We're going to start this assignment off with a review of your vision, to get back to that as a plumbline after all these other homeworks and processes. Let's make sure the things you are doing are in alignment with where you want to go. You'll also need it next for where we're going with this module, particularly the part about business structure, and how big you want it.
I don't know if you saw yourself doing all the work in the business, but undoubtedly, there'll be things you'll want to outsource. We kind of went there on the Optimize, Automate, Delegate module, which was a precursor to this. If you haven't done that work, you won't be able to fully do this, because you need to have a solid process first for how you do things.
You can have a business, or you can have a job. If you are the grunt worker in your own business and everything bombs when you're not there, you have a job and most likely one without security. If you are the president, chief cook and bottle washer, that's probably necessary in the beginning, but is not a role you need to settle into.
Ultimately, you need a business that can run without you. You need consistent income coming in whether you're actively working, sick, going through a personal crisis, or taking a sabbatical. I realize for many, your business is very "you centric" and your expertise is what sells or gets the results for people. This is why a service-based business needs to develop products as well, so you have a branch of the business that can be managed by someone other than you or completely automated.
You might even want this to be a business you can sell later, or something your family can inherit. You also might want to have multiple locations/branches.
A necessary feature of your business has to be a consistent experience for your customers. If you or your team constantly and arbitrarily change the experience for your customer, it violates their expectations which were set in their first interaction with your company. They made a choice to return because of a prior good experience, and if you are shaking things up, it leads to insecurity and going somewhere where at least they know what they're gonna get.
You may have worked out a process so that you're not all over the place, but if you bring other people on board and give them the main objective and get out of the way, there goes your consistency. Also you need to give yourself credit as an expert who might know a thing or two about the right way to get a task done since you've been doing it yourself the whole time. You need to show em how it's done. More than that, you need to fully document it and insist on a specific process.
I'm a big fan of people using their brains. I really wish they would do it more. I can't help challenging them when I see them mindlessly going along, so in the beginning, I would teach by explaining the objective, and why we do it the way we do. I figured they would occasionally get into situations where we would need to improvise, and if they knew the why's and wherefores, the improvisation would come out better.
I also wanted people to find their own flow and efficiency/accuracy because I appreciated the room to do that as an employee and felt that I did a better job when allowed that rather than being micromanaged.
Yeah. Sadly most people, especially "employees" or slave-minded people do not know how to think and reason, or how to be efficient. When I say "employees" what I am referring to is the psychological identity rather than what station one is in life. Employees think nothing like a business owner. They are unable to see things from your perspective and unable to see the cost to you of their actions or inaction. They don't think in terms of "the best way." They are slightly more than robots. Sigh.
You ultimately need to create processes and learn to work with the robots and when you find a thinking person with the lights on, or you manage to convert one of the robots, you promote them. Then they can manage the next robot and you'll still deliver consistency.
So we'll start at the bottom with the robot jobs, but to do that we need to map out all the positions that running your company entails. This will vary according to your business, but here's an example
At the top is the COO, Chief Operating Officer. Reporting to the COO is the head of marketing who is accountable for finding new customers and getting back in front of previous ones. The head of operations is accountable for keeping customers by delivering what is promised by marketing, and for being efficient and delivering quality products. The Finance dept supports both marketing and operations in the fulfillment of the things they are accountable to the COO for. Finance also secures capital at the best rates possible when needed.
Reporting to the head of marketing are the Sales Manager and an Advertising Manager. Reporting to the advertising manager are a copywriter, graphic designer, video editor, and market strategist.
Reporting to the head of operations are the production manager, shipping manager, warehouse manager, customer service manager and purchasing. Of course all of those managers have staff.
The Finance dept will have accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and govt compliance.
You'll also have Human Resources, with a Training and Development Coordinator reporting there.
Right now all that is probably all you. We haven't even named off the customer service agents, the dohickey makers, the janitors. (Who is cleaning this place? Seriously!)
So you get to start on the low end. As you're working customer service, as you're working production, you document each thing a person in those positions is responsible for. This ultimately is a job description that sets clear expectations and standards of accountability.
You'll also document all your processes. Where there are decisions that have to be made, you'll document how you make those decisions. "If this, then that." Only when you've gotten your method worked out and documented do you hire. Then you can hire who you want to hire. You don't need experience, you hire good attitudes.
As much as I hate video I tend to gravitate to training videos. It's often easier to show and tell rather than just tell. Yet there still needs to be enough written documentation that is easily referred back to. Flow charts, checklists, and simple graphics along with your more thorough initial training. When doing videos it's best to stay short and hyperfocused on single tasks.
People need to have purpose. For probably most here, our day job wasn't all the fulfilling. We need to feel like we are making a difference rather than just making money. How can you impart that to your staff? Let them in on your big vision. Or at least the outward parts where your customers get something major out of it. Remember your very first challenge assignment where you had to see your product or service much bigger than it is in the natural? Let them be a part of your revolution. You're willing to work really hard and do all the things because that purpose is burned into you. They won't care to the depths that you do, but being more than a cog in a wheel with the whole point being a paycheck makes a difference.
Homework:
1.Create your companies positions and heirarchy. Create detailed job responsibilities for each position as is needed now. (I have a full sheet of paper for each, so more can be added later.) Put your name on everything that is currently your responsibility.
2. Identify one or two "low man on the totem pole" jobs and start documenting procedures and processes for that job. Get a binder, label it your "Operations Manual" and work on filling it as you get your processes figured out for each position. If things blow up and you need to hire and grow quickly, you won't be stuck doing this last minute. If you get Covid and are out for a month, family and friends will have something to work off of.
Optional Homework:
If you feel like this is something you really need to dig into and implement fully, check out the book E-myth Revisited.
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