unt 8 | Team building TEAMS OF FIVE AND TEAMS OF ONE HUNDRE! oe Before you read ‘Think ofa business team or one you would like to work in, What would be the ideal ‘number of people in it? Why? Success and satisfaction Jonathan Moules ‘The problem with expanding abusi- ness is thatitonly becomes hander to ‘engage your staf. “It isthe culture that will Keep people working for 5 you,” says Brian Chernet, founder of the Academy for Chief Execu- tives, a leadership coaching club “The difference between small and big business is that itis easier to ‘0 retain dat culture ina small organi sion than ina large one." ‘Andy Hooper quit his salaried job with a large corporation in 2004 to sot up Westlakes Engineering, an architecture and engineering const taney on the west coast of Cumbria AA first, he found growth easy, largely because he could foster & culture where everyane Wanted © be 40 part ofthe company’s success. By the time the company employed 20 people, however, Mr Hooper noticed that leading the team had become ‘much harder work. “found myself 2s increasingly stretched,” he recalls 144 seven or eight, ‘was finding too much when we got 020 people.” When Mr Hooper asked his staff what they wanted, he realised he needed to delegate responsibility Westlakes now has a board of five directors, promoted from within Me ss Hooper's team. “Iti all about let Ling go.” he says. “Everybody now hs visibility of what we are doing and why we are doing it. We are using everybody’ ideas.” 2 Some companies consciously restrain the growth of their work free to maintain the culture ofthe organisation, With almost 100 staff George Davies, a Manchester-based 4s legal fim, is neither small nor espe- cially large, but that is the way it ‘wants to say. Lise Pearson, business development manager, says: “Our priority isto make sure everybody ‘» wh deals with this firm has the best ‘© Pearson Education Limited 2011 puernene ile from the Financial Times by Jonathan Moules and do the exercises ‘experience that you can have dealing with a law firm, We don’t believe that if we expand, we would he able togive that level of service.” Unlike many law firms, George Davies discourages its employees from working long hours. Those that re parents are encouraged 1 spend more time with their families. Such polices lead to a beter office stmo- sphere and greater employee commitment, according to Ms Pear- son, who notes many of the employees have been with George Davies for more than a decade. company need ot lose the vit ity ofa small entexprise as i rows, says David MacLeod, who co-wrote the goverment’ report last year on employee engagement, He claims businesses reach a “break point” when the head count passes 20 and san owner's personality alone ean no longer be the soe driving force AAAAAAARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARHRAAARAAAvuvvuvuvuvuvuuuvUuUuUUuBUUUUUUUE Look through the whole article to find these people and organisations, and what they do. 2) Brian Chernett 1) Andy Hooper ©) George Davies @) Lisa Pearson ©) David MacLeod Look at how the expressions in italic are used in lines 1-29 and choose the correct alternative meaning. 1 “The problem wth expanding a business is that it only becomes harder to engage your staf’ ine 3) a) recruit 8) motivate and inspite 2. “itis the culture that wil keep people working foryou, (ine 3) a) art, music, panting, literature, et. 3) the way people think and do things 3. ‘the Academy for Chief Executives, a leadership coaching club. fine 7) 4) training) schooling 4 “The diference between small and big business isthat itis easier to retain that culture ina small ‘organisation than ina large one.” ine 10) a) keep b) remember 5 ‘che could foster culture where everyone wanted to bea part ofthe company’s success. {ine 18) 4) adopt b) encourage {6 “I found myself increasingly stretched.” Aine 25) 2) challenged and stimulated _b) made longer Correct, where necessary, the structures of these expressions used in lines 30-54. 1 tadelegate down responsibilty (line 32) 2. to promote someone from within a particular ‘department to the board of directors (ine 33) 3. torestran the growth of the workforce of an ‘organisation (line 41) 4 to maintain up the culture of an organisation Aine 42) 5. todeal with an organisation (line 50) 6 toexpand.up (ine 53) 3 © Pearson Education Limited 2011, TEXTBANK + UNITS 4 Now match the verbs in the expressions above to their meanings. a) limit B) keep the same ©) talkto and work with @) give someone amore important job ) get bigger 1). give someone mare power 5. Read lines 55-74 and decide if these statements are true or false. 2) George Davies encourages its employees to work longer hours than from 9to 5. 1) The frm tkes all ts employees to spend more time wit ther families. Family-friendly policies make employees more committed to the organisation. ) Most of George Davies's employees have been ‘there more than 10 years ©) I'snot inevitable for small companies to lose ‘thelr dynamism as they grow. £) However bg the firm, the owners personality willbe the only real factor in mativating people. Over to you 1 Why isthe role ofthe organisation's boss diferent inbig and small teams? Over to you 2 George Davies discourages its employees from working long hours and those that are parents are encouraged to spend more time with their families. Is this @ possible way of working forall organisations? Why? / Why not? 145