Q: Our MSP has been pretty successful lately, which has allowed us to grow and hire more people. With our team continuing to increase in size, what are some ways for us to maintain the proper communication to make sure the MSP business continues to operate smoothly?
In just about any business, growth is often viewed as a good thing. Having the ability to grow and being able to add more individuals to a team are clear signs that the business is on the right track.
However, adding new members to the team is just one of the first steps in achieving growth. Communication plays a large role in how successful your team will be. As teams become larger, it becomes easier for information to become “lost in translation” as it is passed from person to person and, in other instances, for employees to not know who they should report to about a project or topic.
Thankfully, we have identified some best practices and tips for MSPs who are looking to improve their communication as they continue to grow. We reached out to fellow MSPs with previous experience in this exact scenario to ask what obstacles they had to overcome and how they managed to do so.
Always overcommunicate
The term ‘overcommunicate’ is an interesting one — simply because, when you think about it, is it ever truly possible to ‘overcommunicate’ something? Sure, it may get annoying to hear the same point being made multiple times, but in business, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Installing a culture of ‘overcommunication’ can be done on the first day of each newly hired employee. A strong training curriculum on how employees should overcommunicate with each other about the tasks, assignments, and responsibilities that they might experience in their roles will help eliminate any confusion. This can also ensure that expectations are firmly set and followed.
Overcommunication will prevent team members from feeling lost. Instead, they will know exactly who or where to go to find a solution to a problem, if they don’t already have the necessary resources themselves.
Make use of every available resource
There are many resources available for MSPs to utilize, that can assist in maintaining strong communication within the business. Forming strong partnerships with vendors who offer partner programs and with the community in general will help reduce the ‘outside noise’ that could affect the communication between employees.
Team collaboration software tools, like Slack, offer a simple solution that requires minimal effort to ease an MSP’s communication pains. A more traditional method would be to conduct ‘focused’ meetings with clearly set agendas to eliminate any confusion on why the meeting is being held. These meetings should be conducted regularly and provide updates on the status and priority of each project being discussed during these meetings.
Don’t let the unintended consequences that come with experiencing business growth as an MSP affect how you view this achievement. Using the tips that previously helped MSPs survive the headaches that come with growing a team with new hires, your MSP can also enjoy the benefits of growth.
Photo: nd3000 / Shutterstock
