Annoying work situation, would appreciate some thoughts...
Discussion
You're experiencing normal stuff in a small company. Being small means that everyone has to pitch in doing many roles, waiting to reach the tipping point of needing more staff but then they need paying for from tight profits.
Personally I would see this as normal and an opportunity. If you have faith in the product and the leadership of the organisation, give it your best shot. If you have concerns over either, then it may be time to move on. Good luck!
Personally I would see this as normal and an opportunity. If you have faith in the product and the leadership of the organisation, give it your best shot. If you have concerns over either, then it may be time to move on. Good luck!
You see it however you want to see it, OP.
I am a firm believer that all higher achievers are the ones who see this type of thing as an opportunity and the people who see this as a burden/pisstake are the kind who trudge along as average employees.
You also see this as a management failure to grow the business and them expecting you to do it for them.
Looking at it another way (the correct way), the management have a number of ways to try and grow the business. THey have tried one unsuccesfully, the other is to reorganise and better utilise the staff they have- which is what they are trying now. It's their job. Its your job.
Go for it and demand your rewards when you aceive something!
I am a firm believer that all higher achievers are the ones who see this type of thing as an opportunity and the people who see this as a burden/pisstake are the kind who trudge along as average employees.
You also see this as a management failure to grow the business and them expecting you to do it for them.
Looking at it another way (the correct way), the management have a number of ways to try and grow the business. THey have tried one unsuccesfully, the other is to reorganise and better utilise the staff they have- which is what they are trying now. It's their job. Its your job.
Go for it and demand your rewards when you aceive something!
As per BSR - this is an opportunity to put your name in lights.
But you can cover your arse:
But theyve tried and failed once before, you will need to convince them to change something. No point attempting to get a different result unsing the same resources and methods.
But you can cover your arse:
- Ask them for quantifiable outcomes with a timeline - you need to know exactly whats expected of you
- Ask them to specify how you will be rewarded if you reach those outcomes - in writing
- Write an assessment of how well equipped your department is to meet those outcomes as it is now and list what you need if you dont think it can. They may say they cant offer you any more resources - thats fine. At least youve raised your concerns.
But theyve tried and failed once before, you will need to convince them to change something. No point attempting to get a different result unsing the same resources and methods.
I agree with the comments above.
I'm not sure that the onus is on you to deliver growth. Having worked in SME in a non-sales role myself I see this as a classic case of exploring all opportunities to grow the business and to share ownership and responsibility for this. When the sales are rolling in steadily with relatively little input then everybody can just crack on and do their core role. When times are tough the business will either want to reduce cost (ie not hire anybody) to offset any reduction revenue and profit. Some companies will invest and increase cost aiming to take the hit and deliver further growth.
Some people will say "not my job" and just blindly carry on with their tasks in isolation or trying to ignore the bigger picture. Others will grasp what is needed and either do it themselves or come up with ideas.
If sales per se is not your strength then perhaps use your time to generate some ideas and propsals that may generate more sales. What about a sales referral scheme? What about each employee speaking to 10 friends and finding out their 3 previous jobs/employers as potential leads? What about profiling your exisiting customer base then researching other similar potential customers? Local council websites normally have a listing of all local small businesses and it is easy to go onto Council/large landlord websites and get listing of business parks and tenants.
I'm not sure that the onus is on you to deliver growth. Having worked in SME in a non-sales role myself I see this as a classic case of exploring all opportunities to grow the business and to share ownership and responsibility for this. When the sales are rolling in steadily with relatively little input then everybody can just crack on and do their core role. When times are tough the business will either want to reduce cost (ie not hire anybody) to offset any reduction revenue and profit. Some companies will invest and increase cost aiming to take the hit and deliver further growth.
Some people will say "not my job" and just blindly carry on with their tasks in isolation or trying to ignore the bigger picture. Others will grasp what is needed and either do it themselves or come up with ideas.
If sales per se is not your strength then perhaps use your time to generate some ideas and propsals that may generate more sales. What about a sales referral scheme? What about each employee speaking to 10 friends and finding out their 3 previous jobs/employers as potential leads? What about profiling your exisiting customer base then researching other similar potential customers? Local council websites normally have a listing of all local small businesses and it is easy to go onto Council/large landlord websites and get listing of business parks and tenants.
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