Ops. in Real Life vol. 10

In the tenth edition of Kendall Solves It, we tackle a bit of a loaded question. Just like how households operate differently to fit the family, so do businesses - and that comes with issues unique to each one.

Community Question: What are the biggest operational issues?

Kendall's Insightful Steps and Analysis: To tackle this loaded question, I will identify some of the most common issues with tips to mitigate those bottlenecks.

• Misalignment with mission - When operations (the "what" and "how" of your business) do not align with the mission (the "why") nothing will go well. Filling in your foundation and providing clarity help mitigate this.

• Unclear owners and assignments - Sometimes what needs to get done (the desired outcome) is known, but who is supposed to execute what is not clear. Review how clear your assignments are and evaluate if the right "who" are in position.

• Lack of written processes - We know how we do what we do and trust our instincts (usually), but if it's not documented anywhere, results will have no consistency. Document for the day when you are on sabbatical and your team still knows what to do. Even if it's just you right now, DOCUMENT anyway if you plan to build a business as opposed to remaining a freelancer. (Remember entrepreneurship has many forms.)

• Unnecessary or inappropriate tools - Sometimes we get excited about the shiny tools and want to keep up with the trends of our industry, but we do not always do the groundwork to ensure that those tools are necessary at the present time. Clarify the use and desired outcome of the tools, conduct demos, get feedback of the primary users, etc. Incorporate a process for evaluating new tools. Add them on a trial basis until proven useful. We never want to be hasty with investments.

What are some of your operational bottlenecks? How are you mitigating? Community-driven solutions are so important to us. My team is committed to addressing real-world problems that impact business operations.

For tailored solutions, consider scheduling an introductory call. We are happy to develop processes and systems for your business. 

Cheers,

K.T. Braxton, MBA