There’s a philosophy to follow when implementing and understanding business systems.
“Don’t let things you DON’T know, confuse the things you DO know!”
You may have heard this before? But where you really listening?
Hearing that statement from a friend, years ago, it stuck in my head like a tune you can’t stop humming. I’ve repeated this statement often!
My friend, a pastor, was sharing how certain passages in the Bible can be hard to understand on first reading. He said, “Don’t let yourself get derailed or discouraged because of something you don’t understand. However, take comfort in the things you DO understand, and the things you DON’T will become clearer down the road, with more knowledge and context.”
I’ve found that also to be true in BUSINESS!
Owners and managers often bemoan they, “DON’T know how to systemize” their business. “It’s just too complicated and overwhelming,” they say.
There Really IS an Elephant in the Room
I remember a story about a young sculptor who was given the task of sculpting an elephant for a certain rich lady. When she had a massive stone shipped to his studio, the sculptor sat and pondered it for days. How would he turn the featureless block into something that would satisfy this important customer? At first, he was quick to think, “I don’t know how!” But, finally the sculptor got up the courage to approach the great stone. Then wisely, began chipping away everything that didn’t look like an elephant.
You see, there were some things the sculptor DID know! In the same fashion, you KNOW what frustrations you are having in your business.
Begin with What You DO Know
The first thing I remind business owners and managers who call concerning where to start in systematizing their business is, “There is a lot they DO know, and therefore, that’s where they should start! The problems and frustrations caused by NOT having well-planned written systems, are a happening to small business owners every day. Therefore they should attack and begin fixing those DO KNOW FRUSTRATIONS, one system at a time. Regardless, whether they are a service company looking for field service engagement systems or a small business manufacturer seeking manufacturing job management software or solutions. A system is a system and a process is a process!
Here are a few examples of some things I believe you DO know (if I may call you Clyde):
DO KNOW #1 – Employees stop and interrupt you A LOT, as you pass them in the hall or in production:
“Hey Clyde, did you know the loading dock is not working and trucks can’t offload?”
“Mr. Clyde, my uncle Bob is coming to town and I need off this Thursday… is that OK?”
“Hey Clyde, I’ve asked my supervisor several times to order part SM4884 for the air compressor; now it’s down and I can’t do my job!”
DO KNOW #2 – You get calls from customers:
“Clyde, I just received my job and it’s folded wrong!”
“Hey Clyde, I just got my invoice—what in the h#%@ are ya’ll trying to pull, I’m not paying extra for that c#&%#!!”
DO KNOW #3 – You get calls on your mobile just after leaving your office
“Hey Clyde, there’s someone here saying they had an appointment with you.”
“Clyde, we have a problem! That large job we just delivered to the mail house is all wrong!”
“Mr. Clyde, I’m sorry to call, but you need to get back here! As a matter of fact, the production and bindery managers are having a screaming match in front of the employees and customers again!”
Remember… “Don’t let the things you DON’T know confuse the things you DO know!”
Get to Know and Understand Business Systems
With just a little thought and creativity, you can FIX the things you DO know, that are causing chaos in your company. Moreover, many fixes are very simple to implement with just a little initiative and team work.
Imagine, if you fix the things you DO know about, you will find you are 90% of the way to systemizing your entire business. For the other 10%, read a few books on the subject, like System Busters: How to Stop Them In Your Business. Yes, it takes a little effort and time, but, after all, you do say, “I seem to be wasting A LOT of effort and time lately!”
There you have it… that’s something you DO know! There’s a system to fix’em!
Did I mention? Great systems work!
Recent Comments