With the start of Q3 upon us, it’s a great time to reflect on last quarter and go through the exercise of what should we start doing, what should we stop doing, and what should we continue doing (start, stop, continue). As part of this exercise it’s important to have the organizational process documented in something simple like a Google Doc. Similar to how the Simplified One Page Strategic Plan is updated quarterly, this document should be updated on a regular basis as well.
Here are some example items that would be included in an Organizational Process document:
- Meeting rhythm – Detail out the recurring meetings in the business (e.g. daily check-ins, weekly tacticals, monthly strategy dinners, etc.)
- Metrics/data – Document the metrics that are tracked weekly, who owns them, where they come from, and how they’re displayed (e.g. a KPIs Dashboard and the Definitive List of Weekly Operational Metrics for SaaS Startups)
- Manager coaching – Spell out what’s expected of managers in terms of weekly one-on-ones, quarterly check-ins, etc.
- Strategic planning – Ensure there’s a process, at least quarterly, to review the Simplified One Page Strategic Plan, and spend time working on the business, and not just in it (also see The 4 Disciplines of Execution)
Entrepreneurs need to document the organization process and be intentional about how their organization runs.
What else? What are some more thoughts on the idea of documenting the organizational process?
David Cummings on Startups 