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It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and you’re ten years old. You and your siblings are playing Monopoly, and your sister’s yellow houses are popping up everywhere. It seems like each time you roll the dice you owe her rent. You try to block her, keep her from building hotels, but it’s pointless. She knows the importance of playing the game swiftly and slowly, and she’s undoubtedly reaping the benefits. If you remember the rules of the game, the key is to purchase one piece of property after another within the same color group. Once you own the color group, then you can develop the properties by building houses or hotels. However, it all must be developed equally. For example, you cannot build a second house until you have built one house on every property. When it comes to filling roles in your organization, it’s wise to apply the same concept. Don’t jump ahead. You’ll win when you develop your organization from the ground up, focusing first on the roles that increase productivity. 

At Trinity Training & Development, this is the order we recommend and why:

1. Contributors

Contributors are responsible for delivering work to unit, function, program, or project managers. They are the ones doing the work and are held accountable for what they produce. For your organization to be successful and continue running efficiently, don’t wait long before filling these positions.

2. Managers

Depending on the size of your organization, you may have managers of units, functions, programs, and projects. The manager’s role is to oversee the contributors in their department, give direction, and make decisions about quality and priority. Managers are held accountable for the results produced within their department. This is the next crucial step in hiring once you have enough contributors.

3. Coordinators

A coordinator has an administrative role similar to a coach. A project coordinator communicates with the people working on the same project to coordinate resources, strengths, and abilities. A program coordinator communicates with people across projects to ensure everyone’s efforts are applied to accomplishing the same goal. In most cases, the coordinator is not held accountable for the product, but they are key “behind the scene” players.

4. Deputies

A deputy is your second-in-command, the person who leads in your absence and reinforces your vision. A deputy might have the title of Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Human Resource Officer, or General Counsel. Depending on their position, they may oversee the organizational process or the strategic process of your business. Should you be unable to lead for any reason, they are willing and prepared to step into your position. Deputies play a vital role in the success of your business. However, if there is no one to do the work, a deputy has little responsibility.

5. Chiefs of Staff

A chief of staff manages you, the leader. They often act as a consultant, helping you establish priorities and think through projects and programs that are most profitable. They provide their input and then disseminate information down the pipeline. Chiefs of Staff play a major role in communication and ensure everyone is both efficient and effective in accomplishing tasks.

While you certainly can fill roles in your organization however you’d like, we recommend following the rules of Monopoly. Build a house on every property before you build a hotel. Fill every contributing role before you hire a manager for the contributors. Then, make sure every department has a manager before hiring a coordinator. Once every coordinator role is filled, find the right deputies and chiefs of staff to lead and direct your entire staff.

There are most likely men and women currently working for your company that you know are destined for a managerial role. Perhaps you even believe you have found your successor, but you want them to have more training before you promote them. Trinity Training and Development provides various programs to train potential leaders and supervisors on how to manage conflict, communicate clearly, create a positive work environment, and utilize the team effectively. For more information, contact Trinity Training and Development today.