8 Tips for CEOs When Teams Grow from 10 to 50+ People

It is great when your company scales in size so that you can hire more employees. But you have to remember that scalability leads to difficulties in team management. Instead of 10 people, you have to manage a team of 50+ employees.

During 6 years, I have come over different stages and learned the things that help me today to share my experience with you. In this article, I’d like to give some recommendations concerning team management when your company grows from 10 to 50+ workers.

The Beginning of Cadabra Studio

Cadabra Studio started in 2015. We had a team of 4 designers ready to create functional design solutions. In a short time, our team grew up to 12 people. Since then, we could consider our company as a small-sized business.

One day we realized that we couldn’t implement our pixel-perfect handoffs and designs in the way we expected during the development stage when working with outsourcing development companies. Our solution was to open a development department to provide only high-quality products. We worked a lot trying to find our place under the Sun. And we succeed.

Nowadays, Cadabra Studio is a software development company that works with dozens of clients worldwide. Our digital solutions are implemented in the Healthcare sector, Insurance, FinTech, Educational business, etc. We make websites with exclusive designs and premium quality CRM systems.

I owe this success to well-planned team management, proper communication, and delegation. We didn’t have unrealistic expectations. On the contrary, my team and I were ready to face the challenges that business scalability can bring. In the following passage, I’ll provide you with tips that help you to overcome the difficulties.

Tips on Dealing With the Changes When Your Company Grows

In this passage, I’d like to provide you with the relevant tips I constantly use. They are based on simplicity, logic, and my personal experience. I’m sure many entrepreneurs will find them useful.

1. Be confident in your skills. The CEO of a company is directly involved in negotiations and the delegation of tasks. If you feel unconfident about these two points, take training courses, ask for advice from business coaches, and read relevant literature.
2. Invest in company culture. Any business can't be successful without fostering company culture, no matter how excellent the product is. Great businesses happen on purpose. A proactive leadership team molds the culture from the very beginning. It is crucial when you grow the team. Always invest in the company culture. It is more profitable than you may think.
3. Delegation is a must. Trust the people you hire. It becomes harder to control all processes in a middle-size company. That's why it's essential to delegate different tasks to department heads and team leads.
4. Make business processes clear and automated. Here I mean the creation of guidelines for the company's operations and keeping the hierarchy. It helps solve any issues during one working day and avoid situations when one department blocks another's work.
5. CEO is not a single controlling head — it is one of the heads. When Cadabra Studio became medium-sized, I realized that I was no longer a decision-maker. As a CEO, I need to stand in line with other department heads. At least, this is how I feel, and this position helps our company grow. Otherwise, what's the point of hiring people if you think above all others?
6. Monitor the process optimization. Do not limit yourself to manual labor — buy subscriptions to relevant services that will help optimize your colleagues' work.
7. Pay attention to the mental health of your employees. Organize psychological training, webinars, and involve them in joint leisure activities.
8. Learn how to accept the word "NO." The more extensive your company gets, the more needs appear. For a proper balance between a company's needs and your wishes, always find the points you don't need. The word "NO" helps to find a middle line.

Final Words

So, what to expect when your company grows from 10 to 50+ people? My advice: don’t wait for the pitfalls, start delegating your tasks, trust your team, and always be honest with them. Be very precise in hiring the heads of departments because the workspace tone and atmosphere depend on them. 

Consider them as key members of your business but don’t forget to praise the rest of the team. All of you are working for the same goal, so try to convey this message to every team member.

I hope the above-listed tips help you to go boldly forward, grow your company from 10 employees to 50 and stay strong in the meantime. If you have any questions or want to share your experience, feel free to share them online and tag me! I’ll be glad to read about your approach.