I had an interesting conversation with a client just yesterday.  He runs a small business and has one of his staff members asking him for a significant pay increase.  They’re already paid well above industry’s  standards, and really, for what they’e doing, they’re at the limit of what they should be getting paid.

His problem is this, their position isn’t systemized.

There are no instructions, no procedures that would allow anyone else to do that job. At the moment, even though it’s all amicable, to some degree he feels he’s being held over a barrel. He feels he’s got few options but to pay more because he can’t afford to lose the person he’s got. Sounds familiar?

Well, the big news is this, it’s his fault.  No one, including yourself is irreplaceable in your business.  When you design your business, so that people just go about doing their work and keep all their knowledge about their role in their head, you are always going to be victim to a situation like this.

The answer to this of course is good systems, which will allow you to priorities procedures in an efficient and systemized way.

1.) A back up plan if people leave – Your systems make it so that if someone leaves your business for whatever reason, it’s less traumatic than it needs to be. Other team members can step into the breach and take over easily until you get a replacement.

2.) Makes it easier and more effortless for new people to get up and speed fast – Your systems become a core of your training for people. The step by step instructions they provide give you a structure to walk them through, something to work with without you having to sit over their shoulder, and a constant reference point for all those questions they have when they are learning the ropes.

3.) It sets a standard – By listing out how things are done, you can also list out the level that needs to be done to. That way you don’t need to constantly engage in those annoying questions about how well something was done or not, it’s there in black and white.

4.) It’s easier to improve what you can see – It’s a lot easier to sit back and work with someone else to find out how to make it easier, simpler, better for everyone involved. After all, the whole process is sitting there in front of you.

Don’t be held hostage to invaluable people just because you don’t know what they do. Your business is far too important to rely on any one person including yourself.

Get Moving: Write a long list of all those tasks that gets done on a regular basis. This is your starting point to create your procedures manual.  

Article by – Steve Smit – Reality Conulting – www.realityconsulting.com.au