Hello, and Happy Tuesday!
If you’ve worked at a startup, you know things move fast.
There’s not nearly enough people to handle the number of tasks ahead, so there’s more emphasis on getting things done, and less emphasis on how.
This mindset is critical to the success of the business early on, but if left unaltered, can become an obstacle to success down the road.
How many times have you created a “quick workaround” to a problem? It’s cumbersome and tedious, but it gets the job done today.
How many times have you found yourself still using that workaround as your standard procedure two years later? Suddenly you have a dozen support professionals following a cumbersome, tedious process.
Here’s how you can prevent your “just get it done” solutions from sticking around longer than they should.
Determine the longevity of your current systems and processes. Categorize them as “outdated,” “expiring within two years” and “no expiration date.”
Create a timeline, beginning with your outdated systems and processes, for when you’ll focus on putting a new solution in place.
As you create new processes, or design workarounds to the problems you face, identify whether this will be the short- or long-term solution.
For short-term solutions, decide how long you’ll use it, and set a timeline for when a better process can be put in place.
As you hire new team members, ask what systems and processes seem outdated or unsuitable to them. Coming from another organization, they’re seeing your operations from a different vantage point.
Hire a CX consultant. They’ve seen how lots of different businesses solve for the same problems and can recommend solutions.
Enjoy your day!
Kristen Szustakowski (she/her)
The CX Coach