You know what’s really fun? Getting things done the right way.
Like eating lunch and actually sitting at the table with utensils. Or brushing your teeth and scrubbing for the full two minutes. Or shaving your legs and getting ALL the hairs around your knee.
The satisfaction of a job that is not only done, but done right, is a flex in our book. But hey, we get it. When we’re busy juggling all the balls, the opportunity cost of “getting it done right” feels too high. So what do we do instead? We cut corners and let things slide in the name of done-is-better-than-perfect.
And this is a tragedy. Because that done-is-better-than-perfect mantra is not universally applicable and can, at times, backfire. BIG TIME. This is especially true when you’re an early or mid-stage entrepreneur who is gearing up for growth.
As someone smart once said: half doing something is an expensive way of not doing it.
If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, why do you think you’ll have time to fix it or do it over in the future? (Hyperbolic discounting, that’s why. But let’s not digress.)
To get traction in your business, you need repeatable systems that will free up your working memory for higher-level tasks as well as increase the speed and accuracy of execution. In other words, if you want a business that doesn’t self-destruct, you’re gonna need systems.
How to Create Systems for Your Biz
Over in DBK land, we’ve codified our most important systems into Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are documented and run out of Notion, our beloved project management platform.
In just a sec we’ll share our SOP template with you so you can use it to create your very own systems. But before you dig into the template, we want to tell you how to use it.
Using the SOP Template
1. You’ll first need to identify the top 5-10 “things” you do on a regular cadence that drive your business forward. These “things” might include publishing blog posts, sending invoices, hiring new team members, onboarding clients, hosting quarterly workshops, conducting strategy meetings, reporting on monthly KPIs, etc.
2. Write an SOP for each activity using the template below. Loop in team members to help you document the processes.
3. You might identify a gap or inefficiency in your processes as you write the SOPs. Woohoo! Depending on resource availability, either fix it now or flag it as an opportunity for later.
4. Test your SOPs in the wild before saving them in the platform of your choice. We use Notion.
5. Finally, train your team (including contractors) on how to use the SOPs because you want to ensure consistency, efficiency, and proficiency of tasks. It’s a good idea to review and update SOPs every 6-12 months.
The SOP Template
TITLE: Name of Task
PURPOSE
In 1-3 sentences, why does your business perform this activity and what problem(s) will this SOP solve?
Example: We distribute an email newsletter every Friday to give our audience helpful frameworks for making better decisions. This SOP ensures we consistently deliver value while reducing customer-facing mistakes.
SCOPE
Where does the process start? Where does it stop? What departments are involved? What people are involved?
Example:
– Start: The Head of Content writes the first draft of the newsletter based on the Editorial Calendar created during monthly planning meetings.
– End: The newsletter is scheduled for distribution in Flodesk.
DEFINITIONS
Are there any insider terms or abbreviations people need to know to do this job?
Example:
– Flodesk: The software we use to create and send the newsletter.
– Critical Thinkers Anonymous: The name of our weekly newsletter.
– Editorial Calendar: The document we use to organize and plan content ideas.
– KTA: Kick-to-Action, which is our version of the standard Call-to-Action.
PROCESS
Go through the motions (literally, do the task) and jot down every step along the way.
- If you create a new folder in your Google Drive, what naming convention do you use?
- If you duplicate a template, where do you find the template?
- If you send an email, who gets CC’d?
After every step is written out, go back and remove the “duh” steps. Add screenshots, visuals, and quality assurance checklists when possible.
Aim for 15 steps maximum per SOP. More than 15 steps means it’s either too granular or the scope is too audacious. (You over-achiever, you!)
***Tip: You can also document the process using a tool like Loom. Sometimes we use Loom, sometimes we use the written word. Just depends.
FAQs
What questions might people have when they run this process? Address them now so you don’t have to do it when you’re at your daughter’s dance recital.
Example:
– How do you edit the preview text of the email?
– Do we pause newsletters when major tragic events occur?
– What if the email preview on desktop looks good but the mobile preview looks bad?
– How many images should we include per newsletter?
RESOURCES
What other resources are needed to complete this process?
Example:
– Team members
– Software and tools
– Template documents
– Internal knowledge bases
*****
La fin.
We love SOPs because they obviate “Can we hop on a quick call?” and “Where’s that file?” and “Whoops! I forgot to add the image tag!” and “Did anyone follow up with Sandy?”
They save us mucho time and angst because we’re not interrupting our team members with petty requests. So if you’re not running your business with SOPs, you know what your homework is. 🙂
FWIW: You can find AI tools to help you write SOPs. We tried them, not impressed. The friction of manually creating SOPs is beneficial because it helps us identify kinks and proactively address problems.
