Supporting growth: preparing managers for their new responsibilities
An experience from my own business: building an organisational structure, recognising a mistake and improving how managers are prepared for their roles.
Jérémy Meylemans · JM Conseils
Growth period: 2021 to the end of 2023
The context: a business growing rapidly
Between 2021 and the end of 2023, my business experienced strong growth. By the end of 2023, the team included 25 full-time employees and totalled 70 people when additional casual workers, flexi-job workers and temporary agency staff were included.
To support that growth, I introduced a reporting structure, defined decision-making authority and weekly meetings. That framework worked well.
full-time employees
people including casual, flexi-job and temporary agency workers
What I had not sufficiently anticipated
Leadership and management responsibilities were given to people who had been with the business from the beginning. Yesterday’s operational workers became managers: they knew the company and were very good at their jobs.
But leading a team in a business changing so quickly required skills they had not yet acquired.
My mistake was giving them those responsibilities without planning the training and support they needed.
Everything was moving quickly. I had structured the roles without sufficiently preparing people to take them on.
What I changed
Preparation for the role is now part of a manager’s onboarding package:
- A clear job description.
- Explicit responsibilities, obligations and limits of decision-making authority.
- Defined objectives and associated rewards.
- The training required for the role.
- One week of support, followed by one day per week until the manager can work independently.
What I observed
With this support, I observed managers becoming effective more quickly. Their confidence grew from the outset: they knew where they were going, what the business expected and which decisions they could make.
Their results also aligned more closely with the business’s expectations.
What this experience taught me
Giving someone responsibility also means giving them the means to fulfil it.
A job description provides reference points. Training develops skills. Follow-up helps people establish themselves in their role and become independent.
This experience shapes my work at JM Conseils today: helping business owners develop their organisation, responsibilities and team skills together.
Is your business growing and are roles changing?
Let’s discuss your organisation, your managers’ responsibilities and the questions you would like to clarify.