Your Process
Have you ever heard the expression, “how you do anything, is how you do everything”?
These wise words by Martha Beck ring particularly true for entrepreneurs who wear multiple hats within their own business, as well as their teams who may share tasks and collaborate interdepartmentally. If it is acceptable for some tasks to be completed late, carelessly, and with minimal effort, it is highly likely that your organization will reach a point where it’s acceptable for all tasks to be approached this way, and a lackadaisical work ethic will become the rule of the office, rather than the exception. So, how can you best equip yourself and your team with the tools needed to avoid sliding down this slippery slope? The answer lies in the way you conduct your business; in other words, your process.
Think about a time you experienced a massive success in your business. Whether it was retaining an important client or signing a new one, making a major sale, or executing a flawless event, picture that “big win”. Now ask yourself, can you list every single step you took to achieve it? If you had to rely on someone else on your team to pull off the same accomplishment, without being there to provide specific instructions, would you be able to provide detailed instructions that would guide them to the same outcome? If not, you likely need to identify, develop, and document your processes so that you and everyone on your team can reliably follow an established recipe for success. While this may sound tedious and unnecessary (after all, you did it once, surely you can do it again), you run a high risk of skipping steps, missing deadlines, and failing to replicate that success if you rely solely on your memory of what did or didn’t work while completing a project. Replicability is key, because it proves that your success was not a fluke, but rather the culmination of dedication and intentional actions. Documenting your process also helps you identify issues and outcomes that you don’t want to replicate, which provides the opportunity to iterate on those aspects of the procedure, further refining your process.
Perhaps you’re still not convinced, so let’s zoom out. Let’s say that, in a perfect world, you remember the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ of every task carried out in your organization. What good does that do your team? They don’t live inside your head, and they can’t read your mind. If they haven’t been educated on your process and their role in it, they may feel lost and confused, or worse, frustrated that they’re not receiving the support they need to be successful in their role. Unless you want to become a bottleneck whenever there is a question, concern, or comment from confused team members on how business is conducted, you’ll want to translate your mental process into a tangible document so that your employees have a reliable reference point, other than you, when any issues crop up. That way, business doesn’t come screeching to a halt just because you’re out of the office for a few days and your head of marketing doesn’t know the appropriate steps to take before launching a paid ad campaign.
Publishing your organizational processes also allows you to prepare for emergencies. Once you’ve clearly defined each role within your company, the tasks for which they are responsible, and the ways in which they are expected to perform those tasks, any competent employee should be able to step into that role without missing a beat. This sets your business up for continued success even if someone on your team is unable to complete their work, and another employee needs to assume their responsibilities. With a crystal clear operating procedure to follow, even a team member unfamiliar with the role can be quickly brought up to speed. As a result, your business won’t lose momentum or fail to meet deadlines in the event that a team member falls ill, goes on vacation, leaves abruptly, or otherwise cannot complete their tasks.
Hopefully, by now you’re convinced of the importance of documenting your organizational processes and practices, and disseminating that information across your team. While it is your responsibility to make the process accessible to your team, the burden doesn't have to fall entirely on your shoulders to develop it. As we know, the willingness to ask for help is a crucial quality in any leader, and the essential task of updating your business practices is no exception! Finding a skilled operations professional to consult on your company procedures can save you a tremendous amount of time, frustration, and even cost, as the enhanced efficiency of your office will be reflected positively in your company’s bottom line. You can even enlist help in training your team on the finer details of the newly-implemented process, so that the transition for everyone is smooth and painless.
As your business grows, your operating procedures may need to be adapted to suit your company’s needs, and that’s okay! The goal in developing your process is to expedite growth, not stifle it. The most important thing to remember is that your process should be accessible to every member of your team, and direct them on how to do their best work with every task, because, “how you do anything, is how you do everything”.
Want to have a clear picture of all of the pieces of running your business, but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have a few employees and want to make sure that you have all of the necessary things in place for your business operations? Take a look at my free Operations Audit Workbook to give you a starting point. PS - filling this out in its entirety will get you started on creating your own SOPs for your business.
For more information on my other services, please visit my website or my Instagram page. I look forward to connecting with you!
