 2023. In a recent survey (from HR management software provider isolved), almost half of employees (49%) say they plan to explore their options next year – that’s up 4 percent since last year. With the uncertainty of a recession looming, people are looking for stability (higher salary, good working environment, more flexibility, etc). If you have the idea that you need to be paying more attention to this part of your business - don’t delay. This is the time.
Having a People Plan starts with a conscious decision and then is an ever-evolving process. Good intentions are not enough. As we all know, day-to-day pressures can be overwhelming. Taking the time to create a plan gives you the structure to make and keep your people a priority.
Let me know what resonated for you. Do you have a ‘People Plan’? Have you reviewed it for 2023?
In partnership,
Andrea Infelt Almaraz
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