Team Success
Processes Are Vital
A Lot of Work?
by Ken Goodfellow, Goodfellow Coaching & Consulting Inc.
Have you ever wondered why some real estate companies are industry leaders and others barely stay afloat or go out of business? Many will answer that it is because they have been around the longest, have the biggest team, do the most marketing or have the most experienced CEO. While these may be contributing factors, they only represent a fraction of the real answer. The real answer is that industry-leading companies all have processes at the core of every aspect of their business. Without processes in place no business can operate at its peak.
In my hundreds of on-site visits, I have noticed one recurring area that is holding back businesses–a lack of concrete processes. From department to department, team members are doing their best to cope with daily routines with no set guidelines. If you think of professional sports teams, they have a playbook that gives them step-by-step directions for every play they need to execute. They know where they are supposed to go and when, but mostly they have a clear understanding of their main goal. I can’t imagine what would happen if a team just expected players to go out on the field and figure it out for themselves. If your business doesn’t have a firm set of processes for every team member’s position, then how can you expect to reach your goals?
BUILDING YOUR PROCESSES
My definition of processes is the steps and actions needed to achieve a goal. Processes are the operating manual for your business and encompass progress, actions, and methods. Every aspect of your business, and I do mean every aspect of your business, needs a clearly defined set of processes that outline what needs to be done, what takes priority, who is responsible for doing it, expectations for delivery, timeline and who is the next in command for questions or clarification. These processes must be in written form, easily accessible and reinforced with team members on an on-going basis. These processes are particularly useful when a team member is off sick, on vacation and can be invaluable for new hires.
A LOT OF WORK?
You may be thinking that creating and establishing all of these processes will be a lot of work, and initially I would agree with you. Instituting new processes inevitably brings about change that is likely to be felt in many departments and affect a large number of team members. Not everyone handles change the same way, and most businesses can expect to encounter at least one rogue employee who insists on maintaining the status quo and do things the old way. These maverick team members will either need to get on side, or leave the team as there is no room for people who don’t understand the importance of processes to the overall success of the business.
When well-defined processes are in place, your business will operate more smoothly and efficiently, your employees will be more confident, and retention rates will increase. Processes will become the catalyst for moving your business to the top.
This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of the REAL Trends Newsletter and is reprinted with permission of REAL Trends Inc. Copyright 2015.
