Yesterday I was working through some tasks at the office and realized that one of our services didn’t have a proper process to follow. BIG issue in my opinion, because if there is one thing I have learned over the years I’ve been in business it’s that in order to run smoothly, you MUST have systems & processes in place on all aspects of the company.
This not only streamlines tasks, but it also sets an expectation for what the team members are expected to do.
Now at one time I’m certain we did in fact have this in place. The problem is that when the leader in charge of their part of the business left, so did their process. They didn’t train the team members that were now in charge how to properly handle these tasks. This led to my team just handling issues as they came up, which at times can be like drinking from a fire hose.
Nobody enjoys this, so we needed to do something quick.
By having a baseline business process in place we would be able to boost productivity, create better time management and even increase profits for the company, as well as our clients (big win on both fronts).
I chose to not waste any more time. We immediately started creating a system to handle the service we were reviewing. I can go into more details in another this post, but here is how we did it:
STEP 1: We Created A Process Map
Identify the activity that the service is currently performing. Understand which activities are most reliant on key team members.
STEP 2: Record the Process
Start recording who is performing the task via a screen recording software or if the individual is good at note taking, you could go this route as well. This will serve as a baseline for what the task entails.
STEP 3: Establish Goals and Critical Factors
Establish goals to determine what success should look like. What are the critical factors in the process? Brainstorm ways to measure performance of the system you created.
STEP 4: Review and Finalize
Double-check your new system has no loose ends or unproductive side effects.
STEP 5: Delegate to Employees
Your process should be simple, so that anyone with a baseline skill could understand it. Start testing your new system by assigning it to your team members. If you have new team members, this will serve as a great training tool.
STEP 6: Review Tasks and Metrics
How is your new process meeting standards? Are you on the right track for success? You should be using this part to optimize your process and make adjustments where necessary?
STEP 7: Monitor Performance
Keep an eye on the performance of your new business system. This is a long-term commitment. Track your metrics to see that they make sense and correlate with the success of your process. If you come across a better way to do things, make adjustments to your documentation.
By creating systems and processes you are becoming a leader in your organization. Anyone can do this. It doesn’t have to be management. I’ve had regular team members take the initiative in these types of situations in the past. They step up and help the company on their own. By doing so, they are noticed by management and for sure become the ideal candidate for a promotion in the future.