Systemizing: From Good to Great (Part 2)
Leveraging Systems to Build High Performing Teams
But, how do you ensure the people you entrust to execute and improve your systems and processes are going to create organizational benefits - you start by getting the right people on the bus and then help them grow and develop through systems. A Team Development System (TDS) is a comprehensive approach, providing structure and processes for hiring, onboarding, and training team members, as well as integrating people into cultures and operations, from there the focus is on development. TDS are the communication and feedback framework for developing individuals and teams simultaneously through coaching, mentoring, performance management, and strategic focus. Effective team development results in accountable, growth mindset cultures capable of change, as well as productive, profitable, and scalable operations.
A Team Development System is a compilation of processes including Recruiting, Hiring, Onboarding, Training, Integrating, Individual Development, Performance Management, and Team Building. A TDS should be integrated throughout operations and be in complete organizational alignment - from vision and strategy to culture and structure, and from goals to communication and rhythm to processes. Consider the first phase of a TDS, recruiting and hiring - you cannot effectively perform these important activities unless you have a vision. Your vision provides the guide posts for developing your culture and your structure while informing strategies, goals, and operations. When you properly define your vision you can build your ideal structure which enables talent planning - knowing who to hire and when. Vision provides the definition of success while strategy dictates how you will succeed. Strategy development, which can be compartmentalized into long-term goals then prioritized through short-term objectives, informs your structure and operations. In order to operationalize your strategic objectives you need the right people and structure.
The ideal structure for your business is your desired future state - where you are going, not necessarily where you are today. Too many business owners think having an org chart means they have properly identified their structure. But, unless you are building a structure that informs a plan as to how to operationalize strategies to grow and scale, you are missing the mark. When vision and structure are in alignment with strategic objectives and competitive advantages, then you can properly develop a talent plan which enables you to run lean and build cost-effective teams. When you are ready to hire, or fill a seat in the clearly defined structure, you will possess a great understanding of the requirements which must be met to fill the role appropriately, at least from a functional and skill-based standpoint. But, that is only half of the formula for getting the right people on the bus. Your culture, more specifically, your mission, purpose, and core values, enables you to identify, attract, and engage the right people for the job too. Combining core values and the accountability defined within your structure you know who the right person is for the right seat which allows you to brand, market, and recruit for the position, as well as screen, vet, interview, and down select candidates to ensure a proper cultural and functional fit.
Your culture, vision, and strategy are also part of ensuring an effective onboarding, training, and integration processes - setting folks up for success. With clearly defined procedures for bringing people into the fold and transferring knowledge, you are more likely to get people up to speed faster, protect your hiring investment, and optimize your return through performance and retention. Once you have successfully onboarded and trained new team members the focus shifts to development, performance management, and team building. This is where a lot of small businesses drop the ball - it's not enough to show people the way once and then set them free. People are to be cultivated as individual high performers, as valuable and collaborative team members, and as champions for your mission. Organizations must develop an ecosystem of cohesion and trust through team building and organizational learning. Individuals must be coached and mentored to continuously improve, as their growth creates exponential benefits for them personally as well as the organization as a whole. Performance management is what creates focus and aligns both individuals and their teams with the vision, goals and objectives - an enhanced feedback loop which enables growth and retention.
A proper TDS is holistic, meaning all of the parts and pieces must be considered through a systems thinking viewpoint and then connected in a manner that creates value. Vision, when developed and communicated effectively, provides focus and continuity through culture, structure, and strategy. Culture, containing purpose, values, and impact, sets the rules for the game, including how individuals can contribute and grow. Structure provides clarity and accountability so people understand current expectations and the direction for company growth which inspires individual development. Strategy informs prioritized goals and objectives, which when measured and reported on properly create organizational cadence and communication that drives team performance. A potent TDS will encompass all of these aspects, from vision to strategy and goals to operations in order to build a learning organization and create a safe environment where it's okay to try new things and fail, which leads to learning, growth, and innovation, as well as retention - each imperative to a sustainable business model and building a great business.
READ PART 1 “Systems and Processes are the Key to Going From Good to Great”