Running a business across multiple sites

Brookfield Rose has experienced considerable growth over the last few years and with the number of employees rising from around 100 to 250 and the number of businesses within the group now reaching 13, we are fast outgrowing our current offices.

This is why last week, we have moved in to new office space at our Booths Park offices in the Cheshire town of Knutsford, in addition to the offices we continue to hold at our Moseley Hall Farm site.

For the past few years, we have operated from multiple locations – albeit in the same Cheshire town. For CEOs, running a company across multiple sites can be more difficult than it might seem. Even when there is only a small geographical distance between your employees, how can you ensure that they stay connected?

Consolidate departments
Three of the group’s companies, as well as our support and implementation functions have now moved over to the new premises, where they will be based alongside our other business-focussed brands. The group’s consumer brands will be based at our Moseley Hall Farm site. By consolidating departments in this way, Brookfield Rose can operate across multiple sites more effectively.

Trust your leadership team
As much as every CEO might want to, they can’t be everywhere at the same time. Strong departmental management is important to communicate a strategic vision for your business. Having a good chain of command in place is essential, as is a CEO’s trust in their skills and judgment.

Hold regular meetings
Email and other online communication tools are convenient for receiving immediate reactions and input, but regular face-to-face meetings are important for both you and your leadership team. As a CEO, I make sure to visit both my business group’s sites and within each department regularly, ensuring everybody is aligned with business objectives and understands their personal role in achieving certain measurable targets. By making these meetings regular, they are easier to schedule (and harder to cancel) across multiple sites.

Retain cohesion
Every employee should know that they are part of the same team, even if this team works across multiple locations. It is impossible to stay connected through the web alone and even harder to create a sense of community. I make an effort to ensure all employees enjoy the same benefits and are invited to company events and socials.

Encourage integration
When multiple departments across multiple sites are expected to work together, it is important that they understand how they can help each other. I believe that understanding the day-to-day business of each different department is essential to understanding the possibilities and limitations of the company as a whole. This is why I encourage workers in certain departments to take part in hot-desking days.

Share everything
When managing a business in multiple locations, it is crucial that information is shared across the entire company simultaneously, even if it doesn’t appear to directly impact all departments. By using certain communication tools, such as a weekly email newsletter sent by each company’s managing director, I aim to maintain effective communication across both sites.

To read more about current developments within the Brookfield Rose business group, please visit our website here.

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