Following an EXACT protocol EVERY TIME.

This week in our agency twice someone from our team has “skipped steps” to try and get a project done.  And both times, it caused major issues. 

I see it all the time in small business, whether someone is trying to help or simply being lazy, they alter the process and havoc ensues.  In three weeks I’ll be in Las Vegas for David Scott Peters, Restaurant Transformation Seminar, and this exact topic will be echoed there as well.  Restaurants deal with this every day.  Employees not cleaning the restaurant in the EXACT manner every day, not following a recipe EXACTLY or something “as simple” as not closing the bar 100%.  

Some people will say it’s not a big deal, but the ones who know understand how bad this is. 

I’ve been to boat and RV factories and I’ve followed the build from start to finish.  I’ve watched an RV make it’s way down a line and NEVER skip a step.  The factory workers carefully build the motorhome step by step and triple check their work and then and only then do they check the box and advance the unit to the next step.

Imagine if you will, if the assembly line at a car manufacturer didn’t follow the assembly line.  If it skipped around from the station station and “oh shit” it missed the brake installation station. 

Yeah, that wouldn’t be a very good situation.

I find explaining that scenario is easy for employees to follow.  Simply ask them how they’d feel driving their car home from the dealership if they thought for one second that someone might have “expedited the build” and possibly forgot something like the brakes, a brake line or a very important bolt.  

SOP’s and check lists are meant to be followed all the time, NOT SOMETIMES. 

So next time one of your team members goes off the path, I advise using that story to hammer home the importance of the customer getting exactly what they should EVERY TIME!