The reason micromanagers exist is because they don’t understand that he kind of information that they are trying to convey and get back from you is information that can flow smoothly if you have a process to allow that to happen. We’ve been talking about managing every single detail and orchestrating everything. But if you don’t have a system in place to manage your people, then you become the micromanager.

A management system allows you to hand over the keys and watch it run. The keys literally are the management system and the car is your business.

A lot of folks hire highly skilled people who can do all the work for them. When that happens, they often get used and abused, the owner disconnects from the company and they leave the business in a worse state than it was to begin with. If you understand your business and have a management system in place, then you don’t need to spend a lot of money on employees. You can hire people who haven’t been “spoiled by the world.”

You don’t want to hire your consultants. You want to pay consultants to assist you in creating management systems and then hire people to do the work.

A Management System is, like everything else, plan it down to the finest details and creating a checklist for people to follow. Checklists make all the difference. They can sometimes be daunting, but quickly become second nature. A Management System is a clear communication of what needs to be done.

Management systems manage people and can be built to resemble a game. Don’t be afraid of rules. Rules actually make the game more interesting and fun. Rules give you boundaries, purpose, challenges, and a way to win.

If you want to create a consistent value to your customers, employees, suppliers, and lenders, you need to have rules.

You want to hire people with the lowest possible skill level. No one can be great at everything. If you hone in on a skill, then you can become great at that skill. Also the lowest possible skillset, people tend to be more teachable.

The system makes everything run with impeccable order.

Create work manuals for each activity/skill that needs to be done. We have a new spreadsheet for publishing podcasts that allows us to keep track of what is getting done and when. It allows the publisher to keep track of what had been done and what needs to be done.

You cannot have a sellable business if there is not uniform predictability in how your business works. No one wants to buy a business that is not uniform or predictable.

Your management system has to be precise about everything, even down to the dress code. It sounds nitpicky but it sets the culture and it sets the tone. It’s a piece that the employees can own. And ultimately it is all about your brand and your business culture. Having something that is clearly defined and notable makes you notable.

When you hire people you have to have a management system, but it doesn’t start when you hire them. You have to make sure that your system is managing you.