The world is in flux these days, Covid, increasing prices, housing bubbles…it’s crazy out there. But in all this upheaval is a wealth of possibility and opportunity.
You can face this time with fear of the unknown or you can move forward looking for the new possibilities, creating something stable for your clients. One way to ensure that you have that stable space is to make sure your business is running as efficiently as possible
If you are able to focus on your big picture while others are taking care of the day-to-day, you will create an oasis for yourself, your team, and clients. If you create an environment with structure and vision coupled with a way to be flexible and prepared you bring about a sea of tranquility in an otherwise stormy ocean.
By having your systems in place and documenting your processes you can focus on the obstacles coming your way. Keeping them high-level, you create the space for flexibility and quick pivots when necessary because you have the basic structure in place, and you know your ship can and will respond with ease.
How can processes be flexible and navigate a world in flux?
Most people think that instituting processes create a ridged workplace…“You can’t do THAT, it’s not part of our ‘process’!” And for some businesses, that can be mostly true…think Military, McDonalds, Airlines. But chances are their processes are high-level, but their PROCEDURES are extremely detailed.
The reason these businesses have VERY detailed precise procedures is because one’s life could depend on it (ok, McDonalds isn’t life threatening…unless you don’t follow the proper procedure when cleaning out the fry oil). They also have detailed procedures because for some of the positions within the organization, the basic knowledge level is low to none. The business literally trains the employee on how to screw the bolt, when to flip the burger, how to store the inventory, from the ground floor up.
Procedures come later…AFTER processes are put in place.
Processes are the roadmap of what needs to be done. Take building a road. The process looks something like:
- Determine path
- Level land
- Lay foundation
- Pour asphalt
Simple. You have a list of what needs to be completed and the order in which it is expected to be done. This gives you flexibility on the HOW, which allows you to pivot quickly if something happens and the world is in flux. You still want to build the road, but there’s an endangered bird species that uses that specific plot of land…ok, go around it!
You can also adjust as your business grows:
- Determine path(s)
- Determine # of lanes needed
- Determine type of material (asphalt/concrete)
- Level land
- Lay foundation
- Install road material
Protect from a world in upheaval
Once you start to develop your processes, a wealth of information opens up. You start to see where things are working and where they aren’t (improvement possibilities). You see where things need to be flushed out and connections made (gaps that need to be closed). This allows you to start thinking outside of the day-to-day necessities and strategize your business growth.
This will help you in being able to more easily navigate curve balls that the universe throws you…from a world in flux, changing economic landscapes to personal transitions. You’ll have the ability to fully see the big picture and make informed decisions about your business.
If you’re interested in learning more, we’ll be opening up registration for the Simply Systemize course soon. Click HERE to get on the waiting list and be the first to hear when the doors open!