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Systemizing Your Business: Start At The End!

By Sandye · Comments View Comments

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Thoughts from your Systems Goddess, Sandye Linnetz, Process Prodigy

Confused by the title of today’s blog? What’s that mean, “start at the end”? Isn’t that contrary to everything we’ve ever learned? Didn’t Mom and Dad teach us to “start at the beginning” and didn’t Julie Andrews, as the Singing Nun, implore us to “start at the very beginning. A very good place to start…” Common sense tells us to start at the beginning… good business demands that we start at the end.

At Process Prodigy we suggest that to build an effective system you first look at the way it is now – where are you? Then decide where you want to be down the road – where are you headed? And, finally, create a road map – how are you going to get there? Take a closer look at that process; the way systems are developed and you’ll see that, to create a truly effective plan, the roadmap to success, you really have to start with the END; the way it is going to be when the work is done. It is only when we can identify our destination, when we have the clear vision, know what we want and where we intend to be, that we can create the path to that future.

Think about airplane pilots. They can “head east” and hope to hit a city that will satisfy their fares, OR they can decide where they are headed, invite passengers who want to go there, map out a flight plan and get there! Clearly, they could still be excellent pilots and have new, modern equipment, but without a destination and a flight plan they are literally “going nowhere fast”!

The same rules apply to us… in business and in our personal lives. Let’s look at goal setting for a one-year plan. And let’s hone in on just one area for practice. One year from today I want to weigh 110 pounds and be able to run a 10k. Well, that’s a lofty goal and it will take some planning on my part. In order to loose the weight safely I would like to loose about 1 pound per week. That will put me at my goal weight early and allow me to create and follow a maintenance plan so that the weight stays off. By the 3 month mark I should have my “life style exercise and diet plan” designed and in place. In order to do that, I will talk to a diet coach and a trainer by the end of the 1st month. (Do you see where starting at the end is enabling me to create a plan for success?) To be able to run a 10k I should be training and planning to run a 5k about 8 or 9 months from now, and a mile a few months before that. In order to run that mile I will have to increase my stamina, buy new running shoes and… you get the drift, don’t you.

Grab a piece of paper and a pencil… or the computer… and start writing out your plan. BUT START AT THE END!!!

© 2008 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveal the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600%, and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com/ezine and grab your FREE systems starter kit valued at $297.00.

Categories : Goals, Process Design, Systemizing

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Systemizing Your Business: BE WITH THE QUESTIONS

By Sandye · Comments View Comments

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

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Thoughts from Sandye Linnetz, Systems Goddess, Process Prodigy

There’s some stuff we know – not a lot; and we KNOW that we know it. We know personal stuff like our name and age, many of our clients, most of our products, some random factoids and maybe some technical info. No questions here… we KNOW this stuff flat.

Then there’s the stuff we don’t know – bigger pile of stuff, and, no surprises here, we KNOW that we don’t know these things. Probably don’t know how to do brain surgery, catch a bear, bake a perfect souffle or the last name of the guy at the gas station. See? We KNOW that we don’t know.

Finally, there’s that “new frontier”… It’s the unimaginably HUGE mass of data that we haven’t even begun to imagine. It’s all the stuff that we don’t even know that we don’t know. It’s the world of “ah-ha” and “holy cow”. It’s that volume of knowledge that took mankind from the view of world is flat to “earth is round”. It’s most of what’s out there… waiting to be discovered. Am I getting a little too new agey for you? Okay, let me take it down a notch…

When you approach your business from the standpoint of “I know” (what works, what to do, how this should be, what would be better) you leave no room for discovery – no room for new ideas. You will probably end up doing more of the same… some of which will work – for a while at least – most of which will prove that insanity is doing the same thing over and over when it didn’t work to begin with!!!

So, first off, formulate good questions. Take stock of where you are, how things are going and what you are doing NOW. Next determine what your goals and objectives are; where do you want to get to? Nice work, so far. Now, the questions. NOTICE THAT MOST OF THE QUESTIONS WILL MOVE YOU TO ACTION (without which, results don’t show up)! You fill in the blanks:

What would I need to DO/change/create in order to reach each goal?
How would I have to BE (act/behave/respond to others) to have the results I want?
What interim goals must I set and achieve to reach my objectives?
What actions on my part will create interim success toward reaching my goals?

Actually write down your questions. Don’t write them down with the intention of handling this like an SAT test. There’s no hurry. There may be many “right answers”.

When you ask a question you could:

ANSWER BASED ON WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW
RESEARCH IT BASED IN WHAT OTHERS KNOW – THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW
BE WITH THE QUESTION… LET IT STEW… BE OPEN TO WHAT COMES UP

When you allow yourself to simply ask a question and then allow answers to show up around you, they will. And, you maybe surprised at how creative and unexpected those answers will be. And, look, you’ve created a process for asking questions!

Categories : Goals, Planning, Problem Solving, Questions

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How to Systemize Your Business: Everybody WINS!

By Sandye · Comments View Comments

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

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Thoughts from Sandye Linnetz, Systems Goddess, Process Prodigy My daddy always said, “The best deal is the one where everyone walks away feeling like a winner”. I heard the words, and I understood what he meant, but I didn’t really “get” what that meant in the big picture. Sure, I understood that a mutual win would leave everyone feeling good, and yet, somehow, I missed his point. I mean, seriously, wouldn’t someone have to “lose” in any deal? Wouldn’t someone always have to give up what he/she really wanted? What could that be like? Personally, I didn’t really see how that could work… until recently. A world where everyone wins? What a great paradigm – and how unlike the world we know!As children, winning was an absolute. You either got your way, or you lost. We demanded, we cried, we begged and we pouted. Sometimes that worked. Sometimes we negotiated, but almost always from a position of “this is the way it is”. The way we saw things was the ONLY way to see things. It was all about our personal point of view.Remember the ancient tale of the blind men and the elephant? A group of blind men were asked to describe an elephant. Each touched a different part of the elephant and was asked to tell what an elephant was. The blind man who stood at the front of the elephant felt the trunk, one touched a tusk, others felt the tail, body or legs. Each described what they experienced as elephant, and in comparing those experiences, found that they were in total disagreement! Each man was absolutely positive about his experience and all of the men were correct. Get it? Each point of view was valid… no one was wrong; it was simply a difference of perspective.Consider that we all have points of view, and, like our fingerprints, everyone’s is unique. Our points of view are personal to us; based on our history, biases and so much more. None are wrong, all are valid and all are different. It’s the difference of perspective – the partial-truths – that keep us stuck in our point of view. It’s actually pretty amazing that we, as humans, can ever agree on anything.So, is it ever possible to design a solution where everyone wins? Absolutely! It’s not easy, but it is simple. Here are some steps to take – a system, if you will, to reach an agreement that works for everyone.First set the ground rules for your discussion. This can be as simple as setting rules for topic, time, place and who’s included. You may even want to talk about acceptable behavior. It’s vital to have a shared commitment to respect all points of view as valid – not as RIGHT or the TRUTH – just valid. It is also vital to get clarity, and mutual agreement on what the problem is… you may be surprised that you even view the basic problem differently. Write out the mutually accepted “problem”.Next determine your shared goals for outcome. What decisions have to be made? What do you want to accomplish? When this is clearly stated, write this down, too.Invite each person involved to clearly state their position – without interruption. List all of the positions.Now it’s time for dialogue. What is each point of view? What is each point of view based on and has each participant agreed to look at and consider the other participants’ points of view? Remember, and remind each other, that a point of view is just that… ONE way to look at a situation. Not necessarily right, but definitely valid. The first step toward consensus is usually consideration of all the different ways one could view any given situation. Listen to each other – really listen. Listen for what each person is committed to achieving. Find the common denominator. It is there.Finally, once the common denominator of a shared goal is found, brainstorm possible solutions. Make a list. Each participant, exercising the muscles of listening without judgment and looking at new possible perspectives, will be able to add to the pool of information and ideas. Take a little time to consider possible solutions… even by combining a few different ideas. A mutually acceptable solution and, thus, a group win is now available.It’s a paradigm worth living in… everybody wins!© 2007 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveals the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, the Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600% and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com and sign up to receive the Process Prodigy Ezine, “Your Tips” and the FREE Report “How to Save Yourself Time Energy and Money”.

Categories : Communication, Goals, Planning, Problem Solving, Purpose, Success, Systemizing, Teamwork, Work Environment

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How to Systemize Your Business: Staying in Contact is a Contact Sport

By Sandye · Comments View Comments

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

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Thoughts from Sandye Linnetz, Systems Goddess, Process Prodigy

Contact… and staying in it, that’s what works in all relationships. Whether it’s a vendor, a client or your mother, keeping up the communication and being fully expressed can make the difference between living in the past or being in the NOW.

Rather than “wondering” what people are up to, or just thinking about them, consider making the contact… now and in person, instead of just in your thoughts. Recently a friend shared this with me: When a thought about someone pops into your head, stop and contact them. You never know what the result will be… And, making that connection could produce a miracle! It may be that your vendor is just about to have an amazing sale. Your client may need something. Your mother may want to share a memory. That old friend may be thinking about you, too. How often have you commented that, “Wow, I really made that call at the right time?”

Just recently I had a thought about a friend in Texas. There had been no contact for quite a while; both of us guilty of ignoring the “urge” to find out how the other was doing. So, I picked up the phone and called. As it turned out, he was as happy to hear my voice as I was to hear his and he was actually going to be in California (where I am) two days later! We marveled at the “timeliness” of my call. End result???? We actually got to spend time a great together and I reconnected with his family who included me in an amazing New Years Eve celebration after he left. At the party I made a dozen new acquaintances who will, undoubtedly either become new friends or business associates.

“I was just thinking about you!” “You called at the perfect time! I was just dialing you!” “This is perfect, I need some ____ and I can get it from you.” “I was just talking to ____ about you. Do you want to do some work for him?” No conversation is without value, and neither is a connection. You know that, don’t you? Pick up that phone and make the call or type up that email. When you are on the playing field of life and actually PLAY, amazing things happen. So, consider this an invitation to get out and PLAY. Make that connection and do it NOW.

Make a list of people you haven’t spoken to in a while and start re-connecting. Get out on the playing field. Who can you call? Who’s been on your mind? Who have you put off contacting because of time, fear or stubbornness? Yep, those people… You can’t win if you don’t play and staying in contact is a contact sport!

© 2007 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveals the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, the Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600% and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com and sign up to receive the Process Prodigy Ezine, “Your Tips” and the FREE Report “How to Save Yourself Time Energy and Money”.

Categories : Communication, Contacts, Customers, E-mail, Employees & Contractors, Goals, Motivation, Networking, Planning, Purpose, Success, Time Management

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How to Systemize Your Business: STOP, LOOK and LISTEN

By Sandye · Comments View Comments

Friday, January 4th, 2008

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Thoughts from Sandye Linnetz, Systems Goddess, Process Prodigy

Those were the rules, remember? When you got to the corner your assignment was to STOP. LOOK – both ways – and then LISTEN for any unforeseen danger before attempting to cross the treacherous divide of an auto infested street. That pretty much worked, didn’t it? As advice goes, that was a good piece for all of us. We heard it so often –as children- that it became ingrained in all of us and, as adults we still cross the street with that tidbit in the back of our heads.

So, how can we use that wise counsel in other areas of life? When is it vital that we STOP, LOOK and LISTEN? Consider that we can use that coaching in all areas of our lives.

Life is about crossing streets… making decisions, changes and moving ahead.

Before we do any of those things it behooves us to STOP and examine where we are. LOOK to see where we are going. LISTEN for the ideas, advice and clues to get there; safely and efficiently. Oddly enough… or perhaps you’ve been reading these blogs long enough to expect it, this childhood triad would also be an excellent model for designing the systems and processes for your business. Just as your process for crossing the street is simple and has become ingrained through repetition, the systems and processes you create and implement for your business, when practiced over and over, become simply “the way it works” in your company. It doesn’t have to he tough to operate smoothly. Given that you are headed somewhere… and that you want to get there efficiently, effectively and safely… try this:

STOP and examine what is happening around you. Where are you? What are you are doing that works… and what doesn’t?

LOOK around at coworkers, clients and vendors… What is going on? Where are you heading? Where do you want to end up?

LISTEN for the safest, most effective way to get there.

Crossing Guards, UNITE! Systems are being created…