Have you ever wondered why people feel dispensable when working at big-name firms? It's because the organization has systems.

For example, the company's operation will slow down when an employee leaves their station... 

...But Operations Will Keep Running Okay Because:

1. Systems allow for automatization.
2. Co-workers complete the extra workload.
3. Systems ensure that new hires learn processes fast.
4. Changes get made to adjust to fewer workers.

A successful business relies on systems, not people's skills.

It's difficult for bakeries to grow because the small business owner doesn't want to automate. The business owner wants to bake love into each dessert item.

How to Automate?

The EMyth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber says three systems are in every business. Here is the system list plus examples.

1. Hard systems - such as coffee machines and printers.
2. Soft systems - such as staff, ideas and work policies.
3. Information systems - such as training manuals and collected data.

Your Job as the Business Owner Is to Ensure That All the Systems Work Together

• You hire people knowledgeable about the software you use.
• You outline job roles to delegate work off your plate.
• You have evaluation periods to improve the firm's workflow.

This Strategy Sets You up to Expand Your Business

You can oversee all of the company branches, but you cannot work in all of the locations. Systems help each branch work well, plus they provide you with data for analysis and decision-making.

Are you curious to know what other tips The EMyth Revisited book has for business owners? You can find it here.

This article is part of our Business Coaching blog series. At Dataczar we talk to a lot of small businesses. We’ve found a few books that we keep recommending time and again. To better help our customers, we’ve added a Reading List for Small Businesses to our website. We encourage every small business owner to read and keep these timeless business books on their office shelf.

Submit

---