Business Systems Insights for your RTO from Winnie The Pooh (and Friends)
Eeyore
I shouldn't be surprised if it hailed?
This is such a typical Eeyore phrase because as much as we love him (and who doesn't), he is the Deputy Downer of the Pooh gang – always negative and thinking the worst but said in his gloomy and funny tone.
So how easily do you and your team fall into being Eeyore every day rather than being the upbeat and ready for anything Tigger?
However, Eeyore's messages are ones we should take notice of rather than dismissing them as unnecessary or 'just negative'.
Because his mutterings,more often than not, are the words of 'The Devil's Advocate'; a role which is often missing from many RTO businesses.
How many times have you thought about the 'what if' scenarios to determine if the path you are on or the decisions you are making are right for your RTO, your team and your clients/students?
And when you develop your agreed strategy, what systems are you putting in place to best prepare your RTO, your team and your clients/students for a successful implementation?
FOCUS: Build Your SYSTEMS
Poohism
Ah yes. Time to make myself hungry with my stoutness exercise.
If a morning routine of breakfast and exercise are useful for Pooh, then shouldn't you also have a useful morning routine?
And by the way, it doesn't include getting stuck into emails as your first task when your computer is booted up.
So what's your Morning/Start of the Day/End of Day Routines which are helping to keep you and your team focused on what's important to build a simple, profitable and compliant RTO business?
Eeyore
Can't change the inevitable, just go with the flow.
What is your 'system' for dealing with change?
Is it blame and outrage or calmness and positivity?
Because sometimes, by initially just going with the flow and seeing where the Poohsticks fall, it can bring about a nice change of opportunity; full of possibilities, productivity and profitability.
Poohism
That will be the Order of Looking for Things.
It's always good to have a plan so do you have an Annual Business Plan (or what I call Annual Business Intent)?
If you don't, then why not because we know if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
And if it's not written down, then how can people know what's in it, or what they should be doing to achieve it?
Mindreading is actually not a common skill (something we often forget 😊).
If you have done this, the what's your system for monitoring it regularly (at least every 90 days) to ensure it's still on track and being achieved; or to determine if it needs tweaking?
Or is it something which was done to get a tick in the box, but is now is hidden away in a drawer or electronic folder; never to be reviewed again.
Eeyore
If anyone wants to clap, now is the time to do it.
Even if you have everything written down about how things are done at your RTO, human nature dictates that people make mistakes and they forget things.
So please recognise that sometimes (and more often than probably you believe or want), people DO need reminders about how things are done, what's expected, boundaries etc.
Therefore firstly, what's your system for actually doing this.... staff meetings, training, reviewing procedures etc?
And secondly, what's your system for clapping the good work your team are doing - both the little wins along the way and the big ticket items?
And here's my final thought:
I believe there's a system in everything, you just have to find it.
And if your staff are complaining about the systems but also seeking clarity from you about what to do and when to do it, then please remind them of this.
The only way to gain clarity is through the development of SIMPLE SYSTEMS.
P.S. If you're looking for PD specifically designed to help you build simple systems, then check out
my signature RTO GROW Training Program here.Dedicated to helping you run a simple profitable RTO business (whilst juggling everything else)!
Tamara
