5 steps to develop your business systems

BUSINESS BITS
Aileen Santos

Document and communicate your business processes effectively to your organization in five easy stages Setting up systems that define the way your business runs -- so that it can run in the most productive and profitable way even when you're not there -- is an essential requirement for working on your business, not in it.

When we talk about "systems," we're talking about all the essential processes that you can document and delegate to other people, freeing up your time and energy to think strategically, and to enjoy real financial freedom. The process of creating your systems is two-fold:

First, you have to actually find out what works. This often happens during the first year you're in business when you're the one wearing most of the hats, doing the actual work of producing, marketing, selling, and improving your products.

Second, you have to document what works, and communicate it in a way that will increase your employees' chances of replicating it. This part can begin during the first year as well. ideally, you will want to keep track of everything you're doing, so that when you evaluate your process you can pinpoint exactly which steps can be simplified, modified, or taken out.

When it comes to documenting and communicating your systems effectively, you can follow this system made up of five proven steps:

1.Simplify the number of steps in your processes
The human mind can only hold seven items (or chunks of items) in its short term memory. This is why regular telephone numbers only have seven digits. This is also why you often forget what you were supposed to do at your desk by the time you reach it, simply because about three people talked to you along the way and made you think about four other different things.

In the same way, keeping the number of steps to accomplish a specific process to five or seven will make it easier for your employees to commit them to memory. This also helps them transfer the steps more quickly from their short term memory to their long term ones, making them more efficient at it in a shorter period of time.

2.Add names or "titles" to describe each step
Again, this helps your team remember the steps better and faster.

3.Focus on the “why” of each step
When it's clear to your people -- and to you -- why each step is important, it helps everyone see the big picture of their different roles in your team. It allows them to take pride in their work even as they manage their "little tasks" behind the scenes.

4.Simplify each step
If you can describe a step in one sentence (plus points for you if you can add an illustration!) then do it!

5.Provide simple checklists and forms
Simple checklists and forms help your staff review and evaluate how well they did each action. This encourages them to think more creatively and proactively about their work, equipping them to avoid or deal with potential problems.

(Aileen Santos is an internationally certified Work-Life ReInvention Coach & A-Ha! Trainer who helps overwhelmed leaders & entrepreneurs achieve balance and success in the things that truly matter. If you want more "LightBulb Moments" of clarity and direction for your own situation, sign up for her free tips at LightBulbOnYourHead.com.)