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How to Create Smooth Handoffs That Keep Your Team Moving.

AdVance Leadership » How to Create Smooth Handoffs That Keep Your Team Moving.

Welcome to Friday 411, issue #099. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’ll create better Clarity, Capacity, and Consistency by documenting your most important processes.

1 Insight

Teams waste time when they do not document processes and critical handoff points between team members.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the American men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams entered as favorites. With rosters packed with world-class talent, expectations soared.

But both teams fumbled the baton exchange during the qualifying heats. Dreams of gold medals ended without even making it to the finals.

In a relay race, the baton exchange is the riskiest moment. Speed alone won’t win the race if the handoff isn’t seamless.

The same principle applies to coworkers. Every business relies on repeatable processes to function. In fact, it’s estimated that 80% of business activities follow a predictable pattern. The success of these processes hinges on how smoothly team members handle their roles and pass tasks to the next person. A single misstep can derail the entire operation.

You can prevent this problem by documenting repeatable processes, including actions for smooth handoffs.

Follow these eight steps:

8 Steps to Document Your Processes

  1. Identify the desired outcome.
    Capture: What success looks like — not only the result you want, but also the qualities of that result

    Example: With a process for onboarding new employees, the outcome would be: New hires feel confident and productive within 30 days.

  2. Determine start and end points.

    Capture:  The trigger and conclusion.

    Example: Onboarding starts when a candidate signs the offer letter and ends when they complete their 30-day review.

  3. List all the steps.

    Capture: Every action needed between the start and end points. Then put those steps in order.

    Example: Avoid vague statements like, Prepare documents. Instead, use specific instructions, like: Print employee handbook, Set up payroll, and Gather I-9.

  4. Identify resources for each step.Capture: Every step that requires additional information or materials

    Example: Be detailed. For Set up payroll, include:

      1. Login information for the payroll software.
      2. Specific documents needed (e.g. W-4, I-9, Direct Deposit Forms)
      3. Where you can find those forms in the payroll software.
  5. Assign responsibilities and handoffs.

    Capture: Who owns responsibility for each step, how the baton will be passed, and what needs to happen in order to complete the handoff. (Just like in relays, this step is where most processes falter.)

    Example:  When Payroll Specialist has finished collecting payroll documentation,

      1. Notify onboarding leader to schedule orientation with new hire, and
      2. create IT ticket to set up new email account
  6. Identify probable obstacles and determine solutions.

    Capture: Potential problems, probable challenges, and predetermined solutions.

    Example: If a key team member is out sick during a critical handoff, who serves as backup? Document alternative contacts and procedures for unexpected absences.

  7. Arrange, automate, and eliminate steps.

    Capture: All the steps in the process to determine how to make it easier or faster.

    Example: Your payroll software can automatically create an IT ticket to set up a new email account.

  8. Document the process in a place where everyone can access it.

    Capture: A wiki or computer folder that contains all the process documentation that can be edited for future adjustments.

    Example: Update the onboarding process when introducing new software.

For a more on these eight steps, check out this article.

 

 

The Benefits of Documented Processes

At AdVance Leadership, we’ve found that 95% of your company’s problems result from seven leadership issues: Character, Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community,Culture, and Consistency.

When you follow these eight steps to document your processes, you ensure better handoffs. Great handoffs create:

  • Clarity – everyone knows their role and has the resources to fulfill it.
  • Capacity – you’ll save time by not constantly recreating from scratch.
  • Consistency – processes produce predictable outcomes.

1 Action

Identify one process in your team that frequently breaks down. Follow the 8-step framework to create a checklist that improves Clarity, Capacity, and Consistency.