Happy Thursday! We hope you’ve had a great week. Friday is almost here – hang in there!
In This Issue: Lessons Learned: VA²S | Nylon Cable Ties | What Is a Domain Controller? | News to Start Your Day
The CK Daily – Lessons Learned: VA²S
There are a lot of business “operating systems” out there. EOS as explained in the book Traction by Gino Wickman and The Rockefeller Habits as explained in the book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish are a few that come to mind. The concepts are great. It seems so simple!
But … for whatever reason I find faults with any systems like this and feel the need to take pieces of one or the other, and cobble them together to create my own systems. Or, just talk about implementing them and do nothing of the sort! My brain is broken. Lol
Eventually, we will find the right system or systems, or will create the best Frankensystem to catapult us to wild success! In the meantime, I keep collecting ideas, sayings, concepts and creating Craigisms, and guiding business principles that help us stay on track and Build Processes that Don’t Fail (one of our core values).
One of those concepts is what I call VAAS (Or VA²S).
VAAS stands for Visibility, Accountability and Accountability, create Sustainability.
- Visibility – Lists, charts, or dashboards that show the INPUT processes that, if executed regularly and well, cause the business to run well. Also, a dashboard to show the OUTCOME metrics of the process to make sure it continues to produce the desired outcome.
- Accountability (1) – Assigning clear accountability to RUN that process to a single individual and making sure they are equipped to succeed (time, clarity of expectation, documentation of how to execute)
- Accountability (2) – Assigning clear accountability to a manager/leader who OWNS the process and is accountable for the outcome. They should be well aware of the outcomes expected, be equipped to monitor the inputs, help solve problems as they may arise, and look for opportunities to refine or redefine the processes as necessary to increase efficiency or improve the outcome.
- Sustainability – As all three of the above efforts are implemented and executed well, the potential for sustainability of the process can be dramatically improved.
As a company, we can never expect to incrementally serve customers better and grow as a result if we do not have the ability to sustain the level of work tomorrow that we create today. It is easy to chase the next shiny, fun, exciting, or intriguing thing. In doing so, we risk dropping what we do well. I am world-class at this myself, so I should know. We only have so many hands, keyboards, and hours in the day. Plus, what happens when someone leaves the company or moves into a new position? Do you hand the role to someone else and hope for the best? That doesn’t turn out very well.
Another operating model we follow is what I call Plan, Build, Run. In this model, we recognize that each person in the organization has skills that generally align with one of these, and each ROLE in the business contains some level of each of these as well.
- Plan – In the plan layer we think about where we are going as a business, in a specific area of the business, in a process change, or in how we will approach the work of the day.
- Build – In the build layer we figure out how we will achieve what comes out of the planning process and do the work needed to actually create new realities in the business. Changing the processes and updating documentation, starting new processes, creating new products or lines of business, etc. Once they are changed or created, we hand them over to the run layer.
- Run – The run layer is the daily heartbeat of the company. It’s all about getting stuff done day after day and is the execution of known processes. – “The train running on time”. Shipping, receiving, customer service, sales, and every other element of the business that makes the wheels on the bus go ‘round.
This somewhat aligns with what Michael E. Gerber calls Entrepreneur, Manager, and Technician in his book E-Myth. It takes every one of these elements to keep a business going and growing.
These two concepts work together. We have staff that are clearly in the “build layer” and staff that are clearly in the “run layer”. What we aim to do is CREATE processes is the build layer and install those processes into the run layer. Repeat, repeat, repeat. … repeat.
This is way easier said than done, but the results are huge, and the clarity that comes through the process separates the drumbeat action of the day to day critical to serving customers consistently well from the chaos that is inherent to the plan and building layers.
Craig
Product Spotlights & Updates
Cable ties are an extremely versatile way to organize and bundle wires and cables. They are easy to install and can be cut off for rework very easily. Locks tightly – won’t stretch or slide.
Learning Center Article – What Is a Domain Controller?
One of the most important aspects of managing a business network is security. Many businesses store sensitive information — such as contact information for customers and clients. If third parties could easily access that information, it could create dangerous liabilities for your business.
Today’s News to Start Your Day:
- On February 26th, KFC will start adding its own type of pizza to the otherwise poultry-focused menu.
- Google has paused its Gemini artificial intelligence image generation feature after saying it offers “inaccuracies” in historical pictures.
- Apple announced a free new app for tracking sports scores, its latest effort to become a major provider of sports content and news
- Just months after admitting that its endless shrimp offering led to record losses, Red Lobster is trying out a surprisingly similar stunt: all-you-can-eat lobster.