How to improve your satellite leadership and management
Establishing a company culture is a long process that takes continuous effort to embed it. It is easiest when everyone works in the same place but in an organisation with physically disparate teams, it can be difficult for a culture to take hold and even more difficult to sustain it.
Here we look at four habits for you to adopt for effective satellite management.
- The process plants the seeds
For any company culture to take hold, there has to be an agreed way of working. Everyone needs to understand it and there has to be consistency in its implementation. There can be some latitude from departments or regions in how the detail of the process is executed, but it has to feel like one company with one way of working before you can successfully create a company culture. Get your processes clear.
- Walk the floor
In large organisations, it can be difficult for CEOs to be visible, but it’s an effort worth making. A regular walk through your departments can lead to interesting conversations and opportunities for improvement. If you physically are separated from all your teams, make sure the management in those areas takes the time to walk the floor. For all your offices, schedule in regular visits for yourself too. This ensures that you are seen evangelising about the future and the vision for the organisation – demonstrating your authenticity and belief that it is the right way forward. Being visible to everyone in your organisation helps get your vision across more than the occasional ‘email edict from above.’
- Sweat the small stuff
Although it is a manager’s job to focus on the bigger, long-term strategic issues, often it’s the small stuff that can trip up entire organisations and can get in the way of people feeling like part of a larger team. Small daily niggles like car parking, communal kitchens and office temperature can fall between the cracks in terms of who is responsible but they affect the morale of entire teams. When a senior manager from another floor/department/region steps in to address small but critical issues, it sends out a positive message about the priorities of the company.
- Don’t force it
Putting a table tennis table in the break room does not make your office a great place to work. Good HR, clear vision, regular open communications, fair treatment and enjoyable roles have more of a part to play in establishing a good company culture than trendy gimmicks. Put the foundations down first, then stand back and let the team build on them.
By implementing these four techniques into your managerial strategy, you can improve your role as a leader company-wide.