Anything Left Unmanaged Will Fall Apart
Every morning, I head down to the hotel lobby, fill my breakfast plate, and start working. I stay there nibbling and observe the breakfast process from start to finish. I learn a lot about the way a hotel operates. One place in particular had a small crew. Every Monday, without fail, ants would converge on the breads and jams. Monday was the owner's day off. Either no one cared or none of the other staff knew that the owner meticulously wiped down the counters and caught the trail of ants before they could feast. Either way, the hotel system was broken. For a while, I rarely took time away from my firm. I feared a breakdown like ants in the bread. I imagined horrendous disasters that might happen during my absence. What I hadn’t realized at the time was that my absence would never result in a breakdown. It was a lack of clearly systematized processes and documentation that would lead to disaster. Having guidelines isn’t enough. You need to create a self-sustaining system. These are the small things that keep my system running no matter where I am on the globe and that allow me to step away without the worries I once had. Try these tips in your firm. A nice vacation could probably do you good.