I have seen business owners, time and again, frustrated with the lack of results from their teams. And in nearly every case it is because they lack a process to drive their desired results.
In some cases there is no clarity around expectations. There is no focus on what needs to get done. For example, a front desk worker in any medical practice should have 2 primary job tasks to focus on 1) schedule patients, and 2) collect co-pays.
Sure, they need to do this with a smile and because they care about the patients and want them to achieve their goals and see the relevance of the plans of care. But they still have to DO the activity of scheduling patients.
And there are many other tasks they must do throughout the day and the week, too. But if patients are not scheduled, and don’t know that they are, then they do not show up for their appointments, and all of those other tasks go away. This is their number 1 priority, and sometimes they do not even know this.
But even when employees know their priorities they do not always remain focused. In a busy office there is a lot going on. They are being pulled in many directions. It is easy to lose focus and think that “busy-ness” equals business.
The same is true for owners, founders, and executives. In a world of never ceasing distractions it is easier than ever to allow our focus to drift and wander. So, maintaining clarity and focus is key to success.
Stephen Lynch, COO of Results.com has developed a saying that “Successful Business Execution is 20% giving people clarity about what needs to be done, and 80% following up to make sure it actually gets done”. I have become a very firm believer in this. Though clarity is critical, it is not enough.
So, how do you make sure things get done? How do you drive results? Is there a repeatable process that consistently delivers results?
As Dwayne Moore, Director of Operations at San Francisco Sport and Spine Physical Therapy says, the answer is simple, just not easy.
The simple answer in this case is 1 on 1 meetings, held weekly. But putting together effective meetings and executing them well is a skill and requires thought and planning. Simple, not easy.
- Have clear objectives.
- Design your agenda to meet those objectives.
- Double check that your agenda serves your objectives and stays focused on your objectives.
- Implement, practice, debrief yourself, and repeat.
- monitor and maintain morale
- reinforce and develop your culture
- drive and maintain performance key metrics
- ensure team members have the skills and resources they need to succeed
then you will want your agenda to support those objectives.
Make sure you have a regular agenda that you stick to that achieves your objectives. Some of the “meat” of each meeting will certainly vary based on the role and position of the person with whom you are meeting. But the general meeting outlines will remain surprisingly consistent.
For coaching and support of your team members, you will also want to practice using the 3 Magic Questions in these role playing videos.
They are a critical component for supporting and growing your team members. They take practice. And you have to listen. Again, simple, but not easy.
Have questions? Book a time to talk with Sturdy.