One of the companies I advise for is currently struggling with ensuring clarity of their team – in terms of what each person does, as well as what steps within the ‘funnel’ of the business. Additionally for each step within the funnel there were concerns about consistency in deliverables.
As a result we knocked up this little framework to try to help the company and its team get some clarity. Its not overly complex but the benefit is better clarity and accountability.
You’ll see i include elements of RACI method in there as well.
What it does – the aim of this tool is to ensure that each process in the funnel is broken down into steps, here we see part of the sales process. Each step then as an Accountable Lead, as well as one or multiple responsible teammates. Each step also has a checklist of tasks to be performed, and each task has an associated training and SOP. each process funnel also has an overall ‘main accountable lead’ who oversees all steps
This layout ensures each step has someone in charge (accountable lead) and that responsible teammates have clarity on what they need to do at each step (tasks) and how to do each task (SOPs)
The result is clarity, accountability and consistency.
How to roll this out in your organisation –
- as the CEO – spit out the different processes for each team
- arrange a meeting with each team individually to break out the step funnel for that team; its possible that some teams may have multiple funnels, so the funnel workshop should be focused on a single funnel per workshop
- the meeting should last no more than an hour, in that meeting –
- identify the main accountable lead for this step funnel
- identify the steps
- identify the accountable lead for each step
- identify the responsible teammates for each step
- home work for the accountable lead after the meeting is to identify the tasks for their Step and prepare the SOPs for those tasks. (identifying the tasks is typically quick, but preparing the SOPs can take time.
- Once all step funnels are completed, compile together into a central document – note, you should also make reporting of progress for each step – this effectively allows you to track bottlenecks.
- you should present this ‘company funnel’ to all staff and HR should know to present it to new staff, Accountable Leads are obliged to train teammates that are assigned as responsible teammates for their respective steps in the funnel.