Situation: A software service company wants to expand operations. Their business model is to build clone offices that operate like the home office in new markets, much like a franchise operation. The founder CEO is struggling to identify key managers who can manage remote offices. How do you identify key managers?
Advice from the CEOs:
- The key managers must be individuals who are business savvy, not talented engineers. The key managers must understand:
- Management – with a proven management record;
- Basic accounting;
- Recruiting and hiring;
- How to manage an office;
- A bonus will be experience in a similar field, but this experience does not substitute for the above four critical requirements.
- Looking at current employees, is there the bandwidth within the current team to help bootstrap new remote offices?
- For example, is there a key senior manager who can become Director of Franchise Operations? In this role, the DFO will serve as a resource to the individuals opening new offices.
- As this individual’s focus switches, an important question will be who replaces this individual in their current role?
- It will be beneficial if the individuals who are chosen to lead new offices have at least some experience in sales. This will help to quickly build new customer bases for the remote sites. However, a new site manager must have balanced experience. While sales will be part of the responsibility these individuals must also be able to build and oversee the other critical functions necessary to build viable remote sites.
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