BUSINESS SYSTEMS: THE ‘POST-IT NOTE’ METHOD

Having a system that ensures everyone is on the same page work-wise means you don’t have to supervise the team the entire way through a process, boosting efficiency in time and resources as a result

After years in the industry, many small builders have developed specific processes for carrying out building tasks, from making sure every painted corner is lightly sanded (so the paint lasts longer) to measuring all the skirting lengths before starting to cut.

From their experience, builders are confident that following these processes improves efficiency and quality, so it’s frustrating when they take on team members who don’t follow suit.

This is a common issue for Successful Builder clients; many would prefer that their team members learn from their experiences and adopt the methods they’ve learned over the years, to avoid making the same mistakes. Having a standardised approach to tasks means everyone is on the same page, and ideally can work with less supervision.

How do you go about creating such a system? Do you need to hire an expert to produce a multi volume instructional handbook? Not really, even though it would be nice to have one do it all for you.

One of my clients told me he was spending huge amounts of time supervising his team while they were renovating bathrooms. There was good money in bathroom renovations, but the time it took supervising them ate up much of the profits and worked against his quoting on larger jobs.

To combat this problem, he used a straightforward method to create the ‘company bathroom manual’, which reduces the time he spent supervising.

I call it the ‘Post-it Note Method’. Here is how it works:

1. List all the steps

Gather your team and get them to list all the tasks involved in getting a particular job done. Use Post-it notes of one colour (eg, red) and get them to write each task on a separate note. Don’t worry about the order of the tasks, just make a point of covering all the steps in the job.

2. Organise locally

Stick the Post-it notes on a whiteboard. Arrange them vertically in the order that you would normally follow doing this job. If you need several columns, leave a gap for another column of notes.

3. Checklist points – stages

Every job has several points where it is good to check your work before proceeding. For example, you may want to check that your foundations are in the correct position before you pour the concrete. You might also want your team to check that frames are placed correctly and square before you fire up the Ramset! Or, using the bathroom renovation example, you may want to check the toilet bowl holder nogs are in before you put on the plasterboard.

These checkpoints are where it is possible to correct small errors, which, left unchecked, could have huge consequences down the track. These errors may only take a moment to correct now, but could prevent a costly rework later on. Some of these checkpoints may coincide with council inspection checkpoints, but not necessarily so.

Mark these checkpoints with a Post-it note of another colour (eg, yellow) and write the name of the checkpoint.

Stick the note on the whiteboard beside the appropriate task. You will create a note for each of these checkpoints.

This will ensure that when you start creating instructions, they will be directed towards achieving certain outcomes.

4. Create instructions

Now comes the fun part. Review your checklist to determine if there are any particular directions you would like your team to follow when carrying out the tasks in this stage, so that they do it your way. You are not creating the trade training manual here, just giving them the benefit of your experience. Give each list of instructions a name and write it on a Post-it note of another colour (eg, blue). Place these blue notes on the whiteboard beside the first task in each stage of the process.

You have now mapped out your ‘business’ system for this job.

5. Assign

Once you have created your Post-it note system, you may want to assign a team member to create each checklist(yellow) and each instruction list (blue). Explain your thought process about each and have the team member write it out, checking with you as necessary. This need not be complex – the simpler the better.

There is no need to include general building skills, as you only need to include the particular things you want done your way and the order you want them done.

Summary

Using the Post-it note method is a simple way to get your team involved in helping you overcome a time-consuming issue. By having them involved in setting it up, they are more likely to execute the job to your standard.

Graeme Owen, based in Auckland, is a builders’ business coach. Since 2006, he has helped builders throughout New Zealand get off the tools, make decent money, and free up time for family, fishing, and enjoying sports. www.thesuccessfulbuilder.com