How Aligning Small Business Teams Can Unlock Growth
At Rutherford HR, we regularly help medium to large organisations align their teams, build a robust company culture and unlock performance. Smaller businesses often feel our services aren’t right for them due to misconceptions and practical concerns. They may see it as too costly, or unnecessary for their size, preferring to handle people orientated tasks informally. Many (often rightly) prioritise immediate revenue-generating activities over people investments, unaware that tailored HR solutions can drive performance, create efficiency, build momentum and support the creation ofa positive workplace environment, making a significant impact even for small teams.
Ironically, it’s in these smaller — and even micro — businesses where we can deliver immediate and more immediately obvious, meaningful impact. In a lean team of two, for example, every interaction and decision has a profound effect on a business’ growth trajectory, performance and stability.
Meet Joseph
Despite sharing the general resistance to investing in people related advice and support, that is all too common among small business owners, Joseph Kirwan, owner of a nascent financial services business, had the foresight to reach out to us for support for his ‘team’ — at that point, just himself and a single colleague.
Rutherford HR was more than happy to jump in to support Joseph achieve his ambitious goals.
The Challenge
Joseph initially approached us for help addressing a concern. As a commercially driven entrepreneur, he was frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of hunger and drive from his one colleague. Over time he had formed the view that they lacked the intensity and focus needed to meet the demands of their fast-growing business.
To Joseph, energy and visible effort signalled commitment. His colleague, however, had a different working style, prioritising preparation and detail over immediate action.
This disconnect (between Joseph’s expectations and his team member’s preferred working style) was creating tension. However, it wasn’t a motivation problem, just a clash of working styles and intrinsic drivers. Both were engaged and committed to the business, but their approaches were fundamentally different.
“While we weren’t in conflict, there were moments of friction,” Joseph acknowledged. “Our personalities and ways of working were very different. James helped me realise it wasn’t a lack of skill but a mismatch in styles.”
The Exploration
We utilised a simple yet effective personality profiling tool to help bridge the gap. The tool, which identifies core motivational drivers revealed the root of the issue:
Joseph’s intrinsic driver was Commercial; he thrived on immediate results and direct action. His colleague, however, was more motivated by delivering quality outcomes, preferring meticulous preparation and quality planning before moving to action. For Joseph – a highly reflective individual - this immediately highlighted the value of HR for his business.
“When we saw the results, it was like a light bulb moment. My colleague is structured and methodical; I’m quick and direct. Understanding this helped us bridge the gap,” Joseph recalls.
The Solution
By guiding individual conversations between Joseph and his colleague, we facilitated a deeper understanding of their differences. We provided actionable, personalised advice for both parties:
● For Joseph: Set clear timeframes and outline desired outcomes, focusing on results rather than behaviours.
● For his colleague: Communicate the planned process to achieve outcomes, ensuring alignment with Joseph'sexpectations.
This small but significant shift in communication and behaviour helped eliminate misunderstandings and foster mutual respect.
The Impact: Improved Dynamics Drives Significant Growth
The results were transformative, delivering immediate benefits — a critical advantage for a small business where change needs to happen quickly. Unlike larger organisations where HR initiatives may take months or even years to yield meaningful results, the impact here was almost instant.
Joseph became less frustrated, his colleague grew in confidence, and they observed a noticeable improvement in their collaboration and hence performance.
For Joseph, this was a game changer.
“Joseph called me and said, ‘This has fundamentally changed the nature of our relationship,’” James recalls. “It was a simple intervention, but the impact was profound.”
In the 6 months following this internal alignment exercise, Joseph’s business went on to achieve over 50% revenue growth. It’s hard to establish the impact of our work with the team on that number, however we know, and both individuals attest, that we contributed significantly to that result (see below).
Scaling Up
With that rapid growth, Joseph turned to James again for advice on hiring a third team member — a sales-focused individual to drive the business further forward. For small teams, each hire carries significant weight, and the wrong choice can be costly. Leveraging our expertise ensured Joseph identified a candidate whose skills and motivational drivers aligned with the business's needs, enabling growth while maintaining the cohesive dynamic they’d worked hard to establish.
James shared best practices for recruitment, including conducting in-depth reference checks.
“Reference checks are often overlooked or done poorly,” James explains. “I advised Joseph to personally conduct half-hour conversations with referees, asking detailed questions about behaviours, results, and work styles. This approach not only helps validate the hire, but also provides valuable insights into how to manage the new team member effectively.”
The result? A well-rounded team where each member’s strengths complement the others. The new hire brought commercial acumen, Joseph brought the energy and drive and his colleague a focus on due diligence, data quality and technical excellence, ensuring operational balance. To align the team from day one, we facilitated a 45-minute session where all three team members discussed their work styles and preferences.
“I’ve seen the value of aligning people early, rather than figuring things out months later. Getting people on the same wavelength from the start helps avoid costly missteps down the road,” Joseph said.
The Business Impact & Key Takeaways
The business growth has been remarkable. The business doubled in size over a 9-month period. Joseph credits this success to the strengthened team dynamics, which gave him the confidence to scale.
This story highlights how engaging HR can yield significant results for businesses with lean teams — even a team of two. Our approach, focused on practical, cost-effective solutions, underscores the importance of three main areas often overlooked or undervalued by business owners.
- Understanding motivational drivers. Aligning team members’ intrinsic motivations with business goals is critical for performance and engagement.
- Effective recruitment practices. Conducting thorough reference checks and focusing on behavioural insights ensures better hiring decisions.
- Fostering communication. Encouraging open dialogue about work styles and preferences builds trust and alignment.
People are powerful (if they can work together well).
For small businesses, every hire and interaction matters. By leveraging our expertise, Joseph not only retained a valuable employee but also built a strong foundation for future growth. Unlock the full potential of your people with Rutherford HR so you can secure your company’s success. Talk to us today to get started.