To make your team successful, you need to have your processes in place. I bet you can imagine your agency, a place where everyone does things like they want to. No rules, processes or procedures in place. Customers are complaining, employees are complaining. You, in the middle of it all. No control.
Did you get the chills right now? I sure did. So with this being said, and hopefully with you having that scenario stuck in your head, let's make sure this does not become your reality.
Drive improvement and internal control
Analyzing data will let you in on whether or not the processes and procedures you have in place are working. With an overview of all processes, and having them documented, you can establish internal control.
This will, in turn, create a culture where everyone is aware of what to do and what is going on. All because a well-documented process, as well as the procedures in it, will help in providing your employees with guidelines for daily operations and activities, expectations and routines.
Also, training is faster with standard processes and procedures in place. Interruptions of questions, delays etc. will get reduced, because well, you might have guessed it, people already know the answer.
Templates for standard operating processes and procedures will definitely be a great tip here. An agency mentor or coach will already have those in place, and ready for you to use.
It is also easier for a third party to get a good overview of your procedures and what needs to be done. Like Matt Hodkinson, CEO at Influence agents, says “Sometimes you’re just a bit too close to your own business where the issues lie”.
Discover the story of Influence Agents here.
Ensure operational needs are met through processes
You really can’t meet your goals if your processes and procedures don’t allow for it to happen. Make sure they are aligned and compatible, and if not, get on with some change.
Agility in the process and hence the ability to change with the needs of your customers or the changes in the industry is seriously something you should strive for. In these ever-changing digital times, the ability to adapt will essentially mean life or death for an agency.
Covering the needs of employees will, in turn, benefit the needs of customers. Studies have found employees who are happy result in a 12% spike in productivity. How’s that for increased deliverability? In this, employee satisfaction often lies the need for transparency in processes, and also being able to influence how things are done.
If a customer needs something to be done a certain way, don’t do it if you can’t do it correctly, or if it even means messing with your operational needs or way to do things. If your team is to achieve something, you need to give them the means to do so - or stare failure in the eyes.
Read more about how tedious processes can give you the freedom you want.
Processes and policies will improve compliance
Compliance with laws and regulations that is. The new law regarding GDPR is taking effect this year, and that is only one aspect of processes and procedures you have to have in order to ensure compliance.
Processes will let everyone in your agency in on the exact way you do things, and your customers too, so there are no misunderstandings or vital mistakes made. The fine for breaking this law can go as high as “4% of an undertakings global annual turnover for the preceding fiscal year, or €20,000,000 (whichever is higher).”
Compliance also ensures efficiency because the likelihood of something having to be done over again diminishes accordingly. And, when you do work for other clients, the least they expect is the work to be in compliance with laws and regulations. Would you expect anything less from someone doing work for your agency?
So when you can control your own processes and procedures, and you also have the ability and opportunity to manage, or at least somewhat steer the happiness and satisfaction of, your employees - why aren’t you already doing so?
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