Why & How to Clarify Your Business Processes

Many successful business owners are successful because they think about things differently than most people. Others may recognize your personal brilliance and say to themselves, “I wish I could understand how she does it.” 

Your “secret sauce” can be a great differentiator. However, when it comes to planning for a successful future and your eventual exit, it may also be a roadblock. 

Consider these three strategies to leverage the methods to support a successful succession planning process. 

Document Processes 

When it comes to long-term planning for future success, documentation is key. This can be challenging for business owners who keep a lot of knowledge in their head. For these kinds of business owners, documentation can seem constraining. 

However, as your business grows—and with it the stakes that determine your success—having a method to guide what makes your business successful becomes more important. 

For example, say you’re the creative force behind your company’s business development concepts. You might come up with your best ideas after three hours of sleep, 15 cups of coffee, and an intense brainstorming session with trusted partners. Next, you guide others toward how to implement the ideas that come from the process. It’s unlikely that the people who will implement the ideas will be able to do the exact same things you do without a method that delivers consistent results. 

And the documentation can insulate your company against risks, such as if you were to fall ill for an extended time and couldn’t be the catalyst. 

Cultivate Next-generation Leaders 

Successful business owners often recognize that they can’t do everything themselves. This recognition allows business owners to search for and implement next-generation leaders to keep moving the business forward. 

If you find that your business isn’t quite executing on your ideas—or perhaps you’re having difficulty articulating what you need the business to do—your well-coached leadership team could be the solution. Their presence can strengthen a company both because of their inherent expertise and because they should have the skills to clarify and implement your strategic vision. 

Ask For Help 

Even if your processes make sense to you, it’s a prudent strategy to explain those processes as clearly as possible to others to reduce risks. Invite your team to lend their expertise in creating and reviewing the processes or “standard operating procedures.” It is well worth investing time in documentation not only so that others can understand and execute them successfully, but when it comes time to transfer your business, you will already have this key deliverable completed.