Systems 101 – A useful LIST of Systems Documents for your Business

Starting with SYSTEMS – Always Share Your Desired OUTCOMES & SYSTEMS with your “A Team”

Many business owners and managers play the “Guessing Game” – They let their team members try to “Guess” what they really want to achieve.

ALWAYS Know and share your desired Outcomes to Build Better Systems – especially your Vision, Mission and Values

Business Plans of many small businesses are either old or non-existent. Targets and KPIs are unclear or scarce. Help your team achieve more by clearly communicating your desired Outcomes and Business Direction.

Systems 101 - Any Road QUOTE by Lewis Caroll - Business Outcomes

Don’t Keep it a SECRET! Give us a HINT!

ANY document that can help CLARIFY the desired outcomes & direction of the business is really USEFUL to boost team engagement and results.

Let’s start by getting everybody on the same 1st page of Business Systems 101.

Here is a Useful Checklist of some helpful documents to achieve better Organisational Clarity and Results.

AN “ABOUT OUR COMPANY” DOCUMENT

Our PURPOSE – Why we do it / our WHY
Our PHILOSOPHY – What we believe
Our PEOPLE – Who we are
Our PLAN – What we do
Our PROCESSES – How we do it
Our POSSIBILITIES – Opportunities
Our PROBLEMS – Issues and Concerns
Our PERFORMANCE – KPI expectations
Out PAYOFF – Benefits and Bonuses

CLEAR DIRECTION DOCUMENTS

VALUES STATEMENT – What’s really important to us?
VISION STATEMENT & MISSION STATEMENT
S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
STAKEHOLDERS – Clear Identification of all STAKEHOLDERS involved in the business
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – Who are our competitors (By Segment)
TARGET MARKET & IDEAL BUYER PERSONAS – Who are our buyers? in detail.
CORE STRENGTHS (Niches) – The Hedgehog Principle – What ONE thing do we do well?
UPDATED BUSINESS PLAN – Business Strategies are Clear (create a Liveplan or One Page Plan)
FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES – Budget, Actuals, CPC Comparisons

HUMAN RESOURCES HR DOCS

OUR ORGANISATIONAL CHART – names and pictures
OUR ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES – Individual Position & Ideal Person Descriptions
OUR CULTURE STATEMENT – Our Philosophy
A COURTESY SYSTEM in place
PRODUCTIVITY & EFFICIENCY – meetings are meaningful, motivational and minute-wise (See the 25 minute meeting by Donna McGeorge)
HOUSE RULES – clear set of basic HR Policies & Procedures
RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES & REMUNERATION PLANS
INDUCTION AND ONBOARDING PROGRAM

STAFF INDUCTION DOCS

ONBOARDING CHECKLIST – Admin, Financial, Show Around, Meet People
VISIT & READ OUR COMPANY WEBSITE
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS & PROCESSES – Checklists
STYLE GUIDE / BRAND GUIDE – Logos, Colours, Pics, Videos, Examples of past work
TEAM COMMUNICATION TOOLS – coaching, feedback and samples
FAQs & FADQs lists – Frequently Asked Questions (made public) and Difficult Questions (keep private)

COUNTING & MEASURING BUSINESS OUTCOMES

KEY METRICS have been established – Which things to measure regularly
KPIs & KRAs OKRs – MEASUREMENT & FEEDBACK SYSTEMS in place – Key performance indicators and Key Results Areas
FINANCIAL REPORTING RHYTHM – Regular Meetings on P&L or A&L

ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS OUTCOMES

P.E.S.T. ANALYSIS Completed (Political, Environmental, Social, Technological)
WORKING ENVIRONMENT – WHS/OHS issues, Built Environment audits
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS – Technology & Software up to date
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT – New Competitors/Threats regularly assessed

OUTSOURCED STAFF CHECKLIST

SURROUNDINGS & SUPPORT – Risk Analysis – Security – power, pics, helpers, Family
OFFICE SET UP – Connection, Mobile phones, computer, other equipment
TOOLS – Preferred Software programs
REFERENCES – Past work, Past employers
SCENARIO PLANNING – Robbery, Theft, Backup, Disaster (hurricane, flood, fire)

Systems 101 &#8211; A useful LIST of Systems Documents for your Business