How To Work On The Business, Not In The Business - Keys to a Successful ISO Management System
Struggling, to get results, if you're a business, leader we're looking today at the process, to, get organized, and come up with meaningful things, to watch and manage in your organization. So that you can feel free as a business leader so you can work on the things you want to so, that in the end your business is fun profitable. Safe, sustainable, and, has, amazing. Processes. In place to help you to achieve the goals that you set I'm really excited to be talking about what you've been working on there. Are a bunch of business owners out there and business, leaders out there who, are constantly, struggling, to focus on what matters their, attention gets diverted. But. An NH and get achievements, so get momentum and get achievements, on the board certainly. From my perspective I'm. Looking. Internally all the time time about what we can improve and even, improving what we look at yes, I'm really excited to be sort, of unpacking. What that looks like and how, you've been helping people with, challenges like what I've got running this business it's, great to hear the way you're feeling about some of these things and, it's, important, obviously as a business owner to understand, through the organization. Some of the areas, that may be of concern, to you and, where the red flags may lie whether, it be with your management team your systems. Managers, and, your staff it's really important, so you know we we've got a really, tricky way a very, special way by which you can gauge that and that's test it's, a free test and it really gives you a feel at, any point in time exactly. Where you think you might be at as a business but, other people in the business like your management team what's. Their perspective, it's free you take that test you. Get your management team to take that test because what we've found is that the perception, of you as the business owner may not match that of the management team therein. Lies a bit of an issue. Our. Experience, is by looking at that and opening the conversation to that group within that facilitated. Session starts. To identify the issues, that become a work, in progress, for you guys to improve because that's the nub, of the issue right, so. I guess, from that starting point is to say well. Questions. Would be do you have a business plan show me the business plan know business plan and build a business plan with that management team based on the issues that presented and the things that you want as an owner because the. Why of the business is the thing that leads you to the outcome that you wanting to achieve. So. Outside of that we have these facilitated, workshops now they can be a bit of our G bar g but at least you know and you know in a trusty environment there's a conversation about planning, for the future planning. For success so the thing is that what you're wanting to feel is business, freedom, freedom. To focus on the next thing you. Can ask the question of the management team what is it they want what. Do they want to feel and what it would look like their ideals, seeing what would that look like. Are. They supported, do. They feel they have the the, processes. Or systems to, be able to administer. To a staff, group to make sure that they're on track and obviously. What we'll say there is that have, you conveyed as the business owner the mission vision and, values of the, business to the management team so. That they understand, that they're tied to it one they. Understand, the direction and they're, confident, in what they're doing, day-in day-out supports. The outcome for the business more, so as a business owner are. You, supporting, the management, team to be at their best that's. Your challenge, these. Are the questions that we asked to this workshop and you get a fair indicator pretty quickly of whether or not you're on track based, on our discussions. Previously, there are a set of numbers that need to be achieved this company, to be profitable one. What. Are those numbers. Are. Though, is, that group of people, supported. To that outcome and. If you cascade, that for a second and you go to the staff and the messages, that they're being hold. Do. Those met this is a management team, particularly. Have. The, opportunities. To be freed up to be taking care of the people in their charge so let's say we're all on track we've, all agreed to a plan, we're. Going to come back quarterly, to check that you're on track more than that is that, will give you the tools to, monitor, your progress through, that quarter, to ensure that you're on track and delivering, on the business plan all plans that you set out.
What. We've discovered, in. What, we do is that if we leave you to it to a full quarter by yourself which is the 12-week period things. Potentially. Golf track, so. What we've decided to do is that in, our model we build in a checkpoint every fortnight just, a simple phone call or an email how. You going with that Coby, are. There any blockages issues, that we would need to address that, might derail, the. Plan for the quarter so, this is how we focus and frame it up for you, again. With the end in mind business freedom supported, staff, what. Matters, is being measured and, staff, obviously are delivering on that so this is how we work, quarterly. With those intermittent, checks in between so I think we're wanting, to give you that support throughout. The process so, what you'll get as a CEO is, that sense of freedom you'll, have an aligned management. Team tied. To the mission vision and, values of the organization you'll, have it a team, around that, management team staff, that, understand, what, it is they're doing day-in, day-out no, confusion, and. Also you have someone, in assistance manager's role to be able to actually check on the things that matter to give you assurance, that the business is as it should be and the way you want it and give you the business freedom, that you want I tell, you like I absolutely. Hundred centigrade like that, and that's the journey yeah, and you. Know I'm sitting here thinking and listening to to. This and you know I'm putting the mirror up in front of myself and what. I'm looking for is that ultimate, like I'm. Looking for an outcome where my people are focused on the numbers and. No. No no no when they're focused on the numbers that, they actually change, their activities, and behaviors and adjust them themselves, to. Keep impaired, achieving, those numbers yeah so while. The, numbers may be up there like and it's like people speeding right there's this says, 60k is an hour in this section of road but everyone's doing 80 like. I don't, necessarily want them doing 80 I want, them doing like I don't want them overachieving, on the number because. The numbers are you know the numbers, of designing, systems that are designed around it so what. I'm looking for is, I'm. Looking for people I'm looking for a commitment and then I'm looking I'm actually looking, for the results, yeah so, I want to see a. Consultation. And agreement on the number and. Then. If. You, know like all the ways ask for a higher number because. If. I can have the higher number then all. The things make sense but. Sometimes, people come in and negotiate no the number, is actually gonna be lower, okay. Okay that's fine if you're going to get renegotiate, that number I need to go back and completely, redesign, my system view my. Organizational. Structure a number of people have had what, I'm also looking for is an understanding. From. People that, they affect the market, like they affect the other parts of the business that.
They Don't sit isolated, if I don't achieve my results it doesn't matter, because. It has a knock-on effect through the rest of the business and so. The value of the workshops, is that everybody's. We, think at, the moment that's the way we do it we get everybody together and, I. Can, say that after, going through this process over, a number over over, five years more. Than five years we've been going through these processes so that's five times four that's more than 20 workshops, here. At best practice. It. Takes time to get people to understand, that if, they negotiating, a different that the numbers that are discussed are based on a design, but if you change their number it's insane consensus. But. They, go oh it's okay it doesn't matter if I don't achieve my number but that has this massive again. This massive knock-on effect so, in those workshops having, the conversation, and saying okay is that number. Achievable. Yeah and if, they say no, then. Then I'm, also looking for an acknowledgement, that the, system has to be redesigned not. There. Will be no change because, we know that change is a constant so. The. Solutions. Essentially, that we've come up with through this process is let's, let's. Let's. Create the forums to have those conversations but. Gently, with people, so, that we can bring them into alignment. But. Also at, a. Pace where we hold people accountable so, that the business doesn't go broke in the process because. Because, as you've just explained, to me that is. The theme that matters, nothing. Happens in isolation these. Are the things that matter when aligned will deliver on what needs to be but, what I'll say is that you, can speak for, this, is. That. The. 20-odd workshops. Workshop. 1 to workshop, 20 it's. A very different conversation, but what, you did do and and, was obviously. A great move was to start with a workshop you got to start you got to start the. Year gonna start and then you got to do it without thinking right, so becomes a practice yeah as a part of your process with a trusted, group of people whereby. You can come in and test, how are we doing that's. Free test by the way you, can. Do the test and each time is a measure by which you are a mature maturing. Because, I think we've had the discussion recently, is that you look at that set. Of numbers and instruction, and organizational. Chart you're, getting closer we're. Getting close and, I'm so happy to hear you say as CEO my job is to convey that message, seven, times. Each. And every time so. This is your job but to be freed up to be able to focus on the message and not the doing is. Huge. Yes, as, a leader work you, know we want to free you know Carly's processes we want to free people up to work on the business instead. Of in the business because what happens is when what. Happens is you go double, time to. Try and protect, this, other part of the business because that. Area the business isn't getting their numbers mm-hmm that's reality so, so, you so what ends up happening is that you instead.
Of Working, on the business to solve the problem you go on hide in the doing in the business and you put, band-aids on things yes, so you, know there's. A there's a gentle process where people if, you, know if you've never done this before and, we've talked about you know how much stress this process, can cause that. In the past we've been in those sessions where. It's. Like you bring a sledgehammer in to start banging nails in when, you've been doing it gently yeah and and, it's a gentle transition into, into these discussions yeah so the. First I would say that the first outcome is to be able to empower people with the skills to actually can contribute, to the discussion, before, you actually the first outcome is people are empowered, to actually contribute the. Most understand from it's exactly right and and stressful and we had people in the first rounds of those discussions said I don't want to be involved you okay, fine that starts to impact whether people should sit, in a management seat or not any management so yeah so. Then you know even I've got to control my emotions like I've got to get to a point and I've evolved, where now I can sit in a lot of those workshops and not say a word because. It's the team working out how they got a well, it's the team working out how they're going to play the game yeah so, so. That's is, that what we're doing is next, practice. Facilitating. A forum where, the team works, out how they're going to play the game not. The leader dictating. How they go so that's the game plan that's an agree because, ultimately they're the people passing, the ball and, what gives you freedom is when the team can play the game by themselves, think about it how much joy do you get as a business, owner watching, that on and it may be rare but, those days when everything seems to work, it's. Wonderful, but, here you are as the coach effectively. Looking at that and saying fantastic. Guys great, work tweak. Here tweak there but as opposed, to wholesale, change tweet, tweet there these workshops, are an opportunity to come together to have that discussion because. I'm just stepped away from the game for a moment it's, more I've got perspective, that's all and they don't need to be wholesale, but small but, the thing about the workshops, I'll say is this is you, know that group, of people in there making. Those decisions which, you're a trainee in power that's fantastic, but you're still there guiding them tweaking. Coaching. Whatever it might be the, game of business, you've, spoken about that before yes, so that's really important, to understand where we see it is to say it's.
Coming Back to what we said about that, quarterly. Catch-up but. What you've done recently, and, I'm and. What. I've seen changes, that through. That quarter you're still having your, coach come, in and talk to you intimately, absolutely, this, is what we do that's the critical part you're create you know the critical role where I sit you know and what from, what I require this process is someone. Like Nick, and any. Other team from next, practice actually. Supporting. You through the small decisions, and I. Think we've learnt the lesson that wholesale. Change doesn't, work the. The wholesale, change that, you know was was, triggered, by previous, processes, that we went through it didn't work because, it created it, you. Could measure it in if you did blood tests on everybody in the business and measured cortisol, it drove, too. Much cortisol, into the business which caused the business to paralyze itself yeah so you think right let's do this whole style change let's try to grow this business, you. Know or change this business or rescue this business whatever that might be but for. The players that okay fair enough you need to reorder the seats and you need to decide what players are coming off the bench and onto the paddock I get. That but. With this wholesale, changes, you. Know we campaign, keep improving every day little. Tiny improvements each day towards. That greater outcome, not one massive, thing sure you go to the gym for one day all day you won't walk the next day you and that's that's, the wholesale change if, those of you that have ever been for a you, know a long run or a long walk or a long, hard session at the gym you can't walk for two days after that you. Make the hot you do you make the wholesale change in the business the business won't walk after. That just make small, incremental. Changes bad you said that because what and we're, fans of simon Sinek which, is I got a shrine to the guy at home yeah so. You. Know if if as managers. My, true. Job is. Not to be stuck. In the detail but. Purely to support the people in my charge, trust. And loyalty supporting. Those people, that's, my job my job isn't the project, it's the people that I need to be managing so as a. Business, I think what we're and, working, with clients is to give their management, team the freedom, as well to, work with, the, people in their team to support them, to do what they do that's, otherwise. I'll be tied up my focus goes elsewhere I'm not, taking the pulse I'm not checking and, there, could be problems that arise out of that left, unchecked people, will go off into there I think they'll work around the system so. I'll just I'm glad you said that because I reckon, my, job, to. Cover, to convey the leaders out there is to take care of the people in their charge first and foremost. Forget. The minutiae, it's about taking care of the people in my charge, as a business, owner your, management team directly, other people that you have in your charge sorry. It's, a bit broader than that there's a a whole team that's, as, you say can be a lonely place but. That's what you're charged with have you done tests on you yep, yep so, what did it tell you you should focus on. Resources. Systems. And processes, and. Governance. Was the other thing too I don't really have a governance structure as such so. If you looked at it from a start-up it's, very thin in terms of responses, you for instance because of that maturity have. A better idea of will. Have be more context, for you to say but I wouldn't, I wouldn't. Just leave it at you I would extend that to the management the, execs and they go through it too because, what. I found when I've worked with clients who have done it in management, teams they've got a set of reports where they're very different but. All that does is break, down the barriers for the beginning of the conversation to say I didn't. See it that way I thought. Gentleman, so removing, removing, that. Doubt. Because, the owner then who didn't say anything through the whole session funny enough he just listened have. Gone he's, gone him so I understand I've got some work to do because the message I'm conveying isn't isn't, getting through, that's. What we found as. A diagnostic tool and, tell. Me the solution for the. Work that needs to get the message through yet, so in.
This Instance there was a series, of workshops that we ran for the clients so realistically. If. We thought about from the owners perspective, he. Wasn't getting what he wanted out of the business because. He. Could see that. His. Vision values. And the, things that matter weren't being conveyed in. The absence of having that message, people. Were creating, things in a, vacuum, wasn't. Attached with anything so, we work with them to say from the very outset let's, do a business plan, get. It out of your head as the CEO, into a business plan, have. The management team buy into that business plan and, that. Way then they understand, what the message is from the owner and founder, more. Than that I think it was setting out the, key metrics, or the things that matter, that gave the CEO, some confidence, some. Confidence to begin with that they are on track with their planning. The. Big thing for him was to discharge, the duty and let go because as you. Know as an. Owner it's didi, Hart so, how do you let go. Confidence. In. The team around you I would suggest is a big thing and that's what we're seeing from client to client. They. Set out in. Their, given divisions but the things that matter which were numbers whether. It be dollars, or, processor, and outcomes for client satisfaction, you name it there were some key metrics that are put in place so everyone had that number yep. In. That they. Are able then to build sub, to that and discharge. The duties to set up processes, and systems for, their staff to follow as a winning formula, to deliver on that number outside. Of that was. Then to work on the cultural, piece with staff, that. Gave them the, confidence that they were tied into a bigger picture it's. All cascading, from the owner through. The staff that they understood that their daily actions by following this winning formula leads to an outcome and getting the number which is tied to the greater vision of the organization it's. A very powerful, Segway, but. It. All started, with the tests they, did the tests they. Got a feel for. Exactly how each, of them interpreted, the business now they work together for 30 years but they didn't see the business the same way go. Figure. So. For you as a business owner and thinking about where you sit as the. CEO, of best practice and thinking, about, what. You want is business freedom. It's. Just that there's that the opportunity, to benchmark. Your. Thoughts against your management teams thoughts.
To, Make sure that they're aligned, so. If you're a business leader that's. Looking to have your team focused. And achieving, the numbers and looking, at and working on the right things that matter if you're, a Systems Manager if, you're or if you're in a management team and you're leading a smaller team and you want to have those guys focused, on communication. Focused, on consulting, with each other and focused, on achieving. And, achieving. The numbers or, if you're part of a team and you're part of a team that you would like to see your team performing. And your team achieving, amazing, numbers, with, good quality, communication, good, quality guidance, and planning, around what what's, our direction then. This is something to have a good look at so thanks for coming in so. Few guys if anything. In here has sounded, familiar if it's something that's resonated. With you we've talked through the process, of having team engagement. Through. Workshops. Facilitating. A process, to unpack, the, things that really matter and look at and measure and monitor the. Things in the business that really matter so. The next practice process, has been amazing it, starts with a diagnostic. Tool that will give you a report that's, a great process to continue to revisit to give you continual, benchmarks, of how you're improving and then. The ultimate goal that we're looking for is when you where do you picture yourself in, 1224, months time is, with. A great team that you're, leading achieving. Results you. Can actually see the results so the numbers on your graph today are, very. Much improved from the numbers from 12 months ago and in fact you might be looking at different things things that matter so, if this is sounding amazing reach out to next practice Nick's got a great LinkedIn, profile, so find Nick on next, practice or direct. Message me on LinkedIn, at, Kobi, Simmons my, LinkedIn handle and I'll put you in touch with Nick particularly, if you send me an InMail on LinkedIn I'll add Nick to the conversation, and where you can ask some questions and questions, are the great way to unpack, whether, this is going to be something that works for you and we'll see you next time right here or best practice TV bye for now thank you thank, you.
2018-08-29 22:52
