Whether you are looking to take your business to the next level, bring order out of chaos or transition from good to great; you need a business operating system (BOS). A BOS consists of firm-wide protocols that define how the team should meet, plan, solve problems, communicate, measure performance, manage, deal with clients, etc. It puts the infrastructure in place to streamline operations and enhance team productivity. Some of the BOS’ you are probably familiar with are Objectives and Key Results (OKR), Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Strategic Coach, EMyth, Scaling Up and the list goes on. All of these BOS’ have similar origins that are based on standard business management practices, and there are pros and cons of each.

This is where I come in. 95% of the firms that I work with had already implemented one of the BOS’ listed above and required another implementation to get traction. We used what they had already completed as a starting point, and tailored the BOS to the firms’ needs to ensure sustainable growth. I help firms install discipline at the business level by implementing a BOS that is easy to understand and reflects best practices. I also help reinforce discipline at a personal level by establishing a winning culture and consistent training.

In addition to the BOS implementation, I provide post-implementation meeting facilitation, coaching and training support on an ongoing or as needed basis to ensure the process is effectively integrated into the daily operations and optimized over time. The on-going support is key to achieving long-term benefits. My proven process consists of spending five productive hours per week (or more as needed) working with your team. This process provides substantial cost-benefits. The following is what is included in the BOS implementation and accountability meeting facilitation.

Click here to read article on “How to build an effective and sustainable BOS”.

1) Business Plan Summary

• Conduct strategic planning and document the firm’s core values, business description and services, target market, value proposition or SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, and goals. 

2) Accountability Plan

• Effectively outline a high level presentation of all processes within the organization and assign accountabilities to each process or role.

• Define new hires and new processes that will be implemented and set timelines.

• Define tasks that must be delegated and set a timeline for transferring responsibilities.

• Identify processes that require standard operating procedures (SOP).

• Conduct employee “right seat/right fit” analysis.

• Ensure managers can lead, manage and hold people accountable.

3) Strategic Projects

• Break down goals into manageable achievable steps.

• Effectively define the scope of work and milestones with realistic due dates for projects to prevent scope creep.

• Implement a robust project management system to centralize all project-related information, ensuring transparency and easy access for all stakeholders.

• Create a process to regularly track progress, swiftly address any bottlenecks that arise, and ensure the team does not get distracted with “shiny objects”.

4) Scorecard

• Identify key metrics that are crucial for evaluating performance, such as revenue growth, profit margins, customer satisfaction, and employee productivity.

• Set targets for each metric.

• Establish a process for monitoring these metrics regularly. When targets are off track, implement corrective actions such as revising strategies, providing additional training, or reallocating resources.

5) Issues & Opportunities

• Effectively solve issues by identifying the root cause of each problem and not waste time finding a solution for symptoms otherwise the issue will continue to resurface.

• Conduct effective strategic planning for potential business opportunities, process improvement ideas, etc.

6) Roll out the BOS to all employees

• Roll out the BOS process to all employees for organizational alignment and efficiency. 

• Provide a clear overview of the BOS process, its benefits and use real-life examples to make it relatable.  To ensure buy-in, allow the team to ask questions and provide feedback on the documents created during the implementation.   

1.5 hour productive accountability meeting.

• Helps leaders keep their fingers on the pulse of the business for transparency without being involved in the day to day business.

• Stay focused on the most important priorities.

• Hold the team accountable.

• Cross functional collaboration, planning and problem solving so the full firm is moving in the same direction.

• Consistent training and development to help the team be more productive.

• Best practice guidance on streamlining and automating processes.

• Solve issues and discuss opportunities.

• One-on-one CEO, management, and staff coaching, when necessary.

Fractional COO/Integrator

• Manage and coach the leadership team and staff on a part-time basis. This is typically done during the business transformation and/or until a full-time COO is needed. The required hours start at 5 hours per week and depend on the needs of the firm.

• Assist with strategic planning.

• Work with the department managers to executive the CEO/Visionary’s strategic directives.

• Program and accountability management for global virtual teams.

• Operations efficiency.

• Handle the “heavy lifting” and complex projects.

• Coaching, training, problem solving and conflict resolution.

Strategic planning and execution

• As needed, assist with setting organizational goals for marketing, sales, client onboarding, product and service fulfillment, accounting, human resources, mergers and acquisitions, and/or other business processes.

• Conduct thorough assessments of external factors, internal capabilities, financial needs and budgeting, and perform SWOT analysis.

• Formulate an effective plan to achieve the goals and metrics to track progress.

• As needed, spearhead projects including merger and acquisition transitions.

Budget projections

• Prepare a budget projection that aligns the firm’s financial goals with its strategic plans to allocate resources effectively, manage cash flow, invest wisely and avoid unnecessary debt, and evaluate performance against financial benchmarks. It also helps ensure the financial health of the firm.

Problem solving and critical thinking

• As needed, facilitate sessions to assist with critical thinking and asking the right questions to get deeper insights into the problem’s true nature (i.e., the root cause) to prevent the issue from recurring. Also, train the team techniques on how to do this independently.

Project and task management

• Project management entails facilitating sessions with stakeholders to conduct accurate needs analysis for a particular project, planning that is tailored to the size of the firm, budgeting, securing the necessary technology and resources, and oversight throughout the project to ensure it gets completed accurately, on budget and on time.

• Task management entails oversight of day-to-day tasks to ensure they are completed accurately and on time, assisting the team with resolving issues, and setting up metrics to help track performance.

Lead generation, sales and client onboarding

• Facilitate the process for defining, documenting and training on best practices for lead generation, nurturing leads and clients, qualifying leads, deal management, closing deals and onboarding clients.

• Review techniques to shorten the sales cycle including effective qualifying, positioning, follow-ups and handling objections.

• Review how to effectively onboard clients to establish a solid foundation for a successful and long-term relationship. It sets clear expectations, provides a structured introduction to services, and ensures that clients feel valued and understood from the outset. A well-executed onboarding process can lead to improved client satisfaction, reduced time to value, higher retention rates, and increased revenue potential.

Standard operating procedures (SOP) and process optimization

• Create SOP manuals, checklists, videos and/or ClickUp/Trello/Asana workflows to help employees be productive in their jobs, and use when employees are absent and back-up is required. As we go through this process, we will optimize and automate processes as needed to improve efficiency and accuracy.

System implementations or optimization

• Spearhead system implementation to include gathering requirements, preparing RFPs, performing vendor due diligence and contract negotiations, creating project budget and timeline to ensure the team stays on track, defining efficient workflow processes, creating system design prototypes, performing the system set-up (i.e., custom fields, lookups, related lists, reports, import files, permissions), handling data conversion (i.e., data scrubbing, field mapping, importing), creating user documentation and conducting training.

• System optimization consists of facilitating sessions with the team to review your existing technology stack to assess if the firm should keep or kill applications, new applications are required, applications should be integrated, new features of existing technology are required, and/or simply training is required.

Meeting facilitation, coaching and training

• Facilitate all-team, leadership, department and quarterly strategy meetings. Meetings include team building, cross functional collaboration, performance tracking, accountability management, project management, training and coaching, and problem solving. Training includes how to perform day-to-day tasks, technology and professional skills such as time management; effective delegation; how to lead, manage and hold people accountable; concise and effective communication; boost engagement and cross functional collaboration; critical thinking; mental strength; emotional intelligence; etc.

• Conduct high performance team coaching and development.

• Conduct leadership team coaching and development including “professional roles” that do not have direct reports. Most small organizations have flat organizations so the distinction between management and professional roles get blurred, as professionals often find themselves managing processes without having direct reports - they must manage people that do not report to them. To navigate this complexity, they must develop skills that include effective delegation, accountability, self-motivation, problem-solving, expectation setting, clear communication, and cross-functional project management, influencing without authority, and driving process execution through indirect leadership.

People management

• People management is an extension of the human resources process.  The goal is to help employees use their talents to their full potential, promote professional growth, provide regular feedback and create a positive company culture. 

• Design best practice processes for performance reviews, and employee/contractor onboarding and offboarding, and facilitate the processes as needed.

• Provide one-on-one support as needed as sounding board and confidant for employees and offer a safe space for them to discuss work-related issues. I will be an impartial third-party to help foster an environment where open and honest dialogue can lead to practical solutions and strategies for improvement.

Holistic therapy

Janet Woronick is an LCSW with 25 years of experience helping clients achieve meaningful change.

Holistic Therapy involves a comprehensive approach to assessing and diagnosing mental health challenges. The goal is to identify the root cause of issues that prevent people from moving forward, and to break unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior. Therapy explores and navigates the complexities of life. It encompasses gaining awareness of our life traps and allows clients to develop effective coping methods to address issues of anxiety, depression, chronic stress, relationship issues, trauma, and family dynamics.

Treatment Techniques

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - an evidence based approach to make a positive, statistically significant difference in helping clients change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior.

• Solution Focused – focuses on setting goals and finding practical solutions.

• Mindfulness Based Therapy- incorporating mindfulness practices to help clients become more present and manage stress and anxiety.

The therapeutic process empowers clients to take an active role in their mental health journey where they can discover their inner strengths, foster resilience and self-awareness. Clients learn new ways of coping with life's challenges and become aware of breaking unhealthy patterns. Every person has the capacity for growth, positive change, and transformation.

Benefits for Entrepreneurs

One of the greatest challenges entrepreneurs face is the stress that comes with running a business.  From achieving product or service market fit, building a strong team, securing funding and managing finances, dealing with competition, adapting to market shifts, and navigating uncertainty – all while trying to carve out time for family.  This relentless pressure can, over time, result in burnout, anxiety and even depression.  Therapy can provide entrepreneurs with a confidential and non-judgmental space to discuss issues and develop coping skills.

Interestingly, many successful CEOs and entrepreneurs often have ADHD. These conditions, when properly managed, can become a powerful asset, even a "superpower," allowing visionary leaders to excel. However, as Gino Wickman outlines in Traction, Visionaries (CEOs) should not be deeply involved in the day-to-day operations. Instead, they thrive by focusing on big ideas, fostering relationships, and steering the company towards long-term success, all while staying in tune with industry trends, company culture, and creative problem-solving.

For smaller businesses, it may take time for the Visionary to step back from daily operations. In these cases, it’s vital for entrepreneurs with ADHD to adopt effective management strategies through holistic therapy to prevent burnout or compromising the overall success of the business.

Customize Zoho CRM and integrate it with other productivity applications to meet your firm’s specific needs.

Features

• Reasonably priced.

• Easy to use.

• Access via the web or phone app.

• Data back-up and disaster recovery.

• Fully customizable.

• Relational database.

• Referential information for data mining.

Click here to see a sample list of firms that use Zoho's applications.

Processes that can be customized and automated

• Marketing to nurture leads and prospects.

• Lead, prospect and opportunity management.

• Client relationship management and support.

• Entity and investment management.

• Investment acquisition and asset management.

• Real estate property management.

• Human resources management.

Services I provide

• Conduct accurate needs analysis.

• Scale the project to the size of the firm and budget.

• Facilitate sessions for strategic planning, work flow processes and system design.

• Offer best practice recommendations.

• Perform project management.

• Prototype customized system and prepare mind map for workflow.

• Customize Zoho CRM (i.e., modules, related lists, dashboards, analytics, custom fields, lookups, reports, import files, permissions) and integrate with other productivity applications.

• Gather data, analyze and scrub data, conduct field mapping and data import.

• Create documentation and perform training.