General Systems Manual Must Haves to Empower Your Business
Onboarding Success
When onboarding a new employee, having a clear General Systems Manual evens the playing field for all employees. It provides uniformity for everything from file naming and organization to how we handle calendaring and communications
We also want a systems manual that relates to that person’s position or department to give them clarity on exactly what they should be doing.
What Is and Is Not a General Systems Manual?
What is a General Systems Manual?
A General Systems Manual is a core document for every single employee. It establishes a base foundation for the way we work.
The Manual gives a sense of community and purpose by reiterating the mission and vision of the company. Also, it affirms our objectives for the culture we want to develop. It establishes the tone for core values, and sets expectations of collaboration and productivity.
The Manual then creates the framework for communications within the team. It provides a training manual for how we can proactively handle projects through calendaring techniques and the active use of deadlines. It goes on to help the team with day to day matters like email and client communications to streamline daily operations. Regardless of your type of business, these are considered some of your most vital systems.
It also provides a framework for how to handle raving fans (and get testimonials) and how to handle less happy fans.
Finally, a General Systems Manual sets the process for how to make further changes and additions to the policies and procedures. This allows each person understands they have a voice in how the standard operating procedures are built.
What is Not Considered a General Systems Manual?
There are many other logistics documents that are often confused with a General Systems Manual.
Many times people say they have a General Systems Manual but in reality they have an “Employee Manual”. That type of document covers aspects of Human Resources. This can be things like business days, days off for jury duty or bereavement, and family leave. An Employee Manual also sets the tone for pay, raises and HR matters. While those provisions are definitely important, those are not the key to establishing good day-to-day operations.
Another document often mistaken for a General Systems Manual is specific Information on how to service clients. Those procedures would go in an operations manual related to servicing the clients. For some members of your team that document will be critical to doing their job, but it is not for everyone.
Finally, it is important to develop systems related to other departments in other small volumes to 1) make it easier to onboard and train people in only the elements relevant to their position, and 2) to protect your intellectual property. Best to develop separate volumes for your Marketing Systems Manual, Sales Systems Manual, Financial Systems Manual, and Admin Systems Manual.
In sum, the General Systems Manual is the document that relates to everyone on the team.
Must Have Elements for Your General Systems Manual
While there are many different ways to organize your operations manual, the following 14 chapters have been human vetted and approved. These can be used as a base for your training manual and then adapted as necessary.
Chapter 1: Mission, Core Values and Culture
First and foremost, share with your team where you see the company going and how it will get there. This sets the framework for them to get onboard to your cause.
From there the culture and core values help everyone stay in alignment in that trajectory. These elements allow us to set expectations early. It can also establish barriers to what we will and will not tolerate. It provide a framework for our team to work well within the bounds of a collaborative and appropriate work setting.
By setting these provisions out at the beginning of the General Systems Manual, you set the tone for the entire day-to-day operations
Chapter 2: Day to Day Operations
The next element is to breakdown the day-to-day operations so that each member of the team has a solid understanding of how the company works. This likely includes a summary of the various platforms you use.
It may also establish timing for any emergency response or actions both to internal and external questions. These types of guidelines can be powerful in creating clarity to our team.
Chapter 3: Filing, Naming and Organizations Systems
One of the next things we want to set out for our team is the naming and file organization we expect everyone to abide by. In today’s digital world giving clarity to format and style of the naming protocols is key. By having clear business policies surrounding this framework, we allow everyone to always work in the same great format. This also assists the team and the company in not wasting unnecessary time and energy searching for files and otherwise tracking down missing documents. Provisions like this help us increase productivity and profitability.
Start with a simple methodology and then move on the Advanced Filing and Naming Protocols.
Chapter 4: Deadlines and Proactively Moving Matters Forward
If building a proactive vs reactive team is high on your list, you will to focus on this section. It provides the structure to train your team to get things done in advance of deadlines. It sets parameters by teaching our team to use deadline and calendar techniques the right way.
Deadlines come from a variety of sources whether located in emails, formal letters, telephone calls, or internal meetings. Your type of business may also have additional restraints, like lawyers have statutory deadlines.
It is also important to recognize that some deadlines may be set by others, like our clients. While other deadlines some may be merely relevant to our own internal team. Regardless of source, it is important to have a clear protocol for how we document those deadlines and set reminders. It is also vital to have clarity surrounding under what circumstances those deadlines may be changed.
Bottom line, both service-based businesses and product-based businesses benefit from proactively moving matters forward so set the stage well for your team.
Chapter 5: Calendaring
One of the most profitable tools in any business is the calendar.
By using the calendar to block out time to work on the various areas of the business, we are able to be intentional with our time. By helping each team member learn to focus their time we avoid needless time sucks. For anyone who has spent hours at a computer lost in email you know exactly what this is like. What you focus on becomes your reality.
If you want to see your business proactively move forward, it starts at the CEO and leadership level of being intentional with where we spend our time. It is then for us to support our team members and recognize their highest uses. By helping our team create checklists of what they should complete daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly create clarity for them to thrive. We also make it easier to calendar these tasks so they can set aside time to work on those elements and not just get stuck in a day-to-day routine.
Train your team on How to Effectively Calendar Out Your Year and you will have a more productive and satisfied team.
Chapter 6: Communications Systems – Clients
It is important to established for the entire team the different communication mechanisms we use with our clients. Often what is just as helpful of sharing how we want them to communicate, is to clearly state in what ways we do not communicate with them.
For instance, which of these methods of communication are allowed in your business?
- Written Letters
- Emails
- Slack/ Teams/ other platforms?
- Text Messages
- What’s App Messages.
- Facebook Messages
- Private Messages on an Online App (that may or may not be secure)
- Sticky Notes
- Telephone calls
- Voicemails
When seen through a lens concerned with privacy, accuracy, transparency and ability to track it is easy to see that less is more. Set your official methods so that everyone can track the communications and respond promptly. By laying out your expectations, you provide an easy framework through which the team can utilize best practices.
It is equally important to set the tone and provide a structure to our clients. By giving them examples of the right and wrong way to communicate with our team we can reduce considerable friction and can do a lot to help everyone use the same great best practices.
Chapter 7: Team Communications
As a team grow, we soon end up with many different people wanting to communicate in different ways. It’s important to set up protocol which are official channels and how and when to use the different platforms for different types of communications.
For instance, email is great if it’s involving clients or external vendors, but if we use email for everything, we are forever stuck in our inboxes. Many teams utilize Microsoft Teams or Slack to communicate effectively on small projects. Others use project management system like Asana or Trello to communicate on different types of topics. Your team needs a solid framework. Set out the platforms and time limits for using certain methods of communication and you will have a healthier team.
Chapter 8: Surrounding Ourselves with a Great Team
There are many different vendors that we likely utilize, and it’s important to let the team know of their existence. This may be a very short chapter, but it’s helpful for them to know who we utilize for things like courier services, copying services, or other task that are beyond the scope of what the internal team can handle.
For both direct and indirect costs, provide prime contractors or vendors that can be used.
This section may also address emergency protocols that may need to be utilized with urgent matters. Good operational manuals give our team instructions for Plan A, B, or C so they are prepared for any irregular activities.
Chapter 9: Growing Our Thriving Team
We also want to set the framework for allowing our team to know that we will be supporting them on their journey. It is important they understand we want to see them hone their skills and thrive.
Share in a few short paragraphs the goals of the company to see each person grow. Establish a clear framework that enables them to actively participate in this aspect, ensuring the team is better prepared to embrace the available opportunities.
A team that is constantly learning and honing their skills will increase retention and decrease losing great people to other companies.
Chapter 10: Vacation/ PTO/ Reimbursements
This is another short chapter that is written specifically from the team members perspective on what they need to do.
Vacation and paid time off are essential elements in a busy business. Provide your team with the steps to request time off. Then give checklists on preparing for vacation and reassure them that we want to see them take time off to recharge their battery. By having a good framework to allow that to happen you send the message that you care deeply about your team.
Reimbursements are another small but powerful way to connect with your team. Establish even a simple procedure goes a long way to increasing our team’s confidence that they can handle things in a pinch and get paid back. This is also a great way to show our team that we are good money managers.
And don’t forget, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for some of these procedures. If you use services like Quickbooks Payroll, ADP, Gusto, Paychex, or other platforms they have a lots of processes already mapped out for you and your team.
Chapter 11: Creating Raving Fans
Business specialists know that well-trained teams can take even the most disgruntled client and turn them into a raving fan. This section allows us to provide guidance on how to handle any client complaints that come in the door. With a clear framework we can turn an upset client into a raving fan. The nine steps to handling the client complaint is a great framework that gives clarity with example scripts, and steps to listen, acknowledge, research and recommend a solution. This allows clients to feel heard and be part of the solution.
In addition, we want our team to be on the lookout for when we have raving fans and how to easily ask for testimonials. They should be a part of the toolbox for every person on the team. Which is why this is a “must-have” in the General Systems Manual.
Chapter 12: Accounting – Client Related.
This may be another small chapter but it extremely helpful for our team.
This chapter is written from the team members perspective of what they should know on how we get paid as a company. I know as a business owner I never wanted to hear a team member say “I don’t know how to accept your payment.”
It is important to recognize that this is a framework for the whole team and is different than the detailed step-by-step procedures located in the Financial System Manual 😎 which is used by the accounting team.
Chapter 13: Tracking and Reporting Metrics & Data
Starting with the day we onboard a team member, we want every team member to know that we are always using data to create an objective basis for information. Data helps us establish whether we have hit our goals or gotten to where we want to go. In a data-driven culture we want our whole team embracing the metrics.
Data-driven leadership is so much easier when we have good data and can give objective feedback based on the numbers. In order to get to that point we have to get our team onboard to tracking and reporting the metrics and data.
Chapter 14: Monthly Maintenance of Policies and Procedures
Because businesses are always evolving, it is imperative to have guidelines on how to update the policies and procedures. This section ensures your team understands that they have the opportunity to make amendments to make the procedures fit with the best practices. When your team is involved in the crafting of these systems, they are much more likely to be willing to be active participants.
Many businesses ask the team to submit one submitted proposal or change each week so that the systems are constantly evolving. In a more developed business, where the systems are already put together, these submissions might be a monthly duty. Whether you are a startup or an established business, the operations manual will be a key element to supporting your team.
In conclusion, these General Systems Manual must haves empower your business to thrive for years to come.
Whether building out your systems is your zone of genius or if you prefer to start with templates, check out our General Systems Manual Package to supercharge your build.
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