13 Mar Systematize to Scale
How to create robust systems and processes to scale and create uniformity and in turn save time, energy, and other scarce resources
I’ve more than two decades of international leadership experience and have been helping leaders make successful transitions from one stage of leadership to the next one:
- From Star Employee to first-time Team Leader, Project Manager, or Supervisor;
- From Supervisory to Middle Management; and
- From Management to Executive Leadership.
In 2016 – 2017, I also had a golden opportunity to work with a national training company in the US, traveling around the country to provide public seminars and on-site workshops for new supervisors and managers.
One thing I quickly realized back then was that not all organizations have the knowhow, willingness, and ability to custom design and provide stage-by-stage leadership programs for their:
- Emerging Leaders,
- Middle Leaders, and
- Senior Leaders.
What is more? Very few smart organizations proactively and intentionally empower their NEW and 1st Time:
- Supervisors,
- Managers, and
- Executive to make a smooth transition and excel at their new leadership roles from the get-go.
A few years ago, I decided to help first-time leaders who may not get leadership transition programs from their employers to make a smooth transition from one stage of leadership to the next one.
As a result, I published the first of three books on leadership transition.
The first book in this series was published in 2021 and became Amazon’s #1 bestseller within the 1st week of its release. To learn more about this book and other complementary programs for first-time team leaders, project managers, and supervisors, click here…
The 2nd book in this trilogy is in the pipeline and may be published within a few months. The final and third book may be published at the end of this year or early next year, and it aims at equipping first-time new executives and CEOs. Stay Tuned!
The second book empowers supervisors transitioning from supervision to middle management- from leading one project or team to leading multiple teams and projects.
The transition from Star Employee to 1st time leadership is tough- at least for the first few months. Likewise, transitioning from supervision to middle management won’t be easy. And, of course, unless someone gets the appropriate transition programs individually and/or collectively.
This morning, I was enriching one of the keys shared in the second book: Systematizing Processes. One of the 12 keys a new middle leader needs to succeed in leading from the middle is the ability to systematize his/her portfolio, department, or function.
As a team supervisor or project manager, one might never need to create systems and processes under each system. He or she may have the pulse of the team at their fingertips. They may know what is going on and can create uniformity, harmony, and synergy without systematizing and creating processes for each system.
Unfortunately, many middle leaders may not make a quick shift in their mindset and develop the right competencies right away to lead multiple teams and projects from the get-go. Many solo entrepreneurs, too, struggle to scale because they don’t know the importance of systematizing and creating processes. Even if they are aware and willing, they may lack the know-how and abilities to do so.
When a supervisor or entrepreneur is leading one team or managing one project, they can survive and still perform well without systematizing.
Sadly, as a middle leader who manages multiple projects and teams, one can’t survive, let alone succeed, without systematizing the processes in their multiple teams and projects.
Systematizing is one of the skills necessary to lead from the middle effectively and successfully from the start without wasting scarce resources, harming performance, and/or affecting the well-being of all parties involved.
If it is done effectively, systematizing enables middle leaders to:
- Create uniformity,
- Save tons of time and energy,
- Conserve other scarce resources,
- Facilitate cross-pollination by busting silos,
- Enjoy an easy flow of info,
- Exchange of ideas and expertise,
- And many more benefits that come with breaking down silos and creating robust systems and agile processes.
The good news is that, unlike in the past, middle leaders and solo entrepreneurs who desire to scale FAST can tap into and leverage the latest technologies and platforms to create a robust system. More than ever, there are many affordable and easy-to-implement options out there…
Let me stop here. As soon as the book becomes available, I’ll share it with you here. Stay Tuned!
In the meantime, if you would like us to provide 1-day transition workshops (webinars) for your new leaders at different stages of development (supervisors, managers, and executives) and/or custom design and deliver cohort programs for your Emerging, Middle, and/or Executive Leaders, reach out to our team at [email protected]