They all go out, don’t they?
Your business systems are much like a string of Christmas tree lights - the success of the entire string is dependent upon each individual bulb. If one bulb is loose, burned out, corroded, or installed incorrectly, the system won’t work. When you lose one bulb, you lose the entire string. Likewise, your results are dependent upon following a complete system.
Every system that you create, every task that you perform, must have a beginning and an end that completes the path - or you risk doing things incorrectly.
Have you ever had a job sold but the right material wasn’t ordered?
Creating a Task List which details every task your company does will solve these issues. Your Task List will also help you to create your Organizational Chart and your Flow of Communication Chart. These items form the basis of your Operations Manual.
Do you someday hope to get out of doing every job yourself?
When I’m out on consultations, one of the very first things we do is define whose job it is to do what, and who supervises who. This is so we’re not micromanaging each other. The Organizational Chart allows us to identify where we are weak and where we are strong.
Do your Techs go to Accounts Payable with paycheck questions, or to the Service Manager?
Shouldn’t there be a clear path as to who they should be speaking to about paychecks - and everything else for that matter? Once you have an Organizational Chart, the next step is to create a Flow of Communication Chart, which details for employees who should speak with whom about what, in general.
Clarifying the proper flow of communication within your organization is fundamental to all of your processes and systems. Your reporting structures must be clearly defined in order for your team to operate as a highly functioning group of individual players.
You see, your team operates much like a series circuit.
Just like that string Christmas tree lights.
I’d love to come out to your shop and help you build a systematic approach to running your business. Check my web site for more information on my two-day Planning Power! and Operating Power! consultations.
