Fix it Once And Forget It
By Richard Broudy, Contractor’s Business School
Dear Richard: I find myself fixing the same problems over and over. Many of these are "people" issues where my employees aren't getting the jobs done right. This has always taken a lot of my time and I'm fed up. How can I fix problems (and employees) once and for all? - Cliff
Dear Cliff: Problems will always pop up, but if you find yourself fixing the same problem over and over, that's a red flag that a systematic solution is required.
It takes a little more time to create the systematic solution once, but it'll run by itself long-term and you can concentrate on more important things. If there's a recurrent problem, there's almost always a system missing.
Your people are (usually) not the root of your problems.
"But" you say "what about Earl? I've told him how to (whatever) a million times and he still screws it up. How can a system fix Earl being a dope?"
There are unique problems that come at you out of the blue, and those that seem to recur again and again. An employee may have made a poor decision but he can't be faulted for doing the best he could in an unfamiliar situation.
When it's a recurrent problem however, we feel the need to blame somebody: ("My employees can't get anything right. How many times do I have to tell Earl how to....??"). But it's very possible that it's really not about Earl.
• It's possible that Earl's an incompetent idiot but if so, how'd he get hired in the first place? Hiring lousy employees means you lack an effective hiring system.
• If Earl's become famous over the years for screwing things up, why is he still working for you? Non-performers mean you lack an effective performance appraisal system and a process to fire them.
Often, the owner's real frustration is caused by knowing that Earl is a good, bright employee and it seems unbelievable that he repeatedly fouls up routine tasks. That amazement is well-justified: Earl could get it right every time. He doesn't because there's no systematic process to guide his actions, insure proper results and provide consistent feedback. If there were, he would.
Your job is to find the recurrent problems and create a system fix for them once and for all.
• Identify your existing recurrent problems and write them down. What seems to keep popping up?
• Prioritize. Figure out which problems are recurring most often and which are wasting the largest amount of time and money.
• What system is missing that allows this problem to recur? Don't repeat your pattern and look for a person to blame: Look for a process that's missing. It's always there. Always.
• Create a bulletproof process, implement it, and monitor the results. Process development needn't be complicated or expensive, but it's a process of its own. This is the stuff we teach or you can check prior columns for tips.
The key to solving recurrent problems is to immediately look for the missing system rather than an employee's screw up. Even though employees will still botch things now and then, you'll probably find that the majority of the problems are systems, not people-related.
My best to you,
Richard
Contractor’s Business School® is a coaching, training and consulting firm specializing in helping contractors produce more profit in less time. Calling on experience dating back to 1993, the company has worked with hundreds of contractors in many specialty areas to build successful stand-alone businesses. Visit www.contractorsbusinessschool.com, or call (800) 527-7545 to get the FREE CD "10 Key Strategies to Build a Business that Works."
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