#Situation I work in an SME with approximately fifty employees over three sites. When I joined, my presence increased the size of my department to three. We have always worked well together, but the team has grown to nine over the last year and we expect to grow to twelve by January.

Everyone has distinct roles with a small amount of overlap, however the growth has resulted in an unclear management structure and communication is often a problem.

I am not a manager in my current role but I do have some management experience from previous jobs. The senior staff have a lot of respect for me and I am known for quality of work, clear thinking and confidence.

#Question I'm keen to encourage clarity of roles both above and below me and improve communication and efficiency, without ruining a very easy going and light hearted environment. A number of the team have gone into roles they have no experience in purely because the needs of the business have evolved. There is definitely a skills gap which is being addressed but, in my opinion, too slowly.

My manager has asked the team to have a weekly meeting to discuss our goals for the following week, and we have to take turns chairing the meeting. However most of the team struggle for the confidence to do that. We have had three of these meetings now and they have been almost identical to each other, with just one person talking and not holding their audience.

Most of the team see me as a senior member of the department, respect me and will listen to my instructions. But I need to remember I'm not a manager and I don't want to overstep my bounds.

What can I do to help the department move forward with our communication and training problem without stepping on my manager's toes?

I'd rather not hear "it's not your problem, just do your job". I'm far too proactive to sit back and let a company I love working for waste a fantastic opportunity to grow. Getting the best from everyone is something I'm passionate about, while of course maintaining the quality of my own work.

Situation

I work in an SME with approximately fifty employees over three sites. When I joined, my presence increased the size of my department to three. We have always worked well together, but the team has grown to nine over the last year and we expect to grow to twelve by January.

Everyone has distinct roles with a small amount of overlap, however the growth has resulted in an unclear management structure and communication is often a problem.

I am not a manager in my current role but I do have some management experience from previous jobs. The senior staff have a lot of respect for me and I am known for quality of work, clear thinking and confidence.

Question

I'm keen to encourage clarity of roles both above and below me and improve communication and efficiency, without ruining a very easy going and light hearted environment. A number of the team have gone into roles they have no experience in purely because the needs of the business have evolved. There is definitely a skills gap which is being addressed but, in my opinion, too slowly.

My manager has asked the team to have a weekly meeting to discuss our goals for the following week, and we have to take turns chairing the meeting. However most of the team struggle for the confidence to do that. We have had three of these meetings now and they have been almost identical to each other, with just one person talking and not holding their audience.

Most of the team see me as a senior member of the department, respect me and will listen to my instructions. But I need to remember I'm not a manager and I don't want to overstep my bounds.

What can I do to help the department move forward with our communication and training problem without stepping on my manager's toes?

I'd rather not hear "it's not your problem, just do your job". I'm far too proactive to sit back and let a company I love working for waste a fantastic opportunity to grow. Getting the best from everyone is something I'm passionate about, while of course maintaining the quality of my own work.