Is the new system simple, sticky and self-regulating?

When I am working through a new process at work, I look for three factors before I implement it with staff. I want to make sure these three elements are there or I know that it will likely fail as we try to build this new system.

We can use the same three elements in our personal system and habit development. They can clue you in to the power of a particular system. They can also clue you in to a system that might have problems.

Simple

The first thing I look at is the simplicity of the system. I want to make sure the process isn’t unnecessarily complicated.

Life is complex. We can’t avoid it. We can’t ignore the details. But a system needs to be as simple as possible to give it the best chance at success.

If you want to build a solid system, start with the most basic form. This will help you develop the system and then add more detail later.

Sticky

The next thing I want to see in a system is the ability to stick. Is there something in the system that will make sure staff follows it? Can they ignore the system and do something else in it's place?

At work, sometimes we can use authority to make something sticky. We can implement a policy and when it isn’t followed we can discipline the staff. In other words, we can coerce them into sticking with the system.

But a better way is to create a process that gets followed automatically. When we create these types of processes, they tend to stick around much longer. They don't need constant monitoring and discpline to stick.

Self-Regulating

The third thing we look for is for the system to be self-regulating. There is no sense on developing a system that has an end point and doesn’t keep going.

We want our systems to keep going without our involvement. We don’t want to have to be active in the system all the time for it to continue. A system that self-regulates maintains itself over time.

Smoking Example

I always use the example of smoking cigarettes as a perfect example of a strong system. It doesn’t have a positive result when following the system but it is a very powerful system, nonetheless.

Smoking is simple. Most people learn to smoke by watching others and picking up a pack of cigarettes. We don’t need advanced classes to know how to follow this system, making it very simple.

Smoking is sticky. Once you become addicted it is easier to keep smoking than to quit. The fact that your body will feel ill whenever you try to stop shows the stickiness of the system. Smokers have an inner desire pushing them to smoke throughout the day.

Smoking is self-regulating. There isn’t a clear end point in the system, it just continues on. I have never met a former smoker who quit because they forgot to buy the next pack. As soon as the pack gets low, a smoker knows to pick up another one, so they don’t run out. The system regulates itself to keep going.

Driver Log

Here is an example of a system fix that we used for a previous problem at work. We have a driver log that lists the stops for a driver's route. It breaks down what they are dropping off and what they are picking up.

We created a form that lists the stops. This allows the logistics coordinator to re-arrange the stops. He can add more whenever we have a new customer and remove stops when we don’t have anything to drop off or pick up.

The problem came in when the logistics coordinator added stops after the last stop. The form contains more information for the logistics team to use to route customers. But we didn’t want this information to print. So, we used the print area function on Excel to only print the part the driver needed.

But this meant that the logistics coordinator had to change the print area if he added a stop at the end of the route. Otherwise, it would show up on the Excel file but not print for the driver.

As we implemented this, we started to discover a problem. Often, when the logistics coordinator added a stop at the end of the route, he would forget to change the print area. He would realize his mistake when the missed customers called to complain. He would acknowledge the mistake and said he would pay more attention in the future. But then he made the mistake again.

Seeing a pattern, we realized that this problem called for a system fix. It wasn't a one-time mistake, as the logistics coordinator thought. Telling someone to pay more attention is a horrible fix to a systematic problem.

So, we redesigned the driver log. At the end of the list of stops we use a few solid bars and text that read, “This is the end of the drivers log.”

Then, whenever we need to add stops, we insert them into the form above those lines. Once we made the change, we never made the error again. It has been about 3 years and at least 3-4 different people in that role developing routes yet we never made the mistake again. We fixed the problem at the systems level.

Evaluating a system

Let’s break this down according to our three criteria. First, it was simple. It was a simple designator on the form to distinguish the final stop from the end of the print area.

Second, it was sticky. Once we changed the form, we never had to remember to put it on there. In other words, it was easier to keep using it than to stop using it.

Third, it was self-regulating. It became a part of the driver log. It was easier to add a new stop by inserting them than any other way. The system keeps going, we never even think about it any longer as it is part of the process now.

Systematic improvement

If we start to look at life systematically and use strong systems to help us improve our lives, we can better learn how to tackle problems. Then we can learn how to solve them for good, instead of always having to re-solve the same problems over and over.

But to do this we need strong systems. Strong systems all have three factors. They are simple, sticky and self-regulating. Use these three elements to design and evaluate your systems. This will help to determine if they are strong enough to keep working.