“All systems go.”
That announcement from Mission Control set off tingles of excitement throughout my body in the 1960’s. Ignition and lift-off would soon follow. Man would fly to the moon, land on it, explore its surface, and return to Earth.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to leave footprints on the lunar landscape in 1969. Eight more astronauts walked on the moon in subsequent Apollo missions.
Although Apollo 11 was wildly successful, NASA did not send Armstrong and Aldrin for a repeat trip.
Why not?
They didn’t have to. NASA’s missions were not built around the individual talents of the astronaut. They were built upon the laws of aerospace science.
Names changed, but the systems remained.
Similarly, small business owners (especially solo practitioners) will find their businesses launch into new frontiers when the systems get “out of their heads” and onto paper. That is the first step in scaling up and growing.
Judy Householder is a business coach and former Director of Operations with YUM! Foods. She is our guest blogger today.
Do you ever feel like you’re chained to your business because it can’t run without you?
Let me ask you a question: If you left the country for a month-long vacation, leaving your business behind, when you return would it be in better or worse shape than when you left? Would you even have a business left?
If the answer to either of those questions was “No,” then it’s likely that you don’t have a business at all – rather, you ARE the business! This presents a “Catch 22” situation – no time to work on the business because you are too busy working in the business. And, you can’t get away from the business because there are no documented systems and processes.
It is widely accepted that McDonald’s is the poster child for business systems. This is a complex, global, multi-billion-dollar organization that is essentially run by teenagers (whose brains won’t be fully developed until the age of 25). How are they doing this?
Amazing systems allow them to run this hugely successful and profitable business. Their operations manual covers everything from product procurement to hiring to customer interaction.
So, why is the importance of business systems and processes overlooked? 2 major reasons:
- They aren’t as sexy and cool as the latest marketing strategies or other more visible aspects of the business. Business systems are “back of the house” functions. And, let’s be honest…for most entrepreneurs, they are considered boring. While building them may indeed be boring, the incredible power they give you is anything but!
- Entrepreneurs don’t perceive business systems as “urgent” needs of the business. With all the other bright shiny objects (like marketing, sales & fulfillment) vying for the increasingly scarce time of the business owner, business systems and processes seem like something that can be put off until later.
I have a marketing design client who is adding staff to his graphic design team. Now that he has documented the recruitment/hiring process for his company, his lead graphic designer is empowered to handle the entire recruitment/hiring process without the business owner’s personal involvement.
Here’s a flowchart that gives a visual representation of the process they will follow:
P.S. The business owner is going on a cruise while this is happening!
Want “More Success and the Time to Enjoy It?” Spend the time to develop and document the systems and processes that will allow you to run the business more efficiently, effectively, and profitably.
