Why Should Workflow Documentation Be More Than an After-Thought?

By Razelle Janice Drescher

Are you constantly fighting fires in your business? Do you blame your employees for not doing things the way you want? When something goes wrong, do you think “What’s wrong with that employee?” Do you ever think that all this might have something to do with you as the business owner? You have the power to establish and maintain smooth-running business operations that meet a standard you can count on. How? By putting your key systems/procedures in place to create shared expectations, agreement, and accountability.

If you haven’t paid attention to documenting your key practices and standards, then you’re missing out on some key opportunities:

1. To set yourself apart from your competition.
2. To support your employees for success.
3. To ensure a consistent customer experience that sets you apart in your marketplace.
4. To create a memorable brand.
5. To create clarity about how you want things done and the standards to be met.
6. To enhance the value of your business.

If a business is constantly in a fire-fighting mode, then the feeling in the business is often unsettled. Unfortunately, in this kind of setting, loyal employees often become the first line of defense. They go above and beyond to handle whatever has gone wrong, often at their own expense. They become the glue that holds the company together instead of valued employees supported by the company’s documented systems and training.

A business that is people-dependent instead of systems-dependent is a business at risk. Without the shared expectations that putting things in writing establishes, here are some of the things that can happen:

1. Lack of consistent customer service that represents your brand.
2. Employees make mistakes because they haven’t been trained properly.
3. New hires are thrown in on Day 1 without any clear direction. They have to fly by the seat of their pants.
4. Your standards aren’t met because there are no guidelines about what the standards are.
5. Your reputation suffers.
6. When it comes time to sell your business, there’s nothing in writing to add value to the sale.

What are the roadblocks to putting your systems in place?

1. You don’t know how.
2. You don’t have the time.
3. You don’t understand the price you pay without them.

The need for systems documentation in a business is a key element of a mindset for building a business that works. Some clients I’ve had dedicate a person to that accountability. I had one client who made systems building a part of each employee’s job. Those employees built the systems that they were accountable for. Other clients utilized me to help them build their systems via screen sharing. No matter how you go about it, finding a way to incorporate this important activity into your day-to-day operations is well worth the effort. And the result? Smooth-running business operations with many fewer mistakes and glitches that positively impact your sales, your customer experience, your employee experience, and your reputation. If you would like help putting your systems in place, call for a free Consultation – 707-326-5681.