The Power of Flow Charts and Checklists for Business Systemization

In one study looking at the effectiveness of doctors and nurses, it was found that doctors would be far less liable to make serious mistakes (as would surgeons) when presented with a checklist by the nurses. This was an idea that many doctors were resistant to at first – seeing it as them being ‘checked up on’ and constantly monitored when they considered themselves capable of working alone. In fact though, even the most experienced doctors were found to make fewer mistakes when following precise checklists which forced them to pay attention to the smaller details.
Flow charts have exactly the same power. A flow chart is a fantastic tool for very quickly outlining a situation and then providing the very best course of action to get the preferred solution.
In many ways a manager or a business owner will often work as a checklist and as a flow chart. Staff will come to them with problems and challenges and they will then reel off solutions and checklists that the team can follow.
What this basically means then is that a boss can often systemize their business better and remove themselves as an integral part of the workflow, simply by using check lists and flow charts.

Flow Charts for Dealing With Problems

An example of how this might work could be in a car garage. If you ran an auto repair company, then often you would be using a mental flow chart to diagnose and solve car problems. You’d ask yourself,

does this car have ‘X’ problem? Is it making ‘Y’ noise? Is it ‘N’ make and model?
By writing this down as a flow chart, all you are effectively doing is giving lesser experienced staff the ability to come to the same conclusions you would. Likewise, checklists can ensure that as they are working on the problem, they will be able to avoid small mistakes.
This way flow charts and checklists mean that you get asked more questions and are better able to work on your business rather than in your business. What’s more, it means that the process from start to finish will be systemized meaning that every customer will get the same level of care and attention and the same great treatment.
What if your flow charts and checklists can’t do the job?
Then you look into dealing with the problem. Otherwise though, you’ll be bothered much less and your business will practically run itself!