Magic and Systems
We are going to my sister’s for Thanksgiving. We are taking the dogs on this visit with us. This is their first trip. Pepper, the Chihuahua mix, will view it as an amazing adventure with lots of opportunities for fun. Akila, the Basenji, will view it with trepidation at best and outright fear at worst. We’ve worked hard to socialize her, but her Basenji traits still break through. 🐕
I use structure to make life more pleasant in my business too. Even this email has structure to it.
I have a system that makes it more efficient to review my packed email inbox.
The most efficient teams use structures and systems for almost everything, from task completion to submitting vacation requests and setting their leader up to guest on podcasts.
If you find team members duplicating the same task, confused about where a project is in the completion process, or even struggling to integrate new members, I can guarantee they are not following a system. If you are struggling to determine where tasks or projects are in the process or you (and your team) can’t keep track of which podcast you are on and when, you are not using a process.
It's a common belief among spiritually driven folks that processes, systems, and structures will constrain their creativity and mute their ability to connect to the magic of the Universe. The reality is far different.
Imagine that you are traveling to your favorite ballpark or movie theater. You can do that, probably with your eyes closed (please don’t try this at home😃), because you have traveled the same path before. You know the most efficient way to get from point A to point B. You have peace of mind because you know the path you will follow. If there is a street closure, you also know the closest and easiest detour.
A system is like your path to the ballpark. You get peace of mind knowing that your team has a path to follow. The path helps ensure that the work is done efficiently, effectively, and to the best of their ability.
Peace of mind opens up space for everything else. It even opens up space to include magic in your processes.