If you've ever eaten at McDonald's, you know what to expect. The food will be prepared in a predictable amount of time, the same amount of special sauce will be on every Big Mac and the fries will crisp, fresh and salted.

No matter where you are in the world from Bradford to Bangalore you know exactly what you’re going to get.  It’s consistent and it’s reliable.

Whatever your business, you’re always looking for consistency, and the benefits it brings to you, your team and your customers. Just think about it:

·         When customers know exactly what to expect every time, their trust in the business increases

·         When the team know what they are doing - how they are expected to complete each task, and to what standard - they feel empowered and are set up to succeed

·         You, as the business owner have more freedom to be the visionary in your business; unnecessary to the smooth-running of the day to day operation

In 2016 87% of business owners with families didn’t take a holiday.  87%…that’s a big number! They're not spending quality time with their loved ones and they're not having fun with friends. Many of them are just stumbling along, ruled by their inbox, working day to day. Most have forgotten why they set up their business in the first place - the life they dreamed of.

They are all way too involved in the day to day, feeling unable to trust their team. Every day is reactive, unpredictable, and feels like a powder keg…

And it could all be so different if only you had simple, logical, repeatable systems.

A glimpse into a systemised business

Imagine this: It's Monday—your first day on the job at McDonald's. Your training includes learning to cook french fries. Billy, the crew trainer takes you to the fry station and step by step explains the McDonald’s method for cooking fries.

He takes his time, let’s you ask questions, explains why they are cooked in this very particular way, and then gives you time to practise while he watches on. When he’s happy that you know what you’re doing, he leaves you to it, and away you go!

By the end of your first day, you are buzzing - you already know how to complete a task to a high standard, and you’re keeping the till people, and customers supplied with hot, fresh, fries. ‘Nobody’s going to be waiting for fries on my shift!’

Compare that to what usually happens in a business - Suzy tells you how to do something ‘her way’, Bob then comes along and corrects what you’re doing, telling you that ‘his way’ is better, then your manager comes along and tells you their way.

You’re left floundering and confused - completely lacking in confidence, and not having a clue which is the ‘right way’. You're wondering if the customers are bothered by this inconsistency.

If McDonald's had operated like this, they would never have scaled and franchised the way they have. They would never have achieved the level of success or the reputation that they have for consistency.

Systems make everything consistent - for you, your team and your customers.

Why Every Business Needs Systems

Systems exist to make our lives easier, there is no other reason for them. If a system doesn’t make life easier, it’s the wrong system.

Many worry that systems are stifling and boring, but the truth is very different. Systems give your business rhythm, they are the steady beat, giving creative minds room to flow, to develop your next big idea.

Most importantly, they give you the freedom to work ON your business rather than IN it. You are the visionary, so give yourself the space to be that inspiring figure.

Systemise your business, get your life back

Don’t set your people up to fail. Give them the structure and the systems they need to take ownership and feel empowered, allowing them to progress and succeed.

If you’re going to systemise your business and achieve a consistent operation, you could do worse than follow the McDonald’s model, and focus on building strong foundations in four areas:

Your Planning System: Start by working out what your vision is and then plot a clear route map to get you there. Work in 90 day cycles, setting goals and achieving them, setting goals and achieving them, creating a forward momentum and that rhythm that we just talked about.

Your Customer Experience System: Understand who your customers are, and the journey they take through your business - through their eyes. This bit is crucial - what is their actual experience, versus the one you see through your rose tinted glasses?

Then look at how you’re supporting that customer journey day to day - how easy are you making it for your customers to do business with you? Is there a system in every area of the business and is each one simple, logical and repeatable?

Your People Systems: The McFreedom System®️ is not just about systems within the operation. Everything needs to be systemised. Your hiring system, your training system, highlighting your high standards at every turn. Inspire your team to strive for more every day. Remember that systems run your business but good people run your systems.

Your Performance Management Systems: It’s all well and good having all these systems, but how do you get everyone to follow them and stay on course? What are your measurement and feedback systems?

Are you giving day to day feedback and do you have regular performance reviews to recognise great performance and pick up on performance that’s not up to standard?

Is it going to take you time to install one way, ‘the right way,’ to do everything in your business? Absolutely. But just consider how much time it’s taking you to put things right, rather than getting things right, and you’ll realise that it’s well worth the investment.

Marianne Page is creator of the McFreedom System.