How Can You Document Your Systems So They Are Actually Used
How Can You Document Your Systems So They Are Actually Used? Welcome to another episode of what with Charlotte do where I answer that for you.
Now, this is something that I see a lot, where business owners have created systems and processes, but they’re not used, and they are left to just go stagnant. And quite often, it’s the same reasoning behind why they’re not used.
What I find is that business has evolved. And the tools that we use have evolved and systemising and documenting hasn’t really evolved.
It’s kind of where it was. years and years ago. But the problem with that is, we don’t spend our time in the same places as we would have done years ago. So, for example, here, I use Asana, and I have set tools that I use every single day.
I very rarely go into my storage. And that’s because everything is set out in a user-friendly way, and an efficient way. That’s not going to be a time suck. If I’m sat there, going into my storage.
I’m sat there, looking around finding things and it takes longer to do a particular task.
What people have done is they’ve documented their systems on a Word document or a Google Doc. They’ve saved it in their drive or their storage. And then it’s a huge document that’s just got loads of writing and effectively it’s not very inviting. It’s not very user-friendly, and when you take on people. You have to remember that actually especially if you’re taking on someone that’s self-employed on a time-by-time basis. That you’re going to be paying them people to sit there and read through this huge document.
Now, the way that I recommend getting past that hurdle of actually creating systems that are used, is to evolve your systems.
So, create systems that are user-friendly and that you and your team are going to find easy to find and to use, and follow. So one of the ways that we do that is in our project management tool. And for me, that’s a sauna. And I have a very clear layout of what those systems look like.
So when I take on a team member. They don’t need to sit there reading a document that’s got loads of instructions and then when they do the task they have to sit down and try and figure out this document again. They have a very clear process that they can tick off as they go along.
And that means that when I’m saving time and the team is saving time. I’m therefore saving money, and I have a team that is happy to follow a process that means little it’s done consistently throughout. So a lot of the time when one of the team has done something for me so as an example for content.
If one of the team has done content for me. I can guarantee that you don’t know if that’s been me or if that’s been the team that’s done it.
And the reason behind that is because they’re following my system that he set out and it’s taken them less time than what it would if it’s documented in the document, and they are happier following that process. Of course, the caveat here is to have a set system, but be open to improvements.
Now, just because you’ve created a system. It doesn’t mean that that’s set in stone for the rest of your business life. So, as I’ve touched upon see tools evolve systems evolve things evolve in business, and you need to have an open mind that actually when you delegate a particular system to a team member that you want them to actually come up with improvements, the points around having the system there is to give a baseline of where that team member should start. So, how things are done currently.
And then if they know of different tools or if they know a way that’s actually going to give better results, then they’re going to be able to have that input.
They are going to then be able to take responsibility and update that system. So, again, it’s keeping that consistency. It’s keeping that foundation. That means that people are going to be happy to follow the system.
I hope that’s helped, and I hope that’s given you some food for thought around how you’re documenting your systems and processes. And how we as leaders, really need to evolve.
The way that we are doing things, and sure we’re we’ve evolved some parts of a business but we need to evolve the entire business we need to move with the times.
And one of the ways to do this is to look at what you’re currently doing, and see where you’re spending your time actually can this thing be incorporated into where you spend the majority of your time. So you were working more efficiently.
I hope that has answered How Can You Document Your Systems So They Are Actually Used.
If you have a question you want to be answered? Pop us a message and we will do that for you.
