Identifying Team Roles // Ensuring Everyone Is in the Right Seat
If your business has grown beyond just you, there’s a good chance you’ve felt that something’s off in how the team is running. Maybe balls are getting dropped. Maybe people are stepping on each other’s toes. Or maybe you, as the founder, are still doing way too much even though you have a team. The root of that issue? Most of the time, it’s unclear roles.
Getting your team structure right is not just a nice-to-have. It’s what allows your business to scale without slipping into chaos. So let’s break down how to identify team roles that actually work—and how to make sure your people are sitting in the right seats.
Why Role Clarity Matters More Than You Think
When everyone on your team knows exactly what they’re responsible for, it saves time, cuts down on drama, and keeps things moving. But when the boundaries are fuzzy, things get messy. People either overstep or underperform. Projects stall. You end up jumping in to “fix it,” and suddenly you’re back to wearing all the hats.
The truth is, most small business owners never take the time to define clear roles—because it feels like a corporate thing. But in creative businesses, it’s even more important. You are building something fluid, fast-moving, and often custom. You need clarity to keep up.
Start With a Role Audit
Before you can fix anything, you need to know what you’re working with. Pull out a clean doc and list every role in your business right now. Not just titles—actual tasks and responsibilities. Who owns the inbox? Who creates the content? Who sends the invoices?
Now, take stock of your team. Are people working in their zone of genius, or are they overloaded with stuff that drains them? Is one person your unofficial everything-helper, handling admin, marketing, and client experience? That’s a red flag.
Map Strengths to the Work That Matters
Use what you know about your team to align their strengths with roles that make sense. Think less about titles and more about function. You might realize that your “Marketing Assistant” is actually amazing at client care and should be leading onboarding instead of fiddling with Instagram captions.
Also, ask them. Your team likely has insights into what they enjoy, what drains them, and what feels unclear. A simple conversation can surface hidden skills and help you realign responsibilities in a way that feels empowering for everyone involved.
Adjust As You Grow
Team structure is not a one-and-done exercise. As your business evolves, so will your needs. Maybe you used to need one generalist who could do it all—but now you’re ready to split that role into two more focused positions. Maybe someone is ready to grow into a leadership role, but they’ve been stuck in execution mode.
Revisit your org chart at least twice a year. And be willing to shift things around based on capacity, performance, and business direction. Being too rigid with roles can be just as harmful as not defining them at all.
Use Tools to Support the Process
You don’t have to guess. Tools like CliftonStrengths, Myers-Briggs, or Kolbe can help you see how your team is wired to work. Combine that with feedback sessions and performance reviews to get the full picture. This isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about helping people do their best work.
Real Life Example
One of my clients realized her operations person was drowning in details while secretly dreaming of leading strategy. We swapped her into a client-facing planning role and hired a virtual assistant for the admin work. The result? Higher team morale, better delivery, and the CEO actually had space to think again. It does not have to be a big overhaul—it just needs intention.
Where to go from here?
When you take the time to get your team aligned, the whole business breathes easier. You can delegate with confidence, your team feels more empowered, and the work gets done faster and better. This is what building a solid foundation looks like—less chaos, more flow.
Trust yourself to make the call. You know when things are working and when they’re not. And if something feels off, it probably is. That's when you reach out, we can help. ;)
