Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less

This systems rationale is not another feel-good, think-positive invocation, and it’s not about faith. It’s about stone-cold mechanical reality.

The root cause of the turnaround was the discovery and application of the principle that management must focus on improving systems, not in performing the work or in repeatedly snuffing out brushfires. In short, quality products or services, a stable staff, and profitability are the result of the quality systems that produce them, not the reverse.

At best, a system combines efforts with other systems to help us reach desired targets. At worst, an errant component within a system creates problems that manifest themselves chaotically, chronically, and often subversively, contributing to the feeling that one is not in proper control of one’s life. That out-of-control feeling is not rare: Many p

In other words, the business systems I would fix and/or create would have to function without direct moment-to-moment supervision by me, the majority owner, general manager, and CEO of the company.

The pathway to control—to eliminating chaos—is to discover, examine, optimize, and then manage your mechanical and biological systems. The dictionary’s definition of system is “a group

The mantra of the Work the System method is to isolate-fix-maintain. It is not enough to know what to do. One must take action.

most see problems as overwhelming in number: an onslaught from “out there,” only to be fended off by superhuman efforts.

First, I would create the Strategic Objective, which would define us and set goals. Second, I would put together the General Operating Principles, which would serve as our guidelines for making decisions. Third, we would write out our Working Procedures, which would exactly define every recurring process of the business.

Each thing we do is a component of a system. We are not balls in a pinball machine randomly bouncing around at the mercy of our surroundings.