Managers simply cannot handle every task for daily business operations on their own. When your workload is growing and you find yourself off-balance in the burnout zone - it is time to delegate with an updated SOP.
Delegation of tasks, however, can be complicated and time-consuming. Step-by-step approaches and practices such as analysis, explanation, or taking on feedback eat up loads of time. It can be difficult to know what can and should be delegated, and to whom.
Successful delegation requires a good starting point that fits all the pieces together. And that’s what we can learn from Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
What is an SOP?
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a system of processes and steps created to guide staff members and improve their work performance.
Think of it like a well-documented guideline that is created based on the relevant experience of the contributors such as business managers, experts, or owners.
SOPs help you avoid making mistakes if you follow the steps in the right order. They also assist new staff in onboarding and adapting more quickly to a new working environment. In some cases, SOPs can be beneficial in conveying whether or not the scope of work is a good fit for you.
SOPs will need to be constantly updated. This means one or some steps could change if it proves impractical or ineffective as the business grows.
If you follow the SOPs, your business can be run faster and more professionally.
Training new employees with Standard Operating Procedures is considered an effective way to save time. For example, SOPs can be an integral part of doing gym marketing and thus save time. If you wish not to follow the SOP, you’ll have to come up with better-proven steps.
Defined SOPs not only show a great deal of effort and skills but also demonstrate a good narrative in which the values and interests of contributors align with the scope of work.
So, is your SOP for fitness business well defined?
How are SOPs defined?
In forming SOPs, the key is to get to the point quickly and avoid ambiguity. The goal is to efficiently delegate the tasks and deliver a standard process that everyone can follow.
So, how can you define your SOPs in the best way possible?
Identify the goal, requirements, and scope of the application
Make a list of step-by-step processes and a complete list of tasks to avoid omissions that impact the process later on. Include expected targets, methods, frequency, and timeframes to complete the tasks.
Follow this order: supply - input - process - output.
Supply can be understood as materials and workforce.
- What tools does the process need to be successful?
- Who will be in charge of the work?
- Who will be the recipient of the output?
The role, inputs, and outputs must be specific and clear to avoid unexpected conflict and misunderstanding.
Communication and implementation of SOPs in your Fitness Business
Delegation is all about communication. Share the process with employees who directly work within it, whether in drafting the process or before applying it in practice.
Follow the instructions, dos, and don'ts, and take notes. Remember to stay on top of the process. Moreover, take note of feedback from employees to add to the process if it's really important and necessary.
Regular updates
The work will change due to objective factors. Therefore, the SOP process should also flexibly change accordingly. Therefore, choose a competent person to moderate SOPs before they are issued. Regularly update the SOPs to fit the work circumstances.
How did you brief your team on what SOPs are?
Just because delegation seemingly takes a long time to create does not mean it has to be a multi-hour affair. Successful fitness businesses don’t have an excess of time to document such a process. Here’s how you can simplify it.
- Avoid making the delegation processes difficult to understand.
- Break the process into a group of smaller SOPs, rather than putting every area together in a completely overwhelming SOP.
- Choose different formats to deliver your SOPs to your teams such as a step-by-step list, hierarchical list, flowchart coupled with screenshots, and recorded videos for visual aids.
- No matter which format you choose, don’t forget to outline the major steps.
- Delegate gradually and avoid imposing too many jobs at once since this could demotivate your employee.
- Be organized and plan ahead of time by designating certain missions so that you are not thrown off by unforeseen situations.
- Provide regular feedback on your aide's work progress. This gives you short-term control over the work.
- Do not be afraid to ask him to report back to you on what has been done. When the deadline hits, have a briefing with your employee to identify what is working well and what is not.
- Make sure your SOPs are well thought out, and if you have any doubts, it is time to review how you create SOPs!