First: What IS a standard operating procedure?

A standard operating procedure is a set of written/audio/video instructions that describes the step-by-step process that must be taken to properly perform a routine activity.

It’s intended that SOPs be followed the exact same way every time to guarantee that the company remains consistent - especially if you work in a highly regulated or monitored environment such as financial services, some health providers, and even for health and safety reasons…

When I was younger I loved to dance. (Well I still do, but I actually took lessons and performed in my youth). What I admired about professional dancers was their athleticism, their grace and their superb amounts of skill. The way they could capture an audience and tell a story through movement.

What I learned was in order to get to be so skilled and master their craft, they practiced all the time and often practiced the basics. Like a musician mastering and warming up with scales. It’s the foundational steps and method that help them to hone their craft. It’s focussing on the foundations of their craft that built the muscle memory and capacity that they have today. The ballet dancers always came back to their pliés.

When I hear and speak to business owners and founders today who want to grow their companies, some of them have all sorts of plans and initiatives. I always love hearing about their plans and vision. It’s inspiring. Until I hear about their method…

Have you ever felt the weight of running your business?

Wouldn’t it be nice not to have everything resting on your shoulders?

Wouldn’t it be nice to feel supported and know that certain things are ‘handled’, and you aren’t solely responsible to make key things happen in your business?

I’m not a car person by any means, but this analogy popped into my mind as I was thinking about how I often hear (and experience) the challenge of feeling like you’re alone in your business.

I was speaking recently with someone who had sold not one, but two businesses in the past several years.

I asked her what she found was the more challenging aspects of selling. She said that one of the biggest challenges was getting her processes in order. She didn’t build it with selling it in mind and certainly didn’t think about capturing her processes as they operated.

So, preparing to sell her business the first time was quite onerous because it’s something she had to start from scratch.

It wasn’t until this was in place that her business could be properly evaluated (along with other metrics).

Standard operating procedures are not only valuable when you’re trying to sell your business, they are actually very powerful to…

As you work to grow your business, do you find yourself ever saying, “I’m not sure anyone else can do this,” or “what I do is so unique.”

OR, “I wouldn’t even know how to train somebody on this, I do it differently every time!”?

If you’re interested in scaling your business and growing your results, one of the most frequently raised topics of concern is about consistency and getting the rest of your team members to deliver.

“If I don’t do it, it won’t be the same client experience” or “We won’t achieve the same results.”

Some of these perspectives may be factual and some may not.

Even if it’s factual now, it doesn’t mean that can’t change.