092: Train the System, Then the Person

Stress, frustration, overwhelm: These are systems flags from your business asking for renewed attention on a bottleneck or inefficiency. In my case, it was repeating myself for the fourth time in as many months to different team members in answering the same small email-related process question. This is no one person’s fault (other than mine!).  My aha moment: a strategy for training the system to get smarter first, then teaching the team how to better leverage that system, which makes their life and work easier and more frictionless too! 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: Create a Manager Manual and separate Email Guide Save links to email guide entries in TextExpander Using filters in Gmail (or workflows in HelpScout): Automatically label incoming email messages with the short-link to the Email Guide process entry. Here’s what my v1 looks like. 📝 Permission: Stop repeating yourself! That’s a sure sign that the business area is ripe for systems reinvention. ✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Start an Email Guide with your most common decisions and process questions. 📘 Books Mentioned: Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One   🔗 Resources Mentioned:  Shared Inbox CRM: HelpScout Voice Messaging App: SpeakPipe Transcription Software: Descript Knowledge Base App: TextExpander Project Management Software: Notion Related Podcast Episodes: 086: The Cyrano Strategy for Delegating Important Comms ❤️ Enjoying the show? The best way to thank us is by leaving a rating or review. Consider becoming a podcast BFF and you’ll get access to a monthly Q&A call with Jenny, a private feed, and access to a community forum with fellow Heart-Based Business Owners. 💌 Subscribe to the Time Well Spent newsletter: http://itsfreetime.com/join 🛠 Get instant access to the Free Time Toolkit: http://itsfreetime.com/tools 💬 I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Free Time listener survey 🗣 Submit a voice question or comment for future episodes: http://itsfreetime.com/ask 🎧 Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts 📝 Check out full show notes and links from this episode and share it with a friend! https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/092 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices