Onboarding and training are necessary for a new team member’s growth. When people come into our companies, we have to make sure they learn to speak our language – learn to use our tools, follow our processes, and work the way we work.
The importance of having programmed processes in our company became apparent when specific necessary steps weren’t executed. We realized a client statement didn’t go out on time, and we once left out an action when we were closing a sale. I knew then that we needed to manage our workflows with set procedures.
When I began setting up our processes, I tried to do it for every part of the company. This effort turned out to be very successful. We were able to avoid many preventable problems, and we have also been able to operate consistently and with the quality we envisioned. I think this is where processes shine – they help you take care of the vital work that needs to be executed to operate as you envisage.
Process implementation is a necessity in any company. Set procedures standardize your operations and allow you to deliver your product consistently. Between one task and the next, they also help you and your teams ensure no one forgets the basic yet fundamental steps inherent in any procedure.
Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto (public library) presents a compelling case for using checklists in companies. He explains why procedures are so important, when you should use them and how to implement them. Throughout his book, Gawande provides useful advice on how to best work with checklists. He stresses the importance of formatting and how to present the content properly, for instance, which will help you get the most out of the processes at your company. The guidelines that Gawande describes will help you implement or improve upon your company’s processes.
When implementing a new process in a company, it takes some time to find a new rhythm of work. Routines and habits must change, and the team has to adjust to the new way of doing things. It requires patience, and sometimes, in the middle of the transition, you may wonder whether it will ever work.
Once the implementation is completed successfully, though, it’s beautiful to see. The process you had been working on now operates independently without you having to do anything about it. The team, the systems, and the processes have all adapted, and the new way of doing things is the new normal.
We juggle numerous tasks, day in and day out. The mountain of work can often seem to grow every day and the amount of work we need to do never seems to end. It is at times like these when it’s important to question the quality of the work we are doing. There are days when we may complete 20 different to-do list items, but what have we accomplished in the grander picture?
The to-do list is inevitable and quite powerful. It is the means through which our goals can become a reality, but it can also become a problem when it starts having a life of its own and controlling our lives. Instead, you can ask yourself the following questions at the beginning of each day:
What matters the most today?
What will have the greatest impact?
What is crucial today?
The ultimate benefit of processes is that they are adaptable. They are living organisms that can be modified as the company grows or changes. Because a structure with preexisting processes is already in place, it is easier to adjust, add, or remove responsibilities as the team grows and evolves.
When a new person joins your company, the current processes can provide the foundation from which you and the team can see what work is being done now and how it can be modified. From there, it is easy to reduce the workload for other members of the team, if necessary, and to assign new responsibilities.
Self-discipline is an often-overlooked trait that is vital for professional growth. It is one of those virtues without which our careers can never reach their full potential. Anything that is worthwhile takes work and dedication. According to Merriam-Webster, its definition is:
Correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement
Self-discipline is often uncomfortable and unpleasant. It usually involves sacrificing in the present for an action that will move you closer to reaching a goal such as implementing a new system by a deadline or writing a chapter of your book. The word itself can even have a military ring to it because it requires perseverance through the challenges we face. However, the only way to sustainably get to where we want to go is through following the rules and doing the work.
Without self-discipline, we would never get anywhere.