Setting up your processes and systems is key to success especially if you have a team. Part of processes and systems is to continually improve your processes. This means checking in with your team to be sure they are checking their processes to see what is working and what is not. Also, having processes in place that remind you to check on your processes regularly and keep them up to date is a necessary part of your processes and systems as well. There will always be ways to improve your processes and systems.
Ways to Check Your Processes and Systems:
- Review Current Processes
- Check for Updates
- Ask Others for Input
- Are There New Ways to Perform Tasks
- Constructive Criticism
- Tools and Programs to Improve Automation and Workflow
Utilizing these steps should help you continue to keep your processes up to date.
How To Begin Improving Your Processes and Systems
Improving processes
1. Review your processes often (or have team members review them), 2. Check for updates in the programs used to perform the tasks, 3. Ask others on your team or in a community for ways to improve your processes, 4. Check for new ways to perform the tasks you do – always new programs coming out to help automate, 5. Take Constructive Criticism 6. Tools, Automation, etc. to improve workflow.
2. Check for Updates Within Your Systems and Processes – you should check for changes within your software programs (systems)
3. Ask Others for Input – Ask your team for input as well. This is invaluable as they are working the processes day after day.
4. Are There New Ways to Perform Tasks – Do a little research, stay connected to groups online, and see if there are new ways to do what you are already doing but better. The more you can automate and streamline your processes the better.
5. Constructive Criticism – Be willing to accept constructive criticism. As difficult as it is you could be the one clogging the workflow. So, be willing to listen to a little constructive criticism. Set boundaries in place, like keeping it clean, not language allowed, etc.
6. Tools and Programs to Improve Automation and Workflow – Using new tools often create new workflows so be open to this as well. For instance, I just began using a Chrome extension called “Tango” to help me with my own processes. And as I write this article it is open recording everything I strike and say. I have to go back and delete any unnecessary things. Yet it is still better than stopping completely to list out all steps in OneNote or a document in Google Drive or OneDrive.
I’m just trying it out but it is very interesting and I think would help many of you record your processes.
You can also use a specialist to help in this area as there are many VAs and Processes and Systems Specialists that can walk with you through your day and document your processes. If you are too busy consider hiring one.
I hope you have found this series helpful. Please utilize all the strategies we have discussed. Most importantly after documenting your processes is to keep them up to date. Whether you ask your team to do this or if you personally handle it doesn’t matter as long as they are kept up to date.
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