
The general made certain the private could read and repeat (in the private’s own words) EXACTLY what the orders meant. The general did this over and over until the verbiage was so clear, even this slow-witted private could understand. Good communications can make the difference between success and failure.
In the words of Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Easy reading is hard writing.”
Although we can’t be sure the “Gripe Sheet” story is altogether true, it does demonstrate how we can give people instructions and they can completely misinterpret them. When writing procedures, policies and control checklists for your company, they must be fine-tuned so that all of your employees can understand them.
Once the chaos in your business is eliminated and all forms of waste are reduced by more than 70 percent, you just might find time for a good laugh!
Did I mention—Great systems work!

Philip Beyer, founder/president of Ebiz Products LLC and founder of Beyer Printing Inc. in Nashville Tenn., is a chronic entrepreneur, business systems analyst and consultant. Author of "System Busters: How to Stop Them in Your Business" and recipient of an InterTech Technology Award for the design and development of System100 business process management software. Beyer speaks to business owners across the country on how to bring lean, sustainable order to their businesses. Contact him at (615) 425-2652.