Un-Civil Wars in Your Company
2) There is a HOLE in the system that’s creating frustration for the workers; in which case, I further believe—as the owner or manager—it’s MY or YOUR fault. Yes, it’s your fault, if you’re the person in charge of implementing and overseeing the systems that operate your department or company, and those systems are faulty.
What is a system? A system is a tool—a map or compass, if you will—by which employees are able to navigate in order to do their best possible job. If there’s a hole in the system—or, as we say, “The system is BROKEN.”—then it’s OUR job as owners/managers to FIX IT.
I have seen this happen time and time again in companies when people don’t have the necessary and correct information or tools to do their jobs, and without constant supervision to tell them how, what, when and where. Generally, without proper systems, workers are expected to commit to memory every detail of their job assignments, as well as all OUR verbal communications to them. So what happens? CHAOS!
One party THINKS something is supposed to be done a certain way and the other party THINKS it is supposed to be done another way. The key word here is, THINKS!
The finger-pointing and name calling begins. Words are said, blame happens, tempers rise, every other frustration in each of these workers lives builds to a crescendo, and World War III breaks out!
How easy is it in these economic times to spark all-out war?
SOLUTION: Why not put in a system so ALL parties know EXACTLY what is suppose to be done, and what is expected of them in order to do the job RIGHT? Only YOU and I, the owners and managers, can stop the shoot-from-the-hip or Russian Roulette-type culture that leads to such outbreaks, and put in a system that gets everyone on the same page. No more need of arguments, fights, reprimands, ulcers—lost time and money!
Types of Systems that Bring Everyone Together—from Chaos to Teamwork:
- Job Descriptions
- Daily Routine Checklists
- Quality Control Checklists
- Data Entry Control Checklists
- Procedures
- Policies
- and various other forms and documents.
All of these systems become your Company’s Operations Manual or your Standard Work. You might even call it...The Great Peacemaker!
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.
