LISTEN TO EPISODE 87

SCOTT DOW:

"You've heard the saying,

'work smarter, not harder'

...but that's easier said than done, because most critical workflows aren't standardized. They're simply implied, right? Ask yourself this -

'What are the three most critical workflows that your people engage in?'

If you had to think about that answer, your people would have to think about that answer, too; and that's not good!

Now, I want you to focus on the most important workflow.

• Is it written down somewhere?
• Is the process mapped out?
• Are roles clearly defined?
• Are timelines established?
• And how do you measure the effectiveness of that process?

If you want people to work smarter, you have to define what smart work looks like. Think of it this way. A process map is like a recipe. It explains how a meal gets made. It's a step-by-step explanation of proven best practices. And it specifies the ingredients, instructions, and timing that make the meal work.

A recipe does something else. It clarifies the standards that you're going to hold every chef accountable to. A process map is one of the leaders most important tools because it takes the guesswork out and it creates tangible standards you hold people accountable to.

Most of the coaching you do is focused on under-performers. And what do you do? You have to re-explain the process over-and-over. You share best practices or remind them of best practices. And you have to remind people of what's expected. It's done verbally, and that doesn't work.

What do you often hear? You hear this -

• 'Well, I didn't know.'
• 'Okay, good to know.'
• 'Now I know.'
• 'I didn't know.'

You hire people with good experience and aptitude for your job, but your job is unique. Your way, your company's way of doing things, is your culture. And your culture, your 'secret sauce', your way of delivering excellence is sacred (or it should be). It needs to be codified, it needs to be mapped, it needs to be measured, and it needs to be monitored.

Your key processes, the things that drive customer satisfaction, financial results, and teamwork are worthy of mapping. Your recipe is worth writing down. You want a little recipe book that every employee has access to and can refer to. And what happens is this - you take the guesswork out. You have something tangible to coach to. You have something tangible to hold people accountable to.

Coaching becomes easier. Employees become more confident. Best practices get embedded and shared across the organization, and people on board faster. But none of this happens without a recipe."

Outro

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