subject: Extraordinary Business - Get a Process on It! [print this page] Extraordinary Business - Get a Process on It!
I had that experience, recently, with one of the largest and oldest telecom carriers in the industry.
The interesting thing about it is that everyone I spoke with, including the telephone system (IVR or voice mail jail), were quite polite. Unfortunately, they didn't possess the knowledge (training?) required to get me to the right person in the right area to resolve my issue.
It was like going on vacation, having a wonderful destination in mind, but being sidetracked, repeatedly, by traffic, weather, road closings, etc. After dealing with the issues for what I decided as begin far too long, I was beginning to wonder if the resolution was worth it. Forty-five minutes later, I began to wonder if they were the right company for my needs, and why I was paying them for this level of frustration.
Again - it wasn't the individuals, at all, that bothered me. They claimed to be understanding and attentive, reflecting each of my concerns and letting me know that they would do their best to help me. (I think by the time I'd reached the third person, they stopped asking if they had provided outstanding service and if there was anything else they could do for me. They didn't ask me if I would do a survey for them, either, which I thought was odd.) However, they continued to forward me to other departments that supposedly could handle the issue, and they couldn't call the other departments to ensure the issue was handled correctly.
To date, the issue is not resolved, I am extremely disappointed with the company and now I am blogging about it. Yes, I am seeking another solution. This seems to be the logical progression of mismanagement of resources
Hmmm...what about your processes? Do you have a number of components in place, but an imperfect process to get your activity from a to z? Are you leaving your customers with unpleasant experiences, not because of your personality, or that of your team, or your products and/or services, but by delays in the way that situations and resources are managed? Are you leaving them in the dark, or confused about the next steps in the process?
Processes take the guesswork and delays out of "what happens next?" This could be in sales, marketing, customer service or any other area of your business that you need to do, repeatedly. Personal productivity Expert, Peggy Duncan, reminds us that "if you have to do it more than once, you need to create a process for it." It's just that simple.
Creating a process isn't simply a matter of talking about it...it is a matter of writing it down, which will serve for several purposes:
Visualizing the process will help you and others on your team see, immediately, if everything makes sense.
You can put a dollar value to the process (how long does it take, who needs to do it and how much do they earn) in order to determine the total cost of the activity.
You have a foundation for continuous improvement. You can conceptualize ways to make the process easier, and move toward integration of assets to improve the process. For example, if you are in sales, that might look like finding an intuitive CRM system for the sales team to use.
You can pass the process along. When bringing new team members into the team, being able to walk them through the process and give them documentation to reinforce the training will make the training process more efficient (as in costing you less).
You can determine the best person for the job. For example, if you, as the business leader, are used to doing the lion's share of the business development activities for the business. Are there parts of the process that other people (who cost the business less than you do) could do? Are there parts of the process members of your team might dobetter than you do?
To create a process, you need a few things.
Sticky notes and something to write with
An understanding of what needs to happen
Room to work. The more steps in your process, the more room you will need. You might consider using a wall if you have access to one with enough space
Write the destination, or what you hope to accomplish on the first sticky note. If you begin with the end in mind, you won't end up getting off track. Then, write down each step on individual sticky notes. For example, if you were going to create a process around going outside, one of the steps would be check the temperature. That would go on one sticky note. The next one might say something along the lines of determining what clothing to wear based on the temperature.
Next, you'll put the steps of the process in order. Without adding your resources (people, software, etc.), review it, and review it, again. Leaving your resources out will allow you to be objective, so you can see, clearly, if you need to realign resources with steps. Are there steps in the process that need to be added? Are there extra steps? Are there things that could be done better.
On separate sticky notes, decide what resources will be used for what steps, and create a sticky note that you can stick to the process step. Again, using the sticky notes versus writing on the step, itself, will allow you to realign resources with processes.
Once you are satisfied with what you have created, write it down. Now let your team review it and try to break it. Address the "what if" scenarios. Address the concerns that your team shares with you about certain steps in the process. Realize that you may not be able to meet everyone's concerns, make an effort to discuss them, and offer logical explanations (it's in the best interest of the company doesn't quite cut it). Make any necessary updates, and work with your team to implement the process.
Remember, you will need to review your processes periodically to make adjustments. Getting better at what you do and how you do it is a hallmark of business success.
Separating your company from being a mediocre one will require a bit more work. While things might not immediately move extremely quickly, if you are able to look at the longevity, stability and profitability of the organization, you will find that the extra work lays the groundwork to launch you from ordinary to extraordinary.
Rick Meekins is passionate about helping business leaders start, run and grow extraordinary businesses. He focuses on helping leaders clarify their business goals and develop strategies to achieve them. He is a strong believer in alignment between people, purpose, passion and pursuit. He believes that people working in alignment with their individual purposes is the foundation for successful businesses and successful communities.
Mr. Meekins is the Founder & Principal at Aepiphanni: The Business Strategy People, a boutique consulting firm based in Metro Atlanta, Ga. Aepiphanni is a Business Strategy Consulting Firm dedicated to providing leadership and direction in the areas of operations, communications, branding, leadership and marketing. Their work has helped business owners expand their businesses, increase revenues, reduce costs and pursue sustainable futures. For further information, please contact them, directly, at 678-265-3908, email them atinfo@aepiphanni.com, or visit their website athttp://www.aepiphanni.com.
