Protocols, Systems, and Processes, Oh My!

Many businesses struggle not because of lack of effort—but because their processes only exist in the owner’s head.

In this episode of The Efficiency Advantage, productivity expert Juli Shulem explains how clear systems, protocols, and processes can reduce overwhelm, prevent repeated mistakes, and make business growth sustainable.

You’ll learn how to identify the most important workflows to document, create simple systems that save time, and build processes that allow your business to run smoothly—even when you step away.

If you want to work smarter, eliminate unnecessary stress, and build a business that runs efficiently, this episode will show you where to start.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Are you ready to finally break free from overwhelm, procrastination, and burnout? If you're ready to focus on what truly matters and create momentum to reach and exceed your goals in business and in life, then this podcast is for you. Welcome to the Efficiency Advantage, the podcast where clarity meets action and purpose that fuels your progress. So here's world-class productivity expert and your host, Coach Julie.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Hello and welcome back to the Efficiency Advantage podcast. I'm Julie Shulam, and today I'm going to be sharing with you systems and processes and formats and how to make your business better. So most businesses don't really struggle because they lack effort or ideas. They struggle because the way that the work gets done lives in their heads instead of in clear processes. So my work focuses on helping business owners turn the way that they already operate into repeatable systems that reduce overwhelm, improve consistency, and make growth sustainable. And when the right processes are in place, business owners experience less stress, they make fewer mistakes, and they can start running their company and their life with more clarity and stability. Sound pretty good, right? All right. So when I start working with a new client, usually I can tell within the first conversation or two the status of their systems or sadly lack thereof. Now most of the clients tell me straight up that they're having issues with productivity and overwhelm, and they're not able to get projects or tasks done in a timely manner, and they're kind of disorganized. So it doesn't take long to learn that there are very few, if any, systems in place. Some of the warning signs are when we see the same problems resurfacing because there's no defined workflow or processes to prevent them from occurring. And to make matters worse, the same decisions have to be made over and over, which is not only frustrating, but it's a real time suck. So when I ask, if you're away, would your whole company and everything just fall apart? Would it just kind of fall through the cracks? Well, this is usually where they tell me that there are no processes in place. So no one's going to be able to do anything for them. And that there isn't any procedures manual or document showing how to do various tasks either. So when I ask where all this information is, and they say in their head, and then I know that there are issues to be handled. We know that processes are working when the business runs consistently, even when you, the owner, step away or go on vacation or anything else like that. So how do we know which processes to set up first? And how can one get started on this project? So as their coach, I help clients figure out which are the highest priority. We discover that by learning which ones are either done frequently, so something that's done all the time, and uh where there would be a potential negative ramification if something were done wrong. So we need some clear directions written down. Or if something not done would have high impact on revenue, customers, or operations. So if you don't have a system in place and there would be a negative impact on revenue customers or operations, those are good places to start. So in most businesses, this means starting with a few core areas. Either keeping track of client or customer experiences, handling sales and leads, managing training or onboarding new people, and any recurring operational task as well as seldom used tasks. So these areas are all very valid for creating some system around. So if you're wondering why bother documenting how to do those random seldom used tasks or systems, well, there's a really good reason. Think about this. Have you ever found that when you have to do a task that you maybe do once or twice a year, it's you have to relearn the process every time like it's the first time? Well, now imagine how much time you would save if you had a detailed document showing you step by step what to do so you can complete the task faster and easier and with less stress. I have a client and he hates having to ask for information from his boss on some of the more infrequent case scenarios. So he's creating some standard operating procedures or SOPs to give him more autonomy with his work. Now, this not only saves time for both parties, but it allows him to have more agency over his work product and makes him look and feel more responsible. So this is a wonderful thing to have in place in your office. Now keep in mind, you don't have to document every single thing. Just those that cause the most problems or that could waste most time. Those things that you forget often. If it saves you time, create a system around it and instructions. Even if they're just for you, this will reduce time being wasted, having to relearn the process over and over. Now, let's say you have a team or staff and you want them to utilize these protocols or processes. Well, the best way I have seen to get compliance or agreement is to involve everyone. When processes are written for people for them to follow rather than with them, there's a less likelihood of buy-in. And we want buy-in. So when employees or direct reports have some input, not only do they feel respected and heard, but they're more likely to use whatever system is being put in place. Because they had some input here. Another excellent reason to get everyone to participate in this is this way you may end up with some great ideas that you may not have come up with on your own. So to drive adoption, make the processes, the systems, the protocols easy to use because confused people don't perform straight up. If the procedure, protocol, or system is long or complicated, people may get overwhelmed by the information and may eventually ignore it altogether and may default to asking someone else instead. Again, this is a time waster and not getting people to solve problems on their own, which would be a much better situation. Two, connect the process to the outcomes. When teams and others see and understand how we process, protects the quality, serves the customer, or improves efficiency, they can see how the systems help them in addition to the company overall. And integrate processes into daily work by making the systems very easy to access. That way they'll be more readily used. If someone has to search for the information, then out-of-sight, out-of-mind center may set in and they may procrastinate on the task or aboard it altogether. So if the process makes their job easier or helps them in some way, they will adopt the protocols and the concepts faster. Now let's say you're a solopreneur. It's just you. If you are thinking, well, why do I need systems and protocols? I'm the one doing everything. All right, hear me out. Because many of my clients are solopreneurs, as am I. And having procedures in place for oneself is incredibly helpful, especially if you plan to grow your business. These protocols offer clarity as well as they will save time because you don't have to figure out that task from scratch all over again. Don't you want to have the operation side of your business as simple as impossible? I knew I do. Solopreneurs sometimes think that processes and systems are only for larger businesses or if they have employees, but they're actually helpful even earlier because they help you, the owner. If the solopreneur creates systems for various aspects of the job, even something as simple as a template, this will help make that particular process faster and easier. We always want to reduce decision fatigue, taking the guesswork out of the situation. This process, having the systems, will aid in your productivity. I can't stress this enough. So prevent reinventing the wheel. As mentioned earlier. If you're doing something repeatedly, create a system around it. It doesn't need to be fancy or complicated. Maybe a method of gathering information during a new client consultation. I have a form or a system for pretty much every single aspect of my business. I always have. As soon as I find myself frustrated with how I'm doing something, I stop and I ask myself, okay, how can I make this better, easier, or more streamlined? And that's generally how a new system comes to be. And what is great is that in time, if you have staff, it makes it much easier to delegate when a protocol or a system is already in place. Now, keep in mind, this is a process, and new ideas will manifest as you go along running your business. Whatever process or system you create will probably need to be fine-tuned later on or modified as the business grows. That's to be expected, and this is a good thing. Just start with something that you see should be easier or run more smoothly, and either create a formula, a template, a list of instructions, whatever will make the task or project easy, efficient, and well done. Write instructions down for yourself or anyone else. When you're a solopreneur, document how you do key things like onboarding clients or delivering your product or service, how you ship things. Sometimes a simple checklist or a short video is enough. I actually made a quick video on how to use those cord ties that I love using for a couple of people who had never seen the ones that I use, how they work. And it took me a couple of minutes. It saved me so much time having to explain the same thing to different people. And that way I can just shoot off the video and say, here, this will share, you know, explain everything for you. Processes aren't about being big or complicated. They're about making what you do more productive and your future growth easier. The real benefit is that when you eventually hire help, you are now not having to start from scratch or having to train on every little detail. You'll have the foundation of how the business operates in place. When I used to go into small businesses, medical and dental offices, I created entire manuals of how that business would run. And I created all the forms and showed how every little step of each phase of how a client or patient would be going through the system would be handled. And what to do if there's a collections problem, what to do if someone cancels an appointment. Everything that could happen was addressed. This way, when we got a new employee in place, it was so simple. I just handed them the manual. This is how we operate. And then they could ask questions along the way. So a few things to think about. One thing that I've seen consistently is that if processes aren't built in as a business grows, the business becomes harder to run. But when owners capture how their businesses actually run and how things work, even in simple ways, they create clarity and consistency for themselves, their team, and their clients. Processes aren't about documentation and making busy work, they're about making good processes repeatable. You want to make sure that this is something that others can do also. Now, I've also found that if the same problem keeps coming back, it's usually not a people problem. It's a missing or unclear process or system. Involve others so that everyone feels like they are part of the process. They'll feel valued. And again, you might just get some amazing ideas from others versus trying to compile everything yourself. Documentation right from the start makes future growth less stressful. If you eventually grow your business, having systems and protocols in place keep the inevitable complexity more manageable. And a final note a process doesn't need to be perfect, fancy, or super techie to be useful. It just needs to make the next step or steps clearer and easier. I hope this helps you with whatever you're working on. This can be applied toward your personal life as well. This is not just for business, this is for everything. I'm Julie Shulem. Thank you for listening, and I look forward to sharing some more ideas on the next podcast. If you have a comment, please go to ask Julie, that's spelled Julie.com, and please send along what you'd like. Subscribe if you haven't done so already, and share the podcast. I'm trying to help as many people as possible. Thank you and have a productive day.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

So that's it for today's episode of the Efficiency Advantage. Head on over to Apple Podcasts iTunes or wherever you listen and subscribe to the show. One lucky listener every single week that posts a review on Apple Podcasts or iTunes will win a chance in the grand prize drawing to win a private VIP day with Coach Julie herself. Be sure to head on over to the EfficiencyAdvantage.com and pick up a free copy of Coach Julie's gift. And join us on the next episode.