SEO Brothers decrease employee turnover by 50%
The Rumin8 Group helps SEO Brothers successfully navigate a 900% growth era
SEO Brothers is a leading global company in white-label SEO services based in Canada. Brothers Devon and Adam Bate embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in 2018, growing the company to include specialists across the globe and increasing their staff count from 8-10 employees to 60+ in 7 countries.
The Rumin8 Group helped SEO Brothers navigate significant management challenges amid their rapid growth with a custom 6-month Learning and Development program. As a result of the program, SEO Brothers was able to implement strong people management training, establish an effective and scalable performance management and succession planning strategy, and recoup and exceed lost business over a few short months.
The Goal
We had no management process or training, and we needed The Rumin8 Group’s help to structure our company while helping us keep our whole team aligned in the process.
This growth, while a testament to their success, brought unprecedented management and organizational challenges. As Devon and Adam focused on continuing to build the organization’s revenue, it became apparent that the status quo management system was not going to cut it.
SEO Brothers decided to seek an outside solution, calling on The Rumin8 Group to support the business through an organizational transformation from the inside out.
A clear framework with actual takeaways and space to revisit each meeting. We didn’t have any guidance on how managers should connect and support their team, and we received all of that insight from The Rumin8 Group.
The Challenge
Our main challenge was helping equip our management team with the tools and training to lead effective teams so we could scale our growth.
SEO Brothers used tactics such as “title bumping” – promoting team members to more senior titles without updated job descriptions or processes to plug the management hole. As a result, it proved impossible to establish a strong organizational structure that actually worked for the business, its clients and its team members.
The company’s management system, primarily composed of technical experts, lacked formal experience and structure in handling the complexities of a rapidly expanding business and team. This deficiency led to inefficiencies and major challenges, including high staff turnover and a lack of people management training, and hindered the company’s potential for sustainable growth.
Their search led them to The Rumin8 Group, whose custom solutions and industry-agnostic approach, coupled with a deep understanding of their unique business challenges, made them the right consultants for the job.
The Strategy
The idea of starting 1:1 meetings for each module to gain insight into our team and then coming together as a group after was very effective in engaging our team.
The solution was implemented in phases, with a focus on communication strategies, performance management, and succession planning.
In order to meet the team’s needs, The Rumin8 Group worked on a World Clock, connecting with leaders and teams in varying time zones.
The Rumin8 Group Experience
Their team supported us based on our unique business needs and not just walking us through standardized material.
This allowed The Rumin8 Group to gain a deep understanding of the specific challenges and nuances related to the focus of each upcoming module.
This insightful engagement ensured that the guidance and strategies provided were finely tuned to the unique needs and circumstances of the SEO Brothers team, laying a solid foundation for the effective implementation of the process and overall strategy.
The Rumin8 Group's Tailored Approach:
Month 1:
Initial Assessment & Leadership Roundtable
One-to-One Meetings
In the initial month of the program, The Rumin8 Group conducted one-on-one meetings and focus groups with every owner, leader, and manager at SEO Brothers to link what the Owners are saying to what the employees are saying to find common ground. The importance of this process is knowing that when you always lead with just the owner’s perspective, it can be dangerous because it could be wrong.
Insights Synthesized
These sessions were aimed at identifying individual leadership styles, communication processes, motivators, and opportunities for leadership development and performance management. The insights gathered from these meetings were then synthesized and shared with the company’s owners, providing a comprehensive understanding of the current status and potential areas for growth and development.
Leadership Roundtable
To culminate the month’s efforts, a leadership roundtable was organized, bringing together all owners, leaders, and managers for an hour-long focus group. This session, facilitated by The Rumin8 Group, encouraged group engagement on key topics, provided deeper insights into the leadership dynamics at SEO Brothers, and identified areas passionate about growth and development.
Months 2 & 3:
Leadership Development Program
Module 1: Communication
This module involved teaching leaders various strategies to effectively lead through communication and connection, covering the how, why, and when of impactful communication. This module showed how SEO Brothers could get a high level of engagement and involvement with senior leaders. They were 100% engaged and impacted by the materials and saw an immediate application to their roles and divisions.
Module 2: Performance Management
This module was aimed at fostering growth through enhanced performance management. Leaders were shown how to drive top-level performance across industries by fostering stronger accountability and linking team members’ actions to measurable outcomes. There was a breakthrough moment when the team realized how important measurement is and what KPIs matter. Most of the leaders didn’t know what their core success metrics were. When The Rumin8 Group connected the theory of measurement and how it could apply to SEO Brothers, you could see a shift in visibility and influence through a better scoreboard.
Individual Coaching
Alongside these modules, individual coaching sessions were conducted with each participant, designed to help integrate the learnings from the modules into their respective teams, ensuring practical application of the strategies and techniques taught.
Months 4 & 5:
Advanced Leadership Development
Module 3: Succession Planning
This module focused on succession planning, and educated leaders on strategies to effectively train their replacements, aiming to create clear pathways for each team member’s succession and future growth. This module emphasized linking individual roles to the broader organizational structure, thereby enhancing leadership development and preparing for future leadership roles.
Module 4: Coaching
Module 4 presented a comprehensive process for coaching and influencing personal growth among team members. This module included a unique five-stage model designed to revolutionize the way leaders connect with their team members on a one-on-one basis, fostering a coaching environment that yields world-class results.
Continued Individual Coaching
Alongside these modules, The Rumin8 Group continued to provide individualized coaching sessions, ensuring that the participants could effectively apply the new strategies and models within their teams.
Month 6:
Executive Coaching and Project Wrap-Up
Long-Term Success Strategies
In the final phase of the program, The Rumin8 Group focused on executive coaching and the project wrap-up. This stage involved close collaboration with the owners of SEO Brothers to identify and establish long-term leadership development programs tailored for each individual. Throughout the last month, each owner was engaged in two sessions dedicated to growth mapping and strategies for long-term success.
Comprehensive Report
As part of the project wrap-up, The Rumin8 Group provided a comprehensive report offering insights and recommendations for investment in leadership development. This report included specific areas where each leader could improve both personally and within their teams, along with guidance on strategies for long-term leadership growth and effective scaling of the company. This final stage was instrumental in solidifying the gains from the program and setting a course for sustained leadership excellence at SEO Brothers.
The Results & Impact
This avoids that feeling of starting from scratch every time someone starts a new position. Also, when you go on vacation, try having a direct report filled in for you instead of a colleague or manager; it gives them valuable exposure.
- Internal communication became more effective
- A clear performance management system was established
- Team morale improved, leading to increased productivity and better customer outcomes
- A structured succession planning was introduced, which led to lower employee churn rates, saving substantial costs related to staff turnover
- The company quickly rebounded from the post-COVID downturn, surpassing its previous revenue levels significantly
The Takeaways
This case study illustrates the transformative impact of targeted management and operational strategies on a rapidly growing company.
SEO Brothers’ partnership with The Rumin8 Group not only resolved immediate management challenges but also set the foundation for sustainable growth and market leadership.
The communication was clear and concise every step of the way.
We were able to involve a large group from our fully remote team, which helped ensure everyone was on the same page and we were aligned on new goals and expectations throughout the project and afterwards.
Would highly recommend The Rumin8 Group to anyone looking to level up their business and ensure proper leadership and management structures are in place!
Want to see this kind of change in your organization? Get in touch with The Rumin8 Group today.
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