As Wes studied the chart scrawled across the white board, I could see a question mark on his forehead. “It’s all well and good, to say that this layer in the company does the work, and this layer, supervisors, makes sure the work gets done, and the next layer, managers, create the systems in the company.” Wes stopped.

“But sometimes, I feel like I have to play a little bit of all of these roles. In some departments, we just can’t afford to hire separate people to fill those roles. Sometimes, we have to play double duty.”

“That’s not unusual,” I replied. “I find this chart is especially helpful for lean companies, like yours, where you can’t afford to field every position with a different player. But the roles still have to be played, even if some are played by the same person.

“Just remember, that every minute a manager plays the role of a supervisor is a minute that your systems are neglected. Young companies don’t have a choice.” -TF