ADVANCING STRONG SYSTEMS

When systems fail efficiency suffers. Every area of your work needs a system. Without a system, you lack consistency and put yourself at greater risk of making costly mistakes. Systems don't have to be complicated or overwhelming. Your systems are simply the way you get things accomplished. It's the who, what, when, where and why of your operation.

Sketch it Out

If it's not in writing, it doesn't happen. Successful leaders have written plans, procedures, policies, calendars, forms, etc. Without these things in place there is significant room for error from client-to-client, unit-to-unit or employee-to-employee. Written processes create a significant platform for building muscle memory and individual capacity. This is how you build a well-oiled machine.

Analyze to Identify Gaps

Look deep, look wide and look often. Leaders should always be on the lookout for what is needed to keep things moving forward.  This includes leaving no stone unturned, asking the most trivial of questions, including people from all areas and engaging those that you often disagree with.  Analysis brings light to what works and why.  It also guides us in planning and improvement efforts.

Build Capacity

Small beginnings can lead to great things. As you are putting systems in place, also take into consideration what things or people need to be improved as a part of the process.  Training, professional development and coaching are necessary performance improvement measures that cannot be minimized.  It is important to take into consideration where you are but it should not limit the potential of your future.

Examine for Success

If it’s broken - You can fix it! Once the systems are in place, your work is not over.  The next phase is to examine both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the system.  The decisions that are made in this next phase should take into consideration varying perspectives and include ongoing data analysis.  This is the time your team determines if what is in place is really working.

Reinforce what’s Working

Build on the foundation of success. When the systems are working well, it’s time to look towards improvement. The concept of growth requires that we stretch and increase or reinforce our efforts each time we plateau.  Without this outlook, we run the risk of becoming stagnant or imploding.  Although we should celebrate our accomplishments we should also reach for the next victory.

Sustain Forward Momentum

Always look for a better way. The contentment of having solid systems in place is the result of significant work, consistency and review. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is not knowing the difference between an emergency system and a sustainable system. An emergency system is typically focused on culture change or significant corrective actions – it’s often a triage approach.  Sustainable systems are put into place and are used as a means of maintaining efficient ongoing operations – this is what you build on.