Defining roles

"You're better off going for lower risk, and one of your risks is cash flow," he says.

After they've finished scribbling notes, the partners turn to Jack Stiegler, a retired business owner and counselor with the Seattle office of SCORE, a nonprofit that counsels small businesses. Stiegler, 72, notes that although Young and Quinton have sorted out their responsibilities, Boggan's role remains less defined.

"There's an opportunity for Melissa to restructure her job and get some of the 'administrivia' off her hands," he says.

For example, last week she processed the payroll, a job Stiegler says an assistant should handle.

"That's your fault," Stiegler tells her. "You need to say no."

Quinton agrees that Boggan's priority should be the firm's finances. "I'd like to see what she does with that aggressive billing program," he notes.

Stiegler asks about a business plan.

"We had one," says Young, who wrote a five-year plan when he started the firm. The stated goal? Become a $15 million company. "Now we just focus on doing business as best we can," Young says.

Stiegler rolls his eyes. "You achieved your first goal. Now it's time for another."

Young nods and then asks Stiegler about communication issues. It drives Young crazy that he and his partners meet to discuss something, and then four months later find themselves covering the same ground. "We need to be accountable to each other," he insists.

Stiegler asks the partners to describe the meetings. Boggan is frustrated by their vague agendas. "Usually the subject is, 'How should we totally reorganize our business this week?' "

It's clear that a new business plan would help shape the partners' meetings by providing an overall roadmap. Once that is in place, Division 9's management will be better able to prioritize.

"You need to come away from meetings with a clear understanding of which of you is going to do what, and when," Stiegler says. Toward that end, he suggests setting deadlines during each meeting.

Quinton explains that even with deadlines, the founders don't have time to follow through on the wide range of issues they raise. So Stiegler recommends they limit meeting discussions to specific topics and tackle smaller issues.

After a lunch break, Kristina Hayek, a principal with Positive Impact Human Resource Strategies in Seattle, turns to the challenge of managing employees.

Boggan mentions a recent hire who is causing office-wide anxiety. "No one knows what she's doing or why she's here," Boggan says.

Hayek is incredulous. "Why not just have a meeting and tell them?" Boggan laughs sheepishly and admits she wouldn't know what to say - the partners, who believe the woman is smart and a great fit for the firm generally, hired her with no title or job description.

"Why not have her take over some tasks such as payroll?" Hayek asks. "She can be your assistant."

Perhaps she could also handle other time-consuming administrative tasks that the partners complain about. One such chore is making sure the contract installers fill out and file the steady stream of state-required job-safety paperwork. Hayek, 47, suggests the partners put the new hire to work creating checklists for the program manager to bring to job sites.

Hayek says employees must know they play important roles in helping Division 9 reach its yearly goals - once it sets some. To keep them in the loop, she tells the owners to track and post the status of each installation job. This could be accomplished either with a whiteboard or on a firm intranet.

An employee handbook is also important, says Hayek.

"We've avoided writing one because it takes time," Boggan says.

Hayek offers a shortcut: Start with an employee handbook template (search for one online) and tweak it on vital issues. Have a labor lawyer review the end product.

Finally, Hayek offers a simple interviewing tip to boost the odds of hiring staffers who fit into Division 9's family atmosphere. "Take candidates out for coffee," she says. People act quite differently outside an office setting, she notes.

As the meeting breaks up, Young grins. Earlier, he had stepped out to finalize details on a sealed bid due that day. One last-minute addition: the pre-billing structure Armour suggested.

In addition to his billing coup, Young is most excited to create a new strategic plan. Stiegler encourages the team.

"For the most part, you guys know your problems," he says. "Maybe this meeting will make you actually fix them."

We'll check back and let you know how Division 9 follows through. 

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