The Magic of Systems

Have you ever wondered how McDonald’s can serve perfect French fries every time?

Delivering this kind of quality and consistency worldwide is an impressive feat.

It’s even more impressive when you consider that those fries are mostly made by teenagers.

The same group of people whose parents can’t get them to clean their rooms!

The magic lies in systems.

A well-managed business runs on systems.

When you have systems in place: well-documented procedures, job descriptions, accounting and marketing systems – these systems run the business.

You’re no longer the bottleneck (the only person who can make a decision or who knows what’s going on.)

Well-established systems mean that your team knows what to do and how to do it.

They run the systems.

Your job is to lead those people.

To create great systems for your business, follow this simple guideline:

Systematize the routine and humanize the exceptions

85% of what you do is routine.

These are the things you do (or should do) the same way every time.

These routines should be well-documented with SOPs (standard operating procedures.)

This might sound like a lot of work.

The “secret” is to get your staff to do it instead of taking it on yourself!

More on this here: How to onboard your VA

10% to 15% of what you do will be exceptions to the system.

In these cases, you’ll need to intervene in order to get things done.

Then, ask:

“How would the system need to be changed so that this exception doesn’t happen again?”

Over time, your systems will get better and better.

Get people to run the systems

When you have documented systems in place, it becomes easier to train people.

This paves the way to being able to hire people based on their character and fit with your business.

To take this to the next level, implement a system for recruiting, hiring, and training.

More on this here: The Ultimate Guide to Building and Managing a Team

Then your job is to lead the people

Once again, leading your team can also be made easier through systems.

One of the most important systems to develop is your team meeting rhythm.

I always recommend that my clients begin with a daily huddle.

A final word: systems don’t need to be complicated!

Often, when we think of “systems” we think of convoluted multi-step processes.

In reality, the best systems are simple.

A simple thing like a checklist can make a massive difference.

Watch the video below to learn how – or even better – read the book!

Want some help creating systems for your business?

Creating simple systems to help the business run better is one of the things I help my clients with.

The first step in my “system” for working with clients is a 15-minute Fast Track Call.

There’s no fee and no sales pressure.

You can book one here: book 15 minutes with John