Recently, while listening to an audiobook, they discussed the value of having fixed decisions. These are decisions you’ve already made, so when the situation comes up, you don’t have to spend time thinking about it.

In the business world we call these policies and procedures.

Policies and procedures...

• Create consistency

• Communicate expectations

• Empower employees

• Frees up time from answering repetitive questions

• Increases accountability

I’m a big fan of this concept and practice it both professionally and personally.

The book suggests analyzing your daily and weekly routines for potential opportunities. I also recommend paying attention to repetitive scenarios (situations) that elicit the same responses.

I immediately came up with a list of simple examples to get you started:

1. Have an HR Manual

2. Have a team PTO calendar and office coverage guidelines to manage out-of-office time

3. When hiring, have a standard set of questions you ask everyone, such as questions about culture fit. You only need to add questions unique to the position

4. For approvals, try to standardize as many routine decisions as you can and push them as far down the organization as possible. You set the guidelines and validate periodically

You get the idea, and the list can be endless.

I recommend starting small and getting started immediately. Your employees will appreciate this! It’s very empowering.

Visit RKCMANAGEMENTCONSULTING.COM for more ideas and methods to guide your organization from chaos to clarity.