Have you ever done something the wrong way for years and then it’s only after a deep discussion that you realize your mistake?
This recently happened to me at the Craft and Commerce conference. I was explaining how I help my clients dig into the things that gets them stuck and create systems to get better results.
As I explained what I did for my clients he asked, “So you create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for people?”
I smiled.
“”Yes! That’s exactly what I do!”
I never thought to use that phrase. I was trying so hard to create a unique brand that I was missing the mark.
Then I decided to use that phrase with someone else at a conference and she was like…
“I help small business owners create SOP’s so they save time and money.”
“That’s exactly what I need!” she replied.
Boom!
The branding shift changed how people saw me.
Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
As you probably know I started to beat myself up.
I asked myself…
- Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
- How could I be so stupid?
- Why did it take me so…
Then my training kicked in.
I shouldn’t expect to know exactly how to describe how I help others.
These things take time.
Opportunities
Instead of wasting time worrying about past mistakes, I can look for opportunities. As I lay in my bed and looked at the ceiling. I thought about how all the opportunities with this shift in my business could be immense.
I can help a lot of struggling business owners and team managers create SOPs to help them save time and money.
Now I have a clear way to describe how I help people. This was a huge breakthrough for me.
I want to thank you for all your support. In the future some of the content will be geared toward helping people create SOPs to help them develop processes and frameworks. No matter what direction the content goes in I will always be writing content to help people make better decisions faster.
Where a lot of people struggle in business and their career is developing routines that support their larger vision. This is where processes can help. Once we have a process in place, we can improve our habits. As we improve our habits, we’ll be more efficient which helps us have more time for the deeper work.
I’m sharing this because we all struggle in different parts of our businesses and careers. We think we are making good decisions, but the reality is we are tied to ideas that aren’t working.
We are afraid to let go.
Honesty
I’ve repeatedly made this mistake because I thought I knew what was best if I just kept trying harder.
Instead of being honest with myself, I’m emotionally hooked on what I wanted to happen.
I see my mistake more clearly by digging taking a step back to reflect on my lack of results.
I can let go of what isn’t working to live closer to my vision and values while also helping more people.
This is why I’m shifting how I help people. It will have the same core concept, but the output will different. I’ll help people create SOPs so they see how each procedure connects to the larger vision.
SOPs are typically used in business to help train people to do a task. You would start with following a simple template. The idea is to record the process (digital task) and write down the steps in the task so that you can easily train people to do the task and create consistent output. This will help them quickly understand how to do the task without having to use your time or someone on your team’s time to do the task.
The larger goal would be to help them accomplish the task easily, without any questions, so that they feel accomplished and understand how this task matters to the mission of the company.
SOPs
When people create SOPs they often forget to help create context. You must explain why this task is important otherwise you lost the why behind their effort.
Creating an SOP is easy. What is hard is creating an SOP library that supports your business in all facets. This is not just a tool for employees, but a tool for business owners to make their tasks more efficient and find new ways to improve the current tasks.
Here are the main steps to creating an SOP:
- Purpose: Why does this task matter?
- Objective: What is the final output when done?
- Steps: What are the steps that you do to complete this task? (Record your screen as you walk through and document steps.)
- Checklist: Create a checklist that helps the person doing the task make sure they hit all the important marks for the task.
- FAQ’s: What are common questions that come up when doing this task?
I create SOPs for two main reasons. One is to help me think through a current task to help me see if I can make it more efficient. The second is when I decide that I’ve mastered the task and my time is used better elsewhere then I can have someone help me with the task like an employee or contractor. They have an easy way to understand everything about the task without making it too complicated.
Shifts in your business often occurs because of an accumulation of mistakes. It’s ok to make mistakes. What’s important is admitting these mistakes, not beating yourself up over these mistakes and learning from them so you grow your business and life. I’ve been trying hard to be too many things to too many people. I wanted to create a special process that people would use in their business for hundreds of years. I want to change how we work.
I still want to change how we work, but I’m wiser in how I go about doing it. I need to bring my clients along with baby steps. Once they see the power of the SOP then we can dig deeper into other parts of their business and career.
Recap
You might be ready for a shift in your business or career. If this is true then you are probably noticing how something isn’t delivering the results that you expected. This is OK. We all try things that don’t work out. Once you realize this process is not working then you can make the shift.
I would suggest by writing an SOP on your current process, whether it’s how you use Instagram to grow your business or how you coach employees. Whatever it is, write it out and see how it looks. This is when the magic starts. By documenting the process you’ll see lots of ways to improve. This is the hidden genius within creating an SOP. The upfront time in creating it pays dividends on the backend.
You can get the Quickstart SOP Guide, so you can get started creating processes that save you time and money.
I’m ready to let go of who I thought I was and make the shift into the new me with a clear focus on helping people create SOPs in their businesses and lives.
Are you ready to shift your processes to get better results?