FRUSTRATION – what people experience when they are willing but don’t have the right tools to do the job! Can you imagine an artist who doesn’t have a paint brush? Or a musician without an instrument? In business, if you can’t use your Unique Ability because the lack of tools, then you end up stifling talent and you never fulfill the larger purpose of why you’re here on this earth. You end up quitting or settling for just good enough. Good enough is the enemy of Great!
This is the third article of a 3-part series in Infrastructure. I’ll focus on Tools in this article as part of this formula:
Infrastructure = Functional Structure + Incentives + Tools (FIT)
Tools are anything you use as a resource to help you do your job. It includes items such as technology, physical space and layout, checklists/manuals, equipment, etc.
Tools Should Enhance Your Business
One of my clients has a very low margin service so he needed to increase his transactions to make the business sustainable. He had good people and well defined processes. The problem was that the processes was too people dependent and prone to human error. So he invested in a CRM-type tool and it really accelerated his transaction volume, creating a larger margin thus more cash. This new tool resulted in scaling his business 120% in volume in 3 years.
Another client of mine is in the landscaping business. When he wasn’t out in the field, quality and consistency dropped. He had a process in his head so he documented them so his team could execute even without him. Now he has checklists (Tools) for pre-fieldwork, fieldwork, and post-fieldwork that his team uses to free him up for other passions. Now he’s able to spend only 20% of his time in this part of his business.
STOP – Before You Buy the Next Tool!
If you have the Right People in the Right Seats, great Processes such that they are ingrained in your culture, but you’re still not able to accelerate or get to the next level, it may be time to look at your Tools. First look at where you have bottlenecks in your process. Then evaluate the Tools you’re using in that process. Could there be a better solution?
I have a set of tools from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) toolbox. These tools help strengthen the 6 key components of any business.
Your tools should be helping you with efficiency, thus increasing your margins due to less labor, materials, and overhead.
But don’t skip defining your Process first before jumping into a Tool solution (see “Technology Isn’t Always the Answer”).
Accelerate Productivity
Imagine your business with the right Tools that accelerate the productivity of your People through more efficient Processes. Your team is thriving because they’re equipped with the resources necessary to excel in their job! You’re able to serve more customers! Your margins have increased allowing you to invest more in your people and in the future. More importantly, you’ve created more margin in your life to allow more time for other things you’re passionate about!
Frustration goes away and everyone is serving in their Unique Ability . . . making a huge impact in the world!
How effective are your Tools? Are they accelerating your growth or hampering it? Are you ready to step back to see what’s keeping your business going to the next level? Don’t ignore what’s frustrating your team. Ask where the bottlenecks are in your processes.
Take the Organizational Checkup to gauge the health of your company! For more information on creating a healthy business lifestyle, learn about the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
My next blog will illustrate examples of Business System Truth (BST) #4. Peak performance happens when the proper equilibrium is achieved across People, Process & Infrastructure!
To Your Business Health!