October 28, 2022

Debunking the Top 5 Myths about Systemizing Your Business

TYPICAL MYTHS WE TELL OURSELVES:

  1. “My key employees who know the most about our business won’t leave me”
  2. “I’m not a process-orientated person so I know I can’t create them myself.”
  3. “I don’t think my team will want to follow documented systems.”
  4. “Our work is far too detailed to document HOW we go about it.”
  5. “Systems are ridged and will stifle my team’s creative culture”

As the founder of your business, have you ever said any of those phrases when it comes to getting started with systems documentation? I get it. Standardizing your business processes and systems can be daunting - but, without them, business owners (maybe you’re one of them!) end up working long hours, burning out, or wishing they could take a day off without their business grinding to a halt!  The trouble is, most people NEVER get started with the documentation because their brain makes up all of these other excuses (and I’m sure a few more). But each one of them is a myth and documenting your systems in a simple way is actually an incredibly easy habit to get into! It’s all about developing the proper plan joined with a supportive culture that focuses on those systems. 

THE REALITY OF IT:

  1. Yes, unfortunately, your key employees will leave and in this post-COVID world, they are doing so in record numbers. Even if they don’t quit, how are they going to be able to take a vacation without someone else knowing exactly what to do? It's just not worth the risk for that key employee’s seat to go vacant tomorrow while the rest of the team suffers.
  2. As the owner, you are actually the last one who should be documenting processes. You are the big-picture, visionary entrepreneur, and your qualified staff are best suited to do this work. They just need structure and support to engrain systems into your evolving culture. If you spread the load of standardizing your work across several people and don’t force a non-detailed person to be detailed, everything will go smoothly.
  3. Let’s be realistic, some of your team members won’t want to follow a standardized process. But that’s ok. My methodology focuses on getting your team involved in this change and includes a lot of change management techniques. If you have a tenured staffer who still won’t adjust and the rest of the employees are engaged, then ultimately you may need to make a change. As difficult as that sounds, it will benefit your company in the long term.
  4. I often hear about the complexity of an employee’s role. And that is certainly true for many positions. Systematizing though, is all about determining the top 20% of the repeatable tasks to start out. That’s it. You aren’t going to be operating as precisely as a Mcdonald's franchise overnight. Take it slow, pick the right items to document, and more than anything, get the team focused on all of the positive benefits of standardization.
  5. Creativity also seems like a valid point however once you understand how a well-oiled company operates, documenting your systems actually allows for more creativity. If you are an owner or manager of a creative small business such as a marketing or video company, you probably have a lot of mundane parts of your day that someone else could do. When you have the confidence to delegate the areas that are repeatable, you will have far more time to be your artistic self. Want to learn more?  I can show you how to standardize the creative side too!

My goal is to bring the best “big company techniques” to your small and growing business. When it comes to creating powerful business systems, the key is always to get your team fully invested in the process - from day one. Doing so will allow your business to thrive - not just survive - and help you scale successfully without single-person dependency.

As you can see, I’m here to show you that systems can be created quickly and affordably with just a couple of people - and the business owner doesn’t need to bear the whole burden. So, if you think that’s something you’re interested in, arrange a quick Zoom call with me today to talk about how we can optimize your business and make your life a whole lot easier!