Better Staff Management Begins with Systems

One of the biggest laments I hear from business owners is, "Help, I’m stuck!" They’ve hustled, grown their business, and made a ton of money, but somehow, things still feel like a chaotic game of Jenga. You know, that moment when you pull one block and the whole thing wobbles? That’s where they are. The company has become a time-hungry monster, yet progress seems elusive. Congratulations—you’ve hit the dreaded growth ceiling! And nothing emphasizes this more than the growing challenge of staff management.

If this resonates with you, welcome to Stage Four of Business Growth. Now is the perfect time to hit pause, pour yourself a strong cup of coffee (or something stronger), and start organizing. It’s time to embrace the magic word: systems.

What exactly is a system, you ask? In business terms, it’s anything that runs without you. It included staff management, but it's bigger than that. It's more effective than an employee performance improvement plan. It includes staff performance reviews and more.

We’re talking about creating company-wide systems that bring predictability, consistency, and reliability to your business—so you can finally take that long-overdue vacation. Instead of micromanaging every tiny detail, you’ll be managing processes. Imagine that.

The Perks of Systems

Once you’ve set up systems, you’ll transition from chief firefighter to... well, let’s call it a “strategic overseer of awesomeness.” Instead of manually signing every check, your accounting team will have a process for managing expenses. No more spending Saturdays buried in sales reports—your team will be generating them for you, analyzing the numbers, and taking action. Systems create responsibilities, enforce checks and balances, and deliver predictable results. 

HR Management Systems: Getting Your Team to Work Like a Finely Tuned Machine

Of course, creating systems to make your team work better, faster, and stronger doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s like planting a garden—you need time, effort, and maybe a little bit of patience to watch everything grow. Ready to take the plunge and build an HR management system? Start by asking yourself these crucial questions:

• Does every employee have a job description that doesn’t sound like an ancient scroll?

• Are there goals in place, with metrics to track them?

• Have you created standard operating procedures for recurring tasks that don’t involve crossing your fingers?

• Does each department have a budget?

• Are managers chasing return on investment (ROI) like it’s the last cup of coffee in the breakroom?

If you’re giving yourself a resounding “no” to any of these, then you, my friend, have some system-building ahead of you. 

How to Improve Employee Performance (Without Losing Your Mind)

First, let’s start with mapping out job parameters. And no, this isn’t your usual recruiting job description that promises a “fast-paced environment” and “dynamic opportunities.” This is about building a performance benchmark that sets the gold standard for each role—something you can whip out year after year as a guide to excellence.

Forget about the quirks and skills of current employees in these roles. Instead, focus on crafting the ideal prototype. Think of it as your business's version of creating an action figure. No need to assign sales goals or detailed tasks yet—this is about nailing down the big picture: What does perfection look like in this role?

Once you have that, it’s way easier to determine if your employees fit their jobs like a hand in a custom-tailored glove. Take, for example, your CMO. At a tech startup, they might need to be a creative visionary with the ability to sell sand in a desert. At an investment firm, you might want someone more like a chess grandmaster—methodical, strategic, and one step ahead. Personality matters, and your prototype helps you see where employees naturally sync (or clash) with their roles.

Position Benchmarks

Here’s a fun thought experiment: Imagine you’re building the ideal employee from scratch. What personality traits make them a rockstar in your organization? For example, do you want your CMO to be the life of the party—outgoing, enthusiastic, and creative? Or does your COO need to be meticulous, team-oriented, and predictably steady?

With your prototype in place, you can then add some basic role functions. For example, your CMO might oversee trade shows, develop sales materials, and manage PR. Keep it top line. No need to nitpick over the small stuff—save that for another day.

Benchmarks are like a north star guiding you in evaluating positions. Once you have these, you’ll start spotting those little hiccups in your organization. Is your CMO secretly cynical? Is your director of operations juggling too much chaos? A good benchmark gives you the insight to address issues head-on—and fix them before they become a bigger headache.

Streamline Processes: It's Time to Embrace the 21st Century

Let’s face it: Technology moves faster than a Monday morning meeting. The good news? Software that once cost a fortune is now affordable, so stop the excuses and start shopping for tech that makes life easier. For example, transitioning to cloud-based payroll may feel like hiking Everest at first—training staff, dealing with data entry, and managing sick day reporting—but once the system is up and running, you’ll wonder why you ever did it the old way. HR will spend less time tracking leave, managers will feel better about granting vacation requests, and payroll will run like a well-oiled machine.

While major changes like payroll systems are obvious game-changers, don’t overlook smaller tweaks. Saving time isn’t just about cutting the big stuff. It's also about shaving minutes off the day-to-day tasks. Great staff management is about empowering your team to find faster, better ways of working. And yes, add a few digital tools to the mix.

A Few Quick Wins to Improve Team Performance

• Order office supplies online and set up standing orders. Let employees arrange paid deliveries for things like print jobs instead of spending time fetching them.

• Use team collaboration tools like Trello or Asana to streamline communication, share files, and organize projects. Less email, more getting things done.

• Invest in scheduling tools like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling to stop wasting time on the back-and-forth of setting meetings.

• Get corporate memberships for Zoom or Microsoft Teams and make virtual meetings the norm (goodbye, commute time!).

• Equip your team with digital tools like video editing software, stock photo subscriptions, and fulfillment platforms. Faster work = happier team.

Focus on What You Do Best, Outsource the Rest

Spoiler alert: You don’t need to do everything in-house. In fact, outsourcing might just be your new best friend. Almost any part of your business can be outsourced—payroll, HR, accounting, marketing, sales, customer service, warehousing, and even legal services. Focus on what your business does best. Are you a marketing firm? Great, keep marketing in-house. But maybe it’s time to outsource HR. If you’re a medical practice, outsource billing and payroll, but keep the healthcare professionals where they belong—taking care of patients.

Don’t Forget to Monitor and Measure

Systems are only as good as the results they bring. So, it’s time to channel your inner scientist and start measuring your progress. Aim for a 1% improvement across the board and then monitor it. Bring your senior team into the game and give them 1% goals too. It's like a game—except everyone wins.

For example:

• Ask accounting to reduce operating costs by 1%.

• Challenge HR to cut turnover by 1%.

• Encourage sales to bring in 1% more new customers.

• Get retail to reduce theft by 1%.

• Ask the warehouse to boost fulfillment efficiency by 1%.

Set Long-Term Goals: Patience Pays Off

Sure, change takes time. Sometimes it feels like a headache. But let’s face it: Smart changes lead to big, long-term gains. Even if it takes your team 100 extra hours to set up a new system that saves 50 employees just 10 minutes a day, is it worth it?

Let’s do the math—you’ll gain back about 8 hours of productivity each day. That’s like adding a whole new employee to your team. Over the course of the year, you’ll save hundreds of hours that can be spent on more productive (and profitable) activities.

Get Started on Better Systems

In the end, it all comes down to working smarter, not harder. By embracing systems, streamlining processes, and using technology to your advantage, you can transform the way your business operates and free up valuable time. Whether you're delegating more effectively, adopting the latest tools, or outsourcing tasks that aren’t in your wheelhouse, each step moves you closer to a more efficient, scalable operation.

The key is to take it one step at a time, measure the results, and keep refining as you go. If you're ready to get started, let's start talking. With the right systems in place, you won’t just run your business—you’ll have the freedom to grow it. And who knows, maybe you’ll even find time for that vacation after all!