Systematizing (Without Dehumanizing!) Your Business

Last year one of my business coaches said something that, at the time, blew my mind: “If you are struggling in your business, you’re probably lacking a system.”

With everything else going on, it can feel overwhelming to navigate Systems jargon, but let’s give it a whirl:

• Policies are a set of rules guided by strategic direction to ensure compliance and alignment. Think what you MUST do.
• Systems are made up of people, technologies, and various processes working together to create an output. Think WHO does WHAT and HOW things are related.
• Processes outline general steps in a repeatable workflow, such as how to create and post social media content. Think WHAT you do.
• Standard Operating Procedures “SOPs” spell out these steps in more detailed instructions. Think HOW you do it.

It’s common for big-picture visionaries who prioritize new relationships and growth opportunities to overlook some of the internal systems, processes, and procedures needed for things to run smoothly.

As a full-time entrepreneur who falls into the category above, I have been deeply involved in putting the right systems in place, but doing so in a way that preserves human touch.

The main question I’ve been wrestling with is, How can we systematize (our business processes) without dehumanizing (our clients’ – and our own– experience)?

After months of sorting through the best way forward, I’m now focused on implementing the most critical system – named in parentheses – in each of the following three major business areas: 1. Marketing & Sales (e.g. CRM with marketing automation), 2. Fulfillment (e.g. membership portal), and 3. Operations (e.g. simplified project management tool).

Let’s take a look at these same 3 areas of your business, using my experience as a reference point.

1. Marketing & Sales – Where might there be a breakdown in attracting the right people interested in your products and services? Is it in knowing your target audience? Is it in your messaging or content? Is it in your ability to nurture leads?

Once you isolate your top struggle in Marketing & Sales you can see where the opportunity lies to implement a system – a solution– in response.

In the case of my company, our top struggle in this area was consistently following up with people interested in our internship services. Our “tech stack” (number of software platforms supporting our business) kept expanding, yet we had not automated the processes necessary for people to easily get what they needed online.

To resolve this, I invested in a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software platform with a robust marketing automation suite and am thrilled I did. We are well on our way to scaling now that we finally have the right infrastructure– and offerings, may I add.

2. Fulfillment – Where might you be struggling to keep your paying clients/customers happy? Do you feel disconnected from them or their current experience? Do you worry they’ll stop buying from you or leave a bad review?

Once you isolate your top struggle in Fulfillment you can see where the opportunity lies to implement a system – a solution– in response.

In our company, we rolled out a new virtual membership program to a small group of founding member organizations– just a month after my mother passed away. The launch had been scheduled for three months prior, but my mother’s care took precedence. While we didn’t have all the pieces in place, I knew enough to take imperfect action and moved forward just as my mom would have wanted me to do.

One of the pieces I had not yet figured out was an online portal, a learning management system, for our paying members to access membership materials in a simple, organized manner. Once I looked into it, our new CRM offers a Membership feature that my team and I are setting up now to better support current and future members.

3. Operations – Where might you feel disorganized or stressed in running your internal business operations? Is it in the hiring, firing, or managing of team members? Or perhaps it’s keeping up with the books? What about changing insurance or tech requirements?

Once you isolate your top struggle in Operations you can see where the opportunity lies to implement a system – a solution – in response.

In our case, I was not delegating or tracking tasks effectively. We had a project management system (examples include Asana, ClickUp, Monday.com), but we avoided it because it was not set up well. I was so frustrated. Can you relate?

While I strongly recommend that teams utilize a shared project management tool like the ones I’ve mentioned above, here are 5 tips on optimizing whichever platform you choose– to make the system work for you:

• Select and implement a project management system that suits your needs and will be used consistently by key stakeholders
• Name and describe your project clearly, including key deliverables and collaborators who will be assigned tasks related to the project
• Design your project management system in a way that works for you and your team– or you may become more frustrated and not use it at all
• Assign bite-sized tasks (and often subtasks) to specific people by certain days and times to prevent confusion and/or missing deadlines
• Designate a specific person to regularly input tasks into your project management tool

By no means do all systems come in the form of software, but why not leverage the right tools to lighten your load whenever and wherever possible? NOTE: These tools will still need to be customized and humanized to be most useful.

Not sure about you, but I used to feel constrained by the thought of systems. Now I feel relieved by having them. In fact, when we experience a personal crisis or setback, as I did, having the right systems in place can save us from additional agony.

I invite you to think of systems as solutions. And, in my view, truly sustainable solutions require the occasional pulse check by real live human beings like you and me.

To Your Success!

Amy

P.S. If you are a busy organizational leader interested in learning how to leverage interns to meet your growth goals, feel free to email me with questions at [email protected]. Please also mention if you are interested in attending our FREE Virtual Networking Event on Thursday, May 30th @ 12:30pm ET.