process

mistakes

Are You a Mistakes Repeat Offender?

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Everyone makes mistakes – we are human after all.  But, are you a repeat offender?  Do you even recognize you’ve made a mistake?  Are you constantly doing damage control?

Deep breath – you aren’t alone.

Here are some tips and guidelines to help you reduce the number of mistakes you are making, what to do when you make them, and how to prevent them from happing again.

  1. OWN YOUR MISTAKES. The worst thing you can do after making a mistake is not owning it. No one is perfect, people inherently know that although let’s be honest we often expect it. So when you make a mistake don’t try to cover it up, acknowledge it, apologize for it, and skip the part where you make excuses or try to blame it on someone else. When you aren’t an “oops owner” it shows you can’t take accountability for your actions, and it just makes things awkward for everyone involved. Be a LEADER and OWN it!
  2. FIND OUT THE ROOT CAUSE. If you work in manufacturing, root cause analysis is a term you probably hear all the time, but it can apply to anyone and any industry. Root cause analysis is finding out WHY the mistake happened in the first place so you can prevent it from happening again. Was it caused by operator/human error, a bad process or procedure, poor communication, etc.? If you don’t know what caused the mistake, then how can you make sure it won’t happen again?
  3. CREATE NEW POLICIES OR PROCEDURES. If you’ve determined that the error is due to poor or incomplete policies or procedures, then it’s time to do some updating. Whether you need to create a new process or update the ones you already have in place, it’s important to document any change that needs to be made.
  4. You’d be surprised how many times there are mistakes or issues because of poor communication. Once you’ve handled the above 3 steps, it’s important to communicate to everyone what the issue was and how it’s going to be fixed. It shows your employees, board members, clients, etc. that you care about preventing the same mistakes from happening again.

If you make a mistake, don’t freak out. Take a deep breath and figure out if you need to take any immediate steps to fix any urgent issues or fall out. Always make sure you acknowledge you made a mistake and that you will do your best to fix it. If it requires getting others involved, don’t be embarrassed – they are human too – and can often have an outsider’s perspective on why it happened or how to avoid it happening again!

The end goal – one and done and no repeat offenders.

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Three P's

The Three P’s – Policy, Process, Procedure

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The Three P’s are kind of a big deal here at Red Barn. However, many people don’t quite understand what the difference is between a Policy, a Process, and a Procedure. In fact, many people use the terms interchangeably, and often incorrectly. Regardless of how you use them, it’s important to know that they are a vital part of your Operations. How can you hold yourself and your team accountable if you don’t have everything outlined, documented, and available?

Everything we do at work is governed by the Three P’s. Having unclear, undefined P’s is not so bad if you are a solopreneur, but if you have employees, vendors or contractors, and clients – you need clearly defined and documented P’s for everyone to follow.

So what do the Three P’s stand for?

The policy is the Rules and Standards that your company adheres to.

The process is the What, Who, and When.

The procedure is How and Where.

The Policy

Policies are at the top level of the Operational System. They state the principles by which your business will operate. You should aim to have a written Policy for every one of your business operations.

The Policy defines the RULES within which everyone involved in the activity will operate. It can also define minimum STANDARDS to be delivered. An example of a policy may be that the time clock is required to be used to document working hours – no handwritten time slips will be accepted.

The Process

The Process sits one level down from the Policy. It outlines how the rules and standards set by the Policy will be achieved by listing the tasks to be done, who does them, and when they do them.

The Process is the WHAT, WHO, and WHEN. An example of this would be that all hourly employees (who) are required to use the time clock to document their working hours (what) by punching in and out at the start and end of their shift and lunch breaks (when). Managers (who) are responsible for checking the timeclock log (what) on a daily basis (when) for missed punches.

This isn’t where all the details live. It’s simply just the tasks involved in the process. The process should make sure it covers all the rules and standards defined by the Policy. Not every Process needs to have a Procedure. The Procedure is where the details live, so if you need more information outlined than listed in the Process, spend a little more time documenting the Procedure for each task.

The Procedure

Procedures support the Process by defining exactly how you want each task to be executed.  It lists the step by steps tasks to complete the process. It captures the HOW the task is done and WHERE to find the resources to do the task.

The level of detail to put into your Procedures depends on your level of comfort, who will be doing the task, and any requirements based on your company’s industry and certifications – like manufacturing and ISO certifications require very detailed procedures.

In our example of using the time clock, for the hourly employees, we would detail how to use the timeclock – do they swipe a card or enter a code, what buttons do they need to push to get their punches to register, what is the process if they miss a punch, are their rules on how early or late they can punch in without discipline, etc. You must also outline the tasks for the Managers – how do they check the log, what do they do if an employee is too early or late, how do they record a missed punch, etc. Who do they contact if there are issues with the timeclock?

A Procedure addresses a single task performed by a single person, so it should be relatively succinct, but complete enough that the person doing the task does not need to ask questions.

You will note that the Procedure is strictly the set of steps, and where to find the resources needed to complete the task. There’s no When and there’s no Who because that information is in the Process. The Procedure is designed to be picked up and carried out by anyone assigned to the task.

Spending time documenting your Three P’s will result in improved efficiency, less confusion, and mistakes, and allow you to delegate tasks or onboard new employees faster. Overall, better operations mean happier customers.

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10 reasons businesses fail

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I’ve owned a few businesses in my day. Some have failed, some have been (and are) successful.

The failing part sucks – no doubt about it. You never enter a business thinking it’s going to not be there in a year or two – kind of like a marriage.  But it happens.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my own failed ventures and from the myriad of business owners I’ve worked with over the years.

  1. Business Partners. When they work it’s beautiful. When they don’t, it can be an ugly divorce in the making.  Just like a marriage, you need a partner who has the same core values, the same vision, yet you need to complement each other.  There must be trust, transparency, and all partners need to be on the same page when it comes to running the business.  Have a partnership agreement that details who is doing what and how everyone is getting compensated.  Trust me on this one.  Many businesses fail because the partnerships fail.
  2. Capital. You need money to survive.  Cash is still King.  If you are thinking of going out on your own, you need to have cash in the bank for at least a year and/or some VC money to infuse into the business.  Without capital, it’s hard to grow.
  3. 3 P’s. Policies, Process & Procedures.  You can’t wing it.  Have a process. Adjust as needed.
  4. Cabinet. Lawyer, Accountant, Tax Advisor & Insurance Broker.  Don’t ever skimp on these – Ever.  Don’t think DIY is a smart idea – it never is.
  5. Clear WHY. You have to be crystal clear on your vision – your WHY. What are you bringing to the market? Why should someone buy from you?  What is your unique value prop?
  6. It has to be a viable business. Not all great ideas are viable businesses. Do the market research and test.
  7. The need for perfection. Go to market. It will never be perfect.  Do 1-6 – that’s just smart business, but go to market even if things aren’t perfect.  Your website doesn’t have to be the grand vision you have – it can be 1 page.  You don’t need a staff of 100 – start with 1, etc.
  8. Hire the RIGHT people. They need to fit into your culture and see your vision. Resumes and skills are second to their core values.
  9. You need to change with the market.  Innovate or die.
  10. Ethical. Now you’ll say there are a ton of unethical business owners who are making millions.  True, but they won’t survive the long haul.  Besides, do you really want to be that person?  Do the right thing.  Karma is real.

My first business failed miserably and cost me dearly.  The reason was #1, #4, and #10 (on my partners’ end).  It was a mess.   If you are thinking about heading out on your own. Call me first – I can save you a ton of headaches!

Cheers to us Entrepreneurs!

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It might be time to fire your salesperson

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No-one likes to talk about firing people. Modern business is all about giving staff opportunities, helping them excel in the right role, and incentivizing your employees to do their best. But, sometimes, despite your strongest efforts, they just aren’t stepping up to the plate.

When that happens you need to make a tough decision — Do you continue to provide opportunities in the hope they’ll change, or do they get the pink slip? One area where it’s vital to make that decision fast is in your sales department. It’s your sales representatives who create your revenue, so when they’re underperforming, you need to take decisive action.

Here’s how to tell if you should show them the door.

Look at the sales metrics of the salesperson. There’s nothing like hard data to help you make a decision. Look at the evidence on how your sales teams are doing. Explore the individual measurements and performance data for specific employees. Review this information in context — How do they compare to other individuals or teams? What are the industry averages and benchmarks? This data is the first step in identifying weak performers.

Read through one to ones and personnel reviews.Your business should be holding one to ones and formal reviews with your employees. Take a look at their feedback reports, how their peers and managers view them, and how they present themselves. Keep an eye out for warning signs and indications they’ve been offered previous opportunities to improve.

Talk to their sales manager – or have a chat with yourself if it’s you! The next step is to speak to their line manager or team leader. Find out what they think of the salesperson and whether they have the potential to improve. Learn about the subtext of conversations they’ve had in the past. Find out if their lack of performance is due to their attitude and approach, an absence of skill and training, or for some other reason.

Summarize the key factors behind poor performance. Following your review process, establish the main cause of their poor performance, it could be for one (or more) of several reasons:

• Attitude and approach – They just don’t have the right interpersonal skills, autonomy, or approach to be a good salesperson.
• Lack of experience — They don’t have enough history and related experience with sales to be able to close deals.
• Lack of skill — They may not have the correct level of training to make the most of any natural talent they might have.
• Process issues — They don’t have a proper understanding of the sales process in your business.
• Issues with other team members — There might be friction in your teams with other people or interactions that are impacting their ability to sell.

Speak with your HR department – or this may be you again! When you know the background for the poor performance, it’s time to speak to HR. Learn if there are potential steps you can take to improve performance, or if they’re simply a “lost cause.” In some cases you might just need to provide more training and support, in other cases, the best thing to do might be the dismissal process.

Make sure you follow the dismissal process. You likely have strong policies and procedures around dismissal. Make sure you follow them to the letter and get HR support in place so you meet all your commitments as an (ex) employer.

If you\’re experiencing a decline in your sales figures, it might be down to one or two individuals. It’s important to take a rational, objective approach to learn what’s going on and why. If you do find out it’s due to individual performance, ensure you understand the background and context. Then, you can involve HR and make sure you treat both your employees and your business needs fairly.

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Managing Social Media — Why Can’t It Be A Little.. Easier?

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Many businesses see social media as a “necessary evil” — Something you have to do because everyone else is doing it. After all, if you’re not using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest etc., you’re missing out. While that’s true, it gives us a sad face every time we think about businesses seeing social media as a chore, because, done right, it can be easy, and powerful.

It’s all about having a plan — Now, before you click away in disgust at having to plan something else, it’s not a big plan. We’re not talking a high-fallutin’ plan for a Rube Goldberg-esque style machine, just a simple, common sense approach to make things easy, and, perhaps, a little more joyful.

Don’t believe us? Read on…

Who’s going to have the responsibility for social media? First things first, who do you want to handle your social media accounts? Now, that could be one of your people who have a great understanding of the right approach, tools, and techniques to use — Or, you could outsource it to a creative marketing agency who has your brand\’s best interests at heart. Like… Us, for example? (we aren’t always subtle)

Anyway, you need to have someone who is going to have responsibility for your social media, who can review and post everything you need, and who can speak with your company’s voice. They need to understand and love your customers.

Where do you post? Different types of business will get the most advantage from different social platforms. You probably won’t find much of an audience for your recipes on LinkedIn, and folks on Pinterest probably aren’t going to be thrilled by your course on chartered accountancy. But, once you can match your message to your social media, that’s when things get real interesting.

  • Facebook — Pretty much everyone uses Facebook — Over 20% of all pages seen on the web are on Facebook. You need to be there, simple as that.
  • Twitter — With millions of people using Twitter, and the opportunity to easily go viral with the right message, Twitter is also pretty much essential.
  • Pinterest — Do you have a visually appealing product, service, or brand? If so, Pinterest is a great place to get traction.
    Instagram — Like Pinterest, Instagram is perfect for pretty products.
  • LinkedIn — Marketing more to professionals and business people? This is your natural choice.
  • YouTube — Although not seen as a “traditional” social network, YouTube gets billions of hits every month. Make an amazing video and watch your views skyrocket.
  • Google Plus — Yes, there are still people and businesses using Google Plus, don’t disregard it and ps. it could help with your Google ranking.

When should you post? You know where to post, but do you know when to post? Once you understand when your customers are likely to be using social media, you can take advantage of that, and share delicious bits of information, just when they need it. They’ll be wowed by your ideas, share them on themselves, and suddenly you’ve got a viral social media presence. Nice!

Get to scheduling. One of the main pains businesses have with social media is having to send out all their posts manually, to all the different platforms. Well, good news, friends. There are some great scheduling tools out there to make posting and sharing a breeze. Two that we love are Hootsuite and Buffer. Both are awesome at letting you queue up posts, then setting things off and letting them post on your behalf.

Be careful though, lots of social media is about reacting, responding, and posting in real time — That’s what gets you engagement. So, don’t just rely on scheduling tools, build them into your overall social media approach.

And there you have it, the basics you need to get in place for easier social media success — That wasn’t so bad now, was it?

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How Your New Marketing Campaign Could Create Business Chaos (And How To Avoid It)

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When it comes to marketing, you don’t want to be a victim of your own success. Done well, marketing can create incredible results — Getting your products, and services in front of a new audience, putting your brand front and center, and generating lots of new business.

That could be a disaster.

Let’s back up a bit…

You see, marketing affects every part of your business — If they’re not ready to handle an influx of new customers and the demand that brings, it can create big problems that damage your brand and reputation. As responsible marketers (and, frankly, lovely people), we want to make sure that doesn’t happen.

So, here’s how to look at all the “operational” bits of your business to make sure they can channel the torrent of new customers!

Your website, eCommerce store, or online presence. Make sure your website can handle the load. You’ll want to double-check response times, even when there’s lots of people on the website. Ensure all your calls to action are super clear, track how your visitors are using your site, and make tweaks and updates to make the sales and conversion funnel easier.

Your sales and onboarding process. Talk to your sales teams, sales call center, and onboarding operations. Make sure everyone knows what’s coming and that you have enough technical capacity and the right number of staff to handle all your calls.

Ensure all your sales staff are properly trained and know all of the processes, incentives, and other information they need to close sales. Find out if your sales department needs more resources. The aim is to deal with all your customers quickly, efficiently, and well, and ensure they don’t have to wait too long on the phone. Because hold music sucks.

Your logistics and distribution[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]If you need to ship products to wholesalers, retailers, or customers, make sure you’ve got the right logistics and distribution in place. Ensure you can pack up and dispatch your products quickly, so there are no delays or problems getting them delivered.

Your customer service area. When you get more sales, you also get more customer service requests. Ensure your customer support center is properly staffed and that you can handle and resolve customer issues quickly. If you’re marketing new products or services, ensure all of your support staff are properly trained on their use and possible problems.

Your software and business processes. Make sure you’ve got good communications and collaboration tools in place across your business. Your teams need to be able to talk to each other efficiently, track customers and actions, and ultimately provide a high level of service to everyone.

That goes for the software, systems, and processes your business relies on. If possible, stress test workflows, handoffs, and other possible bottlenecks so you can identify and resolve issues before they become a big problem.

All of this might seem like a lot of work, just because you’re launching a new marketing campaign, but if it does as well as you hope, you’ll be extremely happy you’ve got the right resources, training, and support in place to create super-happy customers.

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