If you have read the work of Michael E. Gerber you will be familiar with the power and benefit of systems & processes, and the organisational areas of a business that ideally require them. The benefit at a top-level is to ensure a working team is clear about where they are at within a task or project. The power is in how a systemised business can operate without the owner/manager leaving them to apply themselves to business development tasks. This allows the business to attract and facilitate an increase in throughput and ultimately the business can become a transferable entity in a sale, or at least very successful for stakeholders if a sale is not the goal.
SYSTEMology by David Jenyns is the logical companion to The E-Myth Revisited. It is not surprising given David was chosen by the Gerber organisation to work with them on promoting Gerber’s work. David was an advocate, had runs on the board applying the principles himself, and had a desire to help others achieve results with them as well.
The promise that SYSTEMology fulfils is to give the reader easy to follow processes, tools, and resources to apply to a business within the framework of the E-Myth principles. SYSTEMology takes into account the 4 stages of a business systemisation, and starts with the point that a business needs to identify where they are current positioned. He then follows with a 7 step process, which is the “ology” part of SYSTEMology.
The book came at the right time for me (transparency, the author offered me a copy to read and review) and since I had read the E-Myth Revisited myself, I had been working on our own business developing systems and processes for our own acquisition, fulfilment, and retention pillars. The four stages of systemisation are Survival, Stationary, Scalable, and Saleable. I could easily identify where we are as a business and where we want to go in this continuum.
SYSTEMology is then presented in 7 stages: Define, Assign, Extract, Organise, Integrate, Scale, and Optimise. Each are presented in a chapter that is very well structured with a summary at the start of each chapter (which I found more effective than having it at the end), a myth to debunk, an explanation and examples in actual business experience, steps to follow, worksheets with printable versions available online, a case study, and action steps. I find a clear structure and practical applications a big plus in a business book.
With my own experience in developing systems and processes, documenting them, and trying to embed them in our own business it was pleasing to see I was on the right track as I had already applied parts of each stage. The challenge for me now is to expand, refine, then continue to optimise, and with the help of SYSTEMology by David Jenyns, not only do I have a practical workbook to use, but excitement and confidence. I can’t wait to get started.
