Theme.
We got some feedback that we should theme our #founderhacks. So we did.
This week's #founderhacks are on the theme of excellent process.
Seen.
Automatic for the People
This week we were inspired by a company that focused on automation.
If anyone in the team had a regular task that took taking more than two hours on a regular basis, they would encourage them to spend 8 hours learning how it could be automated.
The benefits were not just marginal improvements, but frequently order of magnitude. Tasks taking 2, 4 or 8 hours, were automated to take minutes, or even seconds.
Leveraging new tools and technology to unlock exponential gains in productivity doesn't feel like it will be a choice much longer.
Read.
Enter the Matrix
This article in Forbes shares some interesting findings on from a study on how executives should spend their time.
Our experience has been that most successful founders are obsessed with managing time.
It mentions one of the tools we've seen be powerful when applied. The Eisenhower Matrix, simply categorising tasks based on importance and urgency, can be an effective way to prioritise.
Inspired by this we also love the Four D strategy. When any task presents itself there are four, and only four, options from which you must select: Do it now, Decide when to do it, Delegate it, or, Delete it.
A more recent discovery, we've found is great when applied to responsibilities. Created by Founder and CEO of Scale Coach Andy Clayton, SODA helps you review how you're spending your time. Consider each responsibility you hold whether you can Stop, Outsource, Delegate or Automate.
Learned.
Setup and Closedown
One of us began his career (as many do) in hospitality and retail.
These business do something that sticks in people who work in them. Every day they set up, and at the end of every day they close down. They do it the same way, every day, and everyone does it in the same way.
The benefits of doing are maybe obvious, but applying the same discipline to your own routine can also be profound.
Could a personal close down process every evening, and opening process every morning, add a level of clarity and calm to the roller-coaster ride of growing your business?
And finally.
Let's leave it with a comment from psychologist Carl Rogers.
"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination."
Maybe the same is true of good businesses?
Don’t forget to check out the accompanying podcast version of #founderhacks for a tantalising live experience of team atomex!
