Not the top, not the bottom: the first strategy for middle management

The First Strategy
Hire people in the middle who have aspirations, who want to grow and develop and are mobile. Thus you have leaders who are eager for opportunity. They are attracted to moving and working in a new location is attractive for them, and they are excited about establishing a new beachhead for the company.

Create a process in which, as one of its yearly goals and objectives, top leadership has to develop and take courses. In one company I worked with, if you could not demonstrate to the CEO that you had improved your skill set and thinking abilities in the last year, you were not eligible for a raise no matter how well you had performed. In another company, if you aspired to be a director, you had to get an MBA. These policies can supported a company in dramatically growing both revenue and profits.

For more information about CMI's process for improving your leadership team click here.

Building a G.R.E.A.T. Company

Components of Great Companies II

R: Revenue and Reflection. Revenues are central to any business. The reason great companies stand out is they generate a lot more revenue than their competition. Revenue can also mean (although not necessarily) that they generate profit. For many growing companies, profit can be elusive during the times when revenue must be put back into infrastructure and additional resources in order to grow. In great companies, revenue is understood by everyone, not just the top executives. All employees understand how revenue is generated and consumed. More important, each individual understands how he or she can increase and impact revenue.
Reflection is the planning piece. In great companies, long-term success is supported by some sort of disciplined business planning process that engages the leadership group. The leadership group regularly assesses where the company stands and what future they want to design. The leadership also provides an organized and focused way for problem solving and lessening the pain of growth. Early on, great companies establish and implement a formal annual planning process from which to design their growth. In other words, Reflection can lead to Revenue and long term success.

Want to create a wise and profitable culture in your company? Visit the CMI website to learn more.