Versatility: an Asset or a Trap in SMEs?

Maurizio Ridolfi
Feb 21
2 min read

Updated: Jun 5

📋 SUMMARY

Versatility is often celebrated as an essential quality in SMEs. But without proper management, it can become a trap that exhausts employees and weakens the organisation.

This article explores both sides of this skill and offers concrete ways to turn it into a real performance driver.

Discover how to transform versatility into a lasting strength for your business.

Marie handles reception, supplier orders, part of the accounting, and sometimes even social media. In her small company, they call her " the Swiss Army knife ." She smiles, but for the past few months, she hasn't been sleeping well. She feels like she's doing everything, without ever truly mastering anything.

Does this sound familiar?

In SMEs, versatility is often presented as a given. Teams are small, budgets are tight, and everyone has to be able to juggle multiple roles.

That's a reality. But at what cost?

When versatility becomes an asset

In an agile environment, versatility allows for quick reactions .

An employee who can switch from one task to another without hesitation is a real asset. They:

understand the bigger picture ,
facilitates communication between departments,
can step in in case of unforeseen absence.

For the employee, it is also a development opportunity .

They broaden their skills , gains autonomy and strengthens their cross-functional vision .

In a growing startup or scale-up, this profile often becomes a pillar of the organization.

When versatility becomes a trap

The problem arises when versatility is no longer a choice, but a permanent constraint .

When you ask a single person to manage everything, without clear priorities or structure, the risks are real: mental overload, loss of quality, repeated mistakes , and ultimately, burnout .

I have observed this pattern in several contexts:

An executive assistant who ends up also managing recruitment, payroll and purchasing.
An office manager who becomes an HR manager by default.

These silent shifts weaken individuals… and the company .

Because behind every "Swiss Army knife", there is often a lack of structure.

And when that person leaves the organization, an entire area of activity collapses .

How can we make it a lasting strength?

Versatility isn't a problem in itself . It becomes one when it's not properly managed. Here are three ways to use it wisely:

Clarify priorities. What are the core responsibilities? What can be delegated or outsourced?
Document the processes. If only one person knows how to do something, the business is vulnerable. Formalising procedures helps secure operations.
Recognize and value. A versatile employee deserves recognition for their actual contribution, not just for their availability.