You can download the Flowchart of this process here: https://millermarketingandtraining.com/work-with-me

The Strategic Training Objective Creation Process:  This is where the magic happens!

You take a “lowly” task and elevate it in status to a Strategic Training Objective

How do I do this?  What exactly is happening in this process of task to STO?

You can download the Flowchart of this process here: https://millermarketingandtraining.com/work-with-me

This is where you Create the small inventions – that put together create something very special!

The simple ACT of documenting your work is a system!

You have to appreciate and understand that simple idea –

The Systems Manual Blueprints

WORK TYPES:  There are different types of Blueprints because there are different types of WORK

Concrete and footers Blueprints

Here’s the BIG Idea – that took me years and trial and error to figure out how to create Systems Training Manuals

There’s different types of work, therefore, you need different types of templates

We tried to create a One Size Fits all template – and it didn’t work!

Think about all the different types of work in your business

Then – The order fulfillment work of delivering Big on your promises

Your Work Systems must consider the Type of work, before you can create a system for it

Don’t let this intimidate you – this is your opportunity to Create, Innovate and Invent your work

This is where you Create the small inventions – that put together create something very special!

You can download the Flowchart of this process here: https://millermarketingandtraining.com/work-with-me

Step two in this module called, The Best Way – Matching Work Types with Template Types

In this episode we discuss template types

The best way to describe a system is by describing how to document it!

That’s huge – say that again!

That gives new meaning to the phrase…

There are more ways to document a system than just writing it down.

What is a system?

The Story of Bonefish Grill – How do they do that?

Templates.  A preset format for a document, used so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used.

Types of templates:

Other methods for Documenting a system

Systems Thinking is not just about you the business owner – BUT making systems thinking part of the DNA of your company culture. Which means that part of your company culture is TRAINING – and for training to stick you need Training Manuals

A Training Manual is a collection of all of your Systems Documentation in one place.

Systems Manuals ARE ESSENTIAL as a WAY to TEACH and Train systems Thinking.

Teaching the Recipes from the Cookbook

Next episode – we’ll take this one step further with the goal of creating your systems manuals for training.

The STO Creation Process

I am finishing up a series of podcasts featuring – Your Best Work, The Best Way process.

You can download the Flowchart of this process here: https://millermarketingandtraining.com/work-with-me

This is a process to clarify your vision – Your Best Work, and then reveal all the work that makes that vision a reality – And Then…Do That Work the Best Way.

And today we introduce The Best Way – and the Best Way is Systems.

The title of this process was inspired by an Edwards Deming quote

“It’s not enough to do your best, you must know what to do and then do your best.” – Deming

The module we are starting today – The Best Way –  is where you document your systems

It’s not a system unless and until it is written down!

A flowchart is just one way to document a system – there are dozens of ways – and I’ll teach them to you in the next couple of episodes

THINK Templates – fill in the blank templates

Introduction to YOUR BEST WORK:

Your Best Work module has three steps:

This episode is about becoming a Systems Thinker

7 Advantages of a Systems Thinking

Welcome to a special episode of the podcast with a focus on innovation, marketing and mindset.

The inspiration for this episode is from one of my favorite quotes by Peter Drucker:

“Because of the nature business, it has two and only two functions, innovation and marketing.  Innovation and marketing make money, everything else is an expense.”  – Peter Drucker

WOW!   There’s not a more perfect statement to focus the attention and energy of a small business person.  In my experience, however, most small business people don’t know this, and spend their time on lesser things.  The result is a business that stays small and mediocre, with a business owner who’s not really an owner, but a key employee.

Innovation and marketing are the keys to set you free, along with a mindset to believe it’s for you.

The podcast is the audio version of a sales letter for an event based on the same ideas:  The Plantscape Innovation and Marketing Live Event.  The event is happening in Fort Myers, Florida in May of 2020.

You should come, even if you’re not in the Plantscape industry like me.  The principles of innovation and marketing are universal.

You can learn more about the event here.

The Outside Perception – how the marketplace sees you

When you put all the pieces of the system together into a whole – You CREATE something worthy of a Name

It is the Sum total of all of your small inventions and innovations – put together into a Marketable Program!

People love to buy “a complete solution”

This is your opportunity to create your own turn-key program

When you use the word “Program” it can be anything you want it to be!  You are the inventor – you’re the creator.  It’s your creation, name it whatever you want.

How to create your own program:

And the all-time best reason for creating a Program …

This is how to create your Unique Branded Systems inside your company…

From the raw work of the Expert Download, The Sifting, Sorting and Naming Process just naturally leads to naming

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”                – Dale Carnegie

Your work has a name! 

The Outside Perception – how the marketplace sees you

Think Innovation!  Both Inside and Outside your company.

You are differentiating your work from every other company

Even if… ESPECIALLY If you are in a commodity type business – like plumbing or dentistry – where people tend to just go right to price.

Naming makes your work unique and special

You are Creating a Process – UNLIKE any other

The STO is a term to describe a chunk of work.   And, it distinguishes work as a Unit that can be described and trained.

Training is TRANSFER!

You could call them work tasks – BUT you miss some of the power of creating a systemized method for doing the work.

SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

Here is the difference… And STO is, A Task On Red Bull

Definition of a Task: a definite piece of work assigned to or expected of a person.  A piece of work to be done or undertaken.

STO/Strategic Training Objective:  a task that has been scrutinized (examined and inspected closely) to,  1. ensure it serves and advances the vision, and 2. is accomplished in the most efficient manner.

Gimme an ‘S’ – Definition of Strategic:   Carefully designed and planned to serve a particular purpose or advantage.  Strategic also means, relating to the gaining of overall long term competitive advantage.

Strategic:  Each one of our STO’s has been fine-tuned, tweaked, and innovated through many years of Trial and Error and then Trial and Success – “carefully designed and planned to serve a particular purpose or advantage.”  Please respect the strategy and our “careful design.”

Gimme a ‘T’ – Definition of Training:  The action and work of “teaching” another person a particular skill or body of knowledge.

Training:  All effective training requires a trainer: someone who is very familiar with the skill or process being taught.  The trainer uses the STO Form and teaches Step-by-Step according to the documented system.  Telling is not Training!  The act of telling someone about a task is not communicating all the details, steps, innovations and “strategic reasons why” we do something in the manner that we do it.  That is why we train using our Systems Training Manuals and teach each STO step by step.

Gimme an ‘O’ – Definition of Objective:  A specific result that a person or system aims to achieve within a time frame and with available resources.

Objective:   A simple term for objectives is “a piece of work.”  The objectives are the work tasks that must be completed on a recurring frequency to fulfill our vision.  If we are doing a “one time” task it is not included in our training – only the objectives/tasks that occur with frequency (once a day, week, biweekly, etc.)

You now have your RAW Expert download!  Awesome!  Huge!  High-five!  This is a really big deal, and shows your commitment to create a business that works.

Now we are going to take it and process it into a Refined Form.  It was raw, but we are going to refine it so that it serves your business in so many ways.

You are creating a systems manual for your business, A Training System

We have a Living Ambiance Plant Program. There are a lot of small systems inside that program, that the client never sees. For example:

Note:  In an outline format the Framework pieces would be a Roman Numeral “I” and the supporting pieces would be a letter “A” underneath.

The Expert Download – interview process

You are going to do this interview with someone in your business – WHO?

THAT’S What Grows a business – repeat customers who say great things about your company.

For that to happen you have to …

Eliminate Discretion at the Operating Level of Your Business…

What does that mean?

DISCRETION:  the Freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

The Expert Download is helping you to Eliminate Discretion

YOU, the business owner, the Visionary gets to DECIDE what should be done!

If you want repeat customers who say great things about your business…They need to have an experience that’s Scripted and Designed and Executed flawlessly Every Time they do business with you.

Your staff can Not make it up as they go along.

Contrary to popular belief – your team actually likes this!  People like to know what the expectations are.

THAT’s what you’re doing in this process – You’re creating the Recipes for Success.

You are writing the cookbook!

The Expert Download Process

Step by Step

Step 1:  It Starts with Vision

Step 2:  Working with the Experts – in this division

Step 3:  The Interview Process