What Happened to the Team?

Recently, Coach, Bob Roberts and I met with a group of business owners and quickly the conversation turned to their teams. Specifically they voiced concern of the team’s lack of initiative, energy and passion. One owner said she couldn’t find good people anymore. Another noted his frustration in the team’s inability to “care about the business as he did”. Apparently that team didn’t understand how the business ran and lacked the owner’s level of passion. The frustrated owner could only find time to blame them for their short-comings. But, clearly the issues are much deeper…what about things like vision, mission and culture of the business? What about the systems that run your business? One of the owners queried: “Systems should run your business?”

Systems are your way of empowering your team to do large parts of your job just as if you were doing it personally. They can reduce your hours and stress by getting average people to do a great job…sound far-fetched? Well, it is easy once you know a couple of tricks…

“Tricks of the Trade” for Creating Systems

1. Work until it becomes simple
If the system is complex, then keep working! When you really understand something, and present it well, it will become simple. For example, written procedures can often be clarified by presenting them as checklists or tables.

2. Only write systems that make money (or reduce a big risk)
We are not the government and not in the business of creating manuals, so only create a system if it simplifies a task, improves quality, or speeds up a service. This will keep you focused. Forget your big company or corporate experience of many volumes that mainly gather dust. Rather, the trick is to start small and let it grow with time.

3. Make sure your systems are being used
As you create systems, build into them monitoring systems, so that at a glance you can see if they are being used. Changing the culture of your company takes time and there will be failures. Even when the culture has changed, it needs to be maintained; your monitoring systems will do this for you.

4. Make sure your team members know the positions they play
Unfortunately, it is normal for most team members to disagree on what needs to be done while at the same time believing everyone knows their job roles. Clear written and agreed upon roles will remove the need for 75% of systems. So start here.

By now you truly understand the best systems look very unimpressive… the genius is getting them to look that way.

The Action COACH of Akron Canton Official “Cheat-Sheet” of Popular Systems…
We don’t think of this as cheating, but market research. Please use it the best way you can. If you have questions on how to best implement systems or when to use them call us (330.877.9780)…
· Checklist - tear off pad
· Checklist - laminated cards
· Checklists –numbered in sequence
· Checklists – memorize with acronym
· Quick Contact lists
· Job or Quote Pads
· Position Contracts
· Standard letters
· Team ‘Code of Honor’
· Performance Standards
· Meeting minutes
· Procedure manual using photographs
· Procedure manual using videos
· Weekly or Job Budgets
· Wall Signs & Instruction labels
· Test & Measure Sheets
· Survey your competitors for ideas…

When you are running your business working a three-day week and your team is creating systems for you… you have created an efficient business that has real value and can run without you – Congratulations you have arrived!