This might sound crazy, at first, but trust me…
Your most dangerous employee may also be one of your best employees.
One of those people who you think about and say, “I couldn’t do it without you.”
Now, on one hand, it’s wonderful to have these dedicated and talented employees, but here’s the problem…
What happens if they’re suddenly out sick?
What happens when they go on vacation?
What happens if they find a different opportunity and leave you altogether?
Does your business fall apart?
It can be scary to think about, but you have to face this reality.
If your business, or part of your business, would be disrupted by the actions of one employee, you’re in a dangerous position.
Why is this position so dangerous?
Because you’ve got a “person-based” organizational structure. This means you rely on a person to be able to do this specific job, and if they were to disappear, you’d be sunk.
So, what’s the answer?
You need a system!
A system that can be operated by new or different people within days, not weeks, if needed.
I know that creating and implementing systems is one of the biggest shifts I’ve been implementing over the last couple of years with my companies and it’s really helped us get more done.
And when we get more done, it means we help more people.
And when we help more people, there’s more goodwill created.
And when there’s more goodwill created, money and opportunity always seem to follow closely behind.
With that in mind…
Here are a couple of questions to ponder if you want to create a system in your business…
1) What specific task or tasks, if not done, would make my business crumble?
2) How can I create a system that would allow anyone to do this task?
3) How can I document and communicate this system to someone else?
4) How can I test this system to make sure it works?
5) How can I tweak this system to work at its best?
6) Who is responsible for maintaining this system?
Remember, your most dangerous employee is the most valuable because they’re the backbone of your design team, sales, etc.
And again, there’s nothing wrong with this behavior; it’s actually encouraged!
The problem isn’t with them. It’s the business that doesn’t have the proper systems to pick up the pieces when they take a leave of absence, leaving them vulnerable.
If you want to protect your business (and your sanity), start building systems that can be run by anyone at any time.
So next time you see one of your “dangerous” employees, ask yourself what the damage would be if they suddenly vanished. You’ll have your answer whether you urgently need a system for that position or not.
