As Your Company Grows, So Should Your Management Style
June 2004

If you were to pick one essential quality that best describes your personality, what would it be? Sure, we all like to think of ourselves as "dynamic", "hardworking" and a "great leader". What do you think your employees would say - honestly? For many of us, "obsessive" and "stubborn" are probably just as accurate.

Graphic arts business leaders are often betrayed by the very top-dog personalities that brought them success. While a take-charge mentality is essential for managing a thriving company, it shouldn't come at the cost of flexibility and progress. Here are a few leadership strengths that can become weaknesses if not managed carefully:

Maintaining The Vision - The determination of graphic arts industry leaders to commit to a vision despite adversity can be the uniting energy for the company. Perseverance is vital to a young company's health, especially in challenging economic climates. But stubborn attitudes, when rewarded with success, frequently reinforce an infallibility possessed by no one. As the company expands, the founder may enter unfamiliar arenas and still be convinced of possessing superior knowledge tied to the company's direction. Placing trust in others is a major step in developing as a manager and as a company.

"My Way" Management - An executive's resolve to remain successful can buoy employees and improve the strength of the company. However, one manifestation of this determination may be that the executive insists that procedures and operations are handled "my way," - even after the scope of such tasks has grown beyond their ability to control. For example, the owner that insists on reviewing all estimates will quickly find his or her time consumed with this task as the company grows. "My way" management can also engender negative feelings in a loyal staff and chase off competent prospective employees.

Shifting-on-the-Fly - In many cases, business owners and managers simply make it up as they go along, trusting their ability to make the right decisions in the crisis situations that are commonplace in the graphic arts industry. While this skill can be a boon to company flexibility in lean times, "shift-on-the-fly" management can undermine growth. Accepting crisis mode as standard business practice can send operating costs skyward, as efficient methods aren't developed.

How Grow Sales, Inc., Can Help
For many graphic arts companies, breaking the "glass ceiling" and charting a course for aggressive, intelligent growth can be a difficult transition. Grow Sales, Inc., has been helping printing and other graphic arts companies handle their growing pains with ease since 1996. Whether your company is in the middle of an upswing or seeking to get there, let us put our sales and marketing leadership to work for you.

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