So, you’re a leader in a fast growth company.  That’s heady stuff, but it’s also filled with potential obstacles.  There is so much to do, things are changing all the time, new clients bring new challenges.  You know what they say – new level, new devil.

But here’s the deal – you, as the leader have to be sure that the company is getting the highest level of productivity and commitment from your team.  You have to be sure they are motivated.  You have to make sure they are stretched, but not breaking.

And, to top it all off, you have to avoid those obstacles I mentioned.  The pitfalls that can slow down your growth, and bring your team to a screeching halt.

Oh, there’s a list.  But in this episode, I’m going to talk about the big 3.

First up (and I know you know this, so it’s just a reminder) – what got you here won’t necessarily get you there.  It’s a hard thing, but the reality is that all that change, and growth brings more responsibility; a need for larger, or a different skill set than you needed from your team in the past.  In a phrase – you’ll just need more.  And I don’t mean more work hours, you need smarter not harder.

You need more innovation, and experience and knowledge from your team.  You need to be comfortable delegating, and have confidence knowing that not only will the thing get done, it will be done well – and maybe even – better than you had imagined.  You need your team to (I say it all the time) bring something to the party.  Contribute.

And yes, sometimes it’s just a training gap.  Actually, that’s when it’s easy.  Because you can just provide more training and bring the person up to speed.

But, unfortunately, sometimes it’s a lot more than that.  Sometimes that person simply isn’t up to what you’re asking of them.  They don’t have the experience, or knowledge, or skill to get you what you need..

Now, I know it’s a VERY hard thing to say, and even harder to experience – realizing someone you have worked side by side with for maybe years, someone who was an early adopter, someone who bought into your dream when it was a mir twinkle – it’s awful to come to the realization that that person simply doesn’t fit the needs of their job anymore.

But remember a couple of things – first, as you continue to get frustrated because the job isn’t getting done, that person can feel your frustration.  Even if you never say a thing.  They know they are disappointing you.  And so they probably try harder, only to see that it’s not enough.  That makes them feel bad.  No one wants to think they aren’t making the grade.  It’s demoralizing, and saps your energy and enthusiasm.  So while you already know you aren’t happy, you have to keep in mind – they aren’t happy either.

And second – while the most obvious answer is to let them go – there are other alternatives.  Just because they can’t do the job you need, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be a tremendous help to a more senior person.  Your best option might be to bring someone in above them.

OK, yes that’s a hard pill for them to swallow – but if you manage it right, you get the best of all worlds.  You get the experience and chops you need in the job, the new person gets support from someone who knows the ropes, and your veteran team member stays with the team.

The next pitfall is waiting too long to hire for capacity.

Small businesses face this all the time.  I don’t want to hire until I have the revenue coming in, but by the time the revenue is coming in, everyone is stretched beyond their limit and we have massive capacity issues.