David Jenyns explains why systems and processes are beneficial in businesses: they clarify expectations, allow high-performing 'A' players to excel by following clear steps and outcomes, and help standardize work. He also addresses the difficulty of changing an existing company culture to be more systemized—some employees will adapt, while others who resist systems may need to be let go to preserve the intended operating model.
Chapters
But the truth of the matter is when you start to hire a players, they really shine. And underneath a systems culture, they thrive because it gives them an opportunity to demonstrate how great they are. And systems tells them, here's how to excel at your role. I'm going to tell you up front, here's the things that you need to do, here's the outcome that I'm looking for, here's how to do it. And that's great for them because now they can deliver to the standard that you're after. So systems and processes, as long as you're including as part of your recruitment criteria and you look for that characteristic early, following systems and processes is something you want to bake into your organization now. Now, the second part to your question addressed this idea of, well, what happens then? If you realize now that you want to build a systemized culture, but you're already quite far down the path, you've started to build team and now what we're actually talking about is changing company culture, which is challenging because you've got people who are set on doing things a certain way. Maybe they've created some level of job security for themselves by having a black box around them that no one really knows what they're doing. And when we shine the light of systems onto what it is that they're doing, that can make them feel uncomfortable or worried that you're doing this so that they can be replaced. Now that typically happens with your existing staff. So there will be a period that you have to go through to readjust and the team realign and change the culture. Some people, a lot of people depending on how you introduce it, will go along with that journey and understand that change is required. But there will be some people that just won't change. I talk about a great story in the book about that with my brother and I won't spoil it for those who end up reading the Systemology book, but my dad had created a thing for my brother and I, a system to gamify our life. At the conclusion of that story, it makes me realize that it's okay if someone wants to follow a system or a process. It's okay if someone doesn't want to follow a system or a process. Like, there's no point in getting unhappy about it, no point in getting angry about it. It just is what it is. If you have decided that you want to build a systems centered business though, and the person who won't follow process, all that they've done is identify themselves as someone who isn't the right fit for the way that you've decided to build your business. And that's okay, you know, shake hands and send them on their way and.
