Main Idea
Do you do the same thing every time you perform a business function? Does it help? Does it hurt? Do your employees and associates know what to do when a customer shows up at your door or on the phone? Are your customers treated the same every time? Does it matter who the customer is?
Expansion of Idea
I have been reading a book about Bill Walsh who was the legendary coach of the San Francisco 49’ers. He used to get upset if a wide receiver ran a route at 12 feet and 6 inches instead of at precisely 12 feet. The reason is that their whole offense was built on precision and timing. That was one of the key ingredients for success. Most of us would look at the difference of 6 inches in a passing route and we would not think it is a big deal. But for Bill Walsh, it was the difference between being Super Bowl champions and being a normal football team. He had performance standards for all aspects of the business, including respect for others. He created these standards so that teamwork could be elevated to the highest level.
Companies that operate at extremely high levels have some version of these types of standards. They have thought through the parts of their businesses that are critical to the business. These standards are the cornerstone of teamwork, customer service, and interpersonal communication. All of our businesses could implement these to solidify our values and our systems.
Everyone in my office knows the standards for answering my office phones or responding to clients. Everyone in my office knows the standards for dealing with each other and with customers. We have standards for completing tax returns and financial statements. All of these are critical in timely completion of duties, quality control, and helping our clients achieve their goals.
If you do have standards in place, it is a good time to critically evaluate the standards. If you do not have any in place, then this is a great area to pull all of your team together and focus on creating teamwork and raising your business.
Start by Asking Yourself these Questions:
Are there any inconsistencies in our operations?
Do people sometimes not know what to do?
Do you have the teamwork that you are looking for?
Document the areas where you can standardize the performance.