Developing a Framework for Your Systems Build

Let me guess: you started out this year planning to finally get it all together – to get organized, build your systems, and reclaim some time in your schedule. If you are seeing those goals come to fruition, fantastic – that’s what I love to see! If you have noticed that these goals are getting sidetracked, you’re not alone – and it’s not too late. You just need the right framework.

If this is the situation you find yourself in, no judgment here! Life happens to all of us. This is actually part of the reason I am so passionate about helping business owners build the systems they need!

You see, I’ve been there. Years ago, when I owned my law firm, I worked 80+ hours every week and took home less money than those hours were worth. I loved what I did, and I loved working with my team, but something had to give. I wasn’t willing to let my business fail, but I knew I had to somehow make the hours my team and I put in more efficient and productive. I knew there had to be a way to be profitable without giving up everything else that was important to me.

This is when I realized the power of systems. By intentionally building solid, sustainable systems in my business, I was able to double my revenues – and then double again – all while reclaiming my time and doing the things that are important to me. Along the way, I noticed that having the right framework in place also empowered my team to grow and thrive right along side me and run my business smoothly when I wanted to step away for a bit.

Here are 3 tips to build that framework and get your systems build back on track!

Understand the End Goal

It might seem like an unnecessary step but understanding the end goal behind the system you want to build is essential. Do you want to save yourself or a team member time? Mitigate the possibility of human error? Improve your client’s experience of working with you?

Everything you do in your business should be intentional; it should somehow drive you forward toward reaching your goals.

For example, my team and I have been working the past few months on building out our hiring system; this is being done with the goals of saving my time, as the owner, and of helping pinpoint the candidates that will be the best fit for my team. Upleveling Your Business is growing quickly, and the key to continued growth is hiring the right team members at the right time.

Unfortunately, there is only one of me. I simply can’t put 20-30+ hours into finding, interviewing, vetting, hiring, and onboarding every candidate and new hire. I can, however, automate parts of the process so that I can focus on getting to know my new team members and equipping them to thrive in their new role.

It took some focused work to put this system in place, but I can’t even tell you how much time it has saved me – and how excited I am about the prospect of bringing on new team members that I already know are going to fit into our culture and align with our goals!

Create the Right Infrastructure

Once you have your end goal in mind, it’s time to create an infrastructure – a road map – to get you there. This doesn’t have to be an extensive plan, especially if the system you’re building is a smaller one, but it should include the necessary details.

What will your new system need in order for your team to understand and use it? What are the necessary steps, policies, and procedures involved? Are there any new tools or platforms that they will need to learn?

This is where you may want to get an extra set of eyes on the project. What are potential bottlenecks that need to be addressed? What examples can you give your team to help them understand your expectations?

Once you have these questions answered, only one step is left: WHO shall do WHAT by WHEN?

Get Your Team on Board

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy sitting down with your Rocketbook on a Saturday afternoon and planning things out. I love the sense of accomplishment and anticipation that comes with putting a plan in place to get it done!

However, I’ve come to realize that I can design and implement the most perfect system for my business…but if my team doesn’t use it, it really doesn’t do me any good.

Too often, what I’ve found is that business owners tend to build and implement what they believe will work for their teams, but skip over involving their team in the process. Part of the reason we pick the team members that we do is because of their perspectives, skill sets, and strengths. All of these traits can be brought together to help you build stronger systems.

(By the way…if sitting down to plan out a system is not your idea of a fun afternoon, chances are strong that you have a team member that enjoys and excels at it. All the more reason to bring them in on the process!)

There is also another benefit to getting your team on board: when your team helps build a system, they’ll be far more likely to take ownership and utilize it!