As folklore tells it, Abraham Lincoln once said, "Time spent in sharpening the axe may well be spared from swinging it." That sounds good, however, can you imagine the temptation that would come during the sharpening process? Wouldn't you get the same job done faster by starting now without sharpening the axe?
Our client, Joe Muse with Strategic Financial Partners, was running into the same issue. Joe says he was often tempted to skip the planning step of a process or task and simply jump in and do it. After all, wouldn't that be a more efficient use of his time?
However, failing to put a proper plan into place led to a lot of wasted time and frustration. Here are three reasons why planning his processes alongside his Sandler Training Executive Coach helped Joe to produce much higher returns for his financial services business than simply "getting to work."
1. Slow down to speed up. Hitting the pause button allowed Joe to be more strategic. Sports coaches have known the value of a game plan for a long time. Joe realized the value of having a coach to challenge his thought processes, ask tough questions, and work with him to streamline workflow. When the process was thought out and written down, Joe was able to identify better ways to do things, just by taking the time to think.
2. Planning a process provided Joe with the opportunity for accountability. Accountability is critical for anyone to be successful. Left to our own devices, isn't it far too easy to let a project slip, fail to make that follow-up call, or miss hitting our goals? Mr. Muse said one of the biggest benefits of Sandler Training is the consistency that they provide at every step of our engagement. Not only did he receive assistance in creating the proper processes, but he also received consistent support throughout this journey to ensure that he continues hitting his benchmarks.
3. Identifying and implementing processes helped Joe identify areas of improvement. It's easy to catch yourself doing something simply because that's the way you've always done it. However, when you have written processes and an Executive Coach who is dedicated to your success, it's much easier to connect the dots to find inefficiencies and areas of improvement. Having documented processes allowed Joe to onboard new team members and get them up to speed in 58% of the time. Rather than simply getting through the day to day, his Sandler Executive Coach was able to help him trim duplicative and wasteful efforts and focus on what he does best: serving his clients.
He's been able to reduce his time in the office by 30%! He has gained back precious time with his family. He is now more confident because he has a clear vision for what he needs to get done and a system in place to measure results.
You might also be interested in:
