Stephanie Allen’s Post

Monday share: I collaborate with founders and teams along different growth stages. It is what excites me and challenges me, especially when I am not in a traditional, day-to-day operator setting. This position helps examine problems and opportunities with a big picture mindset (or bird's eye view if you will - plug Bird-Eye Consulting 😉. Often the discussions are difficult, but lead to insightful conversations.. thought I'd share a few snippets from recent ones minus any company names. - Determining #investment/M&A related decisions : How tired are you? How humble are you? Would you be open to a change in your schedule, benefits, LinkedIn title, etc., in order to scale effectively? - Determining strategic #hiring decisions: Is this vacuum resulting in loss of potential revenue? Have you quantified/qualified this in short-term, long-term? Can this hire bring in momentum and excitement for existing staff members? Are we linking this to retention and overall employee happiness? - Determining #partnerships: Is this an effective partnership or a continued dependency? Have you identified #successmetrics, #exitstrategies? Have these partnerships impacted your #valuation/ability to attract investments? Also, #smallbusiness owners - can I just vent about how hard this grind is? Back to point one.. wow, so tiring but we move forward! Let me know if anything here resonates with you or if you just identify with Elaine...

Growth doesn't happen by accident. Hiring high-performing growth teams doesn't happen by accident either. Next week, we're publishing a white paper that serves as a roadmap for how to hire a growth team based on a company's stage. As a preview, I wanted to share the reasons why we recommend centralized growth teams (multiple levels reporting to a head of growth) rather than decentralized growth teams (decision-making spread across multiple employees or teams). The benefits of a centralized growth team are: 1️⃣ Aligned Priorities: With a centralized team, there's a unified understanding of the company's objectives. This alignment ensures that every effort is directed towards common goals, promoting cohesion and efficiency. 2️⃣ Self-Sufficiency: A centralized growth team is empowered to manage its projects from inception to completion. This independence fosters a strong sense of ownership and accountability, leading to more impactful outcomes. 3️⃣ Customized Processes: Tailored workflows and development lifecycles are the backbones of a centralized team, enabling rapid execution and innovative problem-solving. 4️⃣ Agile Reprioritization: In the startup landscape, the ability to quickly adjust focus is crucial. A centralized team can pivot in response to changing needs or market conditions, ensuring the organization stays ahead of the curve. Our white paper dives deeper into this topic and many others related to hiring a growth team. 👀 Stay tuned for the release next week! In the meantime, if building a growth team has been a challenge for your organization, or if you're seeking support to strengthen your team in the new year, the Aux Insights team is here to help. Get in touch with me so we can find time to talk about growth team hiring at your organization or across your portfolio. #marketing #digitalmarketing #growth #growthmarketing #pe #privateequity

I had an insightful chat with a founder who was grappling with the challenges of scaling—both in terms of team growth and hiring speed. The dilemma? Whether managers are pushing for more staff due to pressure, or whether there's a genuine need that can't be met by optimizing current processes. We arrived at a key insight: sometimes it's smarter to pump the brakes on hiring. Instead, scrutinize your operations for potential efficiency gains. However, this approach comes with its own risks—overburdening your current team, which could lead to attrition or burnout. A preventive measure is to establish a set of guiding questions for managers to consider before opening a new role. Questions like: - Is the current team fully utilised? - Are they focused on what is most important? - Can our processes and workflows be optimised further? - How will the new hire impact existing workloads? - Is the new role in alignment with our strategic direction? By answering these questions, managers can make more informed decisions that serve the company’s long-term growth without sacrificing team well-being. Comment or DM if you've faced similar challenges in scaling your team, and how you've navigated them. #ScalingChallenges #EfficientHiring #TeamWellbeing #StrategicGrowth #ManagementInsights

⚠️ Warning: This post might just change your approach to team growth forever ⚠️ This is the one graphic you need to see to understand why a lean team is the ultimate game-changer. If your big team feels overwhelming, or if you have a small team and you’re considering hiring (especially if it's because you think you should)... Stop what you're doing, and check this out. Every new hire to your team adds more lines of communication, making things even more complex. So before you expand, ensure there's a real need, and consider embracing a lean team for peak efficiency and impact. How do you manage the balance between team size and efficiency? Share your experiences or any tips you have for maintaining a lean and effective team! 👇 STM Consultancy #TeamTransformation #SmartHiring #EfficiencyExpert #ScalingSmart #BossBabe #LeadershipTips #WorkplaceWisdom #StrategicGrowth #WomenEntrepreneur #FemaleFounder #Consultancy #FractionalCOO #COO #Operations #People #Hiring #Communication #TeamCommunication #CommunicationLines #TeamHiring #ServiceProvider #Coach #AgencyOwner #EntrepreneurLife #EntrepreneurLifestyle

Enhance efficiency to fortify internal capabilities. Elevate the team's mindset to transcend singular tasks, fostering growth into expansive strategic planning and revenue growth. The trail looks dry today, yet I've likely been in your muddy shoes—and dare-I-admit in the weeds. ;) With 17 years of corporate experience leading in-house creative teams and 18 at the helm of Callosum, Clare understands the challenges of budget allocation, talent growth, and maximizing resources. If you have hired an entry-level or mid-level marketing team member yet don't have the skill set to grow them, let's talk. #chiefstrategyofficer #chiefcreativeofficer #outdoorindustry #strategy #humanresources

One of the few important things founders need to do is recruit the right people. And “right” means different for different companies. Here’s a framework that I’ve found helps: 1/ Mission Define a mission for the role. If you’re hiring a VP of Technology, is it to better your current version of the product or is it to add more features? Or is it to make a new product altogether? Be clear with what you want as a board and make it crystal clear in your job description. You do not want to be wasting your time making an incorrect hire or their time by setting the wrong expectations. 2/ Outcomes Second, defining a fixed set of quarterly, bi-annual, and annual outcomes gives both you and the new hire a clear roadmap on how fast things should be moving. For the previous VP of Technology example, the following can be a few outcomes: - Move the complete technology piece in-house in the next 12 months - Launch the beta version 2.0 in the next 3 months - Gather feedback and finalise the version 2.0 in the next 6 months Once the mission and outcomes are defined, give them the autonomy to operate the way they wish to. Set monthly performance milestones to measure progress and analyse how things are moving. I am yet to meet a founder who said that setting expectations from the get go was totally useless.

How are you making decisions in your family right now? Are you collaborating with your spouse? Are you praying over your next steps? Are you putting your children first? How are you making decisions in your business right now? Are you making desperate, urgent hires?  Are you being reactive to the market? Are you encouraging feedback from your team? However you are making decisions matters, and it makes a difference.

Ever wondered if you have a ‘Unicorn Employee’ in your midst and what exactly do they bring to the table? These rare gems possess unique qualities that set them apart and drive exceptional success, so let’s take time in celebrating them as we kickstart the week!   1. Passionate Enthusiasm: They radiate energy and are deeply passionate about their work 2. Innovative Thinking: They consistently come up with creative solutions and think outside the box 3. Problem-Solving Mastery: Challenges excite them, and they excel at finding efficient solutions 4. Positive Influence: Their attitude uplifts the team, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment 5. Relentless Drive: They go above and beyond, driven by a commitment to excellence Unicorn employees are the heartbeat of innovation and growth in any organization and Cross Merge Services Inc. specializes in finding these for you. Let us help you discover the exceptional talent that will take your team to the next level   #UnicornEmployees #Hiring #StaffingSolutions #TalentAcquisition #RecruitmentExperts #TeamSuccess #Innovation

Scaling a business often means scaling the team. But what if there was a way to optimize talent and resources without compromising growth or breaking the bank? Imagine sharing a marketing manager (or other roles) across 2 or 3 companies. By pooling resources, businesses could access a wider range of skills and expertise without the hefty price tag of a full-time hire. Could this be the solution to scaling challenges? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences! #scalingbusiness #workforceoptimization #marketing #talentmanagement

Small business owners, beware of the allure of the big corporate pedigree! As you scale, your first C-Suite hire should not merely be someone cloaked in institutional knowledge. While that has its place, your business needs more. Your team is hands-on and your processes are still evolving. You need a leader who can roll up their sleeves and help build those systems from the ground up. The value of talent is not gauged by the size of the company they've worked for. It's about skills - both hard and soft, the ability to execute, and a high degree of autonomy. The person who is accustomed to a world with endless resources and a large team might be ill-equipped to adapt to an environment where delegation isn't always an option. So, don't overpay for a shiny corporate background. Instead, seek someone who can thrive in your unique environment. The right fit will be worth their weight in gold. Remember, it's not always about where they come from - it's about where they can take you. Invest in talent that aligns with your vision and growth trajectory, not just their past experience. #Talent #Growth #Team #Scaling #Hiring #Strategy #SmallBusiness