I like cake. I like baking. At times, I like baking cake.
To me, baking is an exact science; change the ingredients and/or measurements, you may end up with something that is not cake. If you start the baking process before you’ve checked to make sure you have everything you need, if you realllly want that cake, you end up going to the store, after you just left the store, wasting time, energy and probably money. If you’ve ever followed a recipe before, you probably know that it’s best to read over the recipe and make a shopping list, get your ingredients and supplies, and then get to baking.
While reviewing how I’m most productive, I discovered my process and eventually assigned a name to it: Plan. Prep. Produce. Here’s the breakdown.
- Plan: the things you want to do and need to get started. This is the equivalent of your recipe and shopping list.
- Prep: you gather what you need and “mix” them together.
- Produce: in terms of cake, it’s the baking and frosting stage. Once you get here, it’s ready to be released.
Now, you can totally go from Plan straight to Produce, however in some areas Prep is where you save time and money in the long run. Prep gives you a solid base to work with… no multiple trips to the store for you!
Plan. Prep. Produce. is the method to unmadness.
When I wrote the above in 2018, I didn’t even think about how working at the airport fire station in Bermuda taught me my Plan Prep Produce method. Although SOPs have become “normal” in the small business world, my initial experience with them were in businesses where if the SOP wasn’t followed it could result in monetary fines, physical injury or death.
At the fire house, Planning covered making sure firefighting and fire house supplies were on hand, and each shift was properly staffed, with adequate hours off for those coming off of a 30-hour shift.
Prep meant equipment – coats, boots, hoses, trucks, and the fridge (firefighters throw DOWN) – underwent maintenance and everything was in its place.
Produce meant that a truck was on its way to a call. Whether checking out an alarm somewhere around the airport, running drills or waiting on the tarmac while a ‘hot fuel’ was happening (the aircraft is fueled up while an engine was running), or tending to an aircraft emergency. When what you are doing can potentially cause an explosion, you can’t skimp on the Plan and Prep stages.
The same cautious intensity I honed working at an international airport’s fire station is exactly what I bring to Creative Production brands with the Smooth Ops Starter Kit™. It’s the Prep tool for getting your business in order before you dive into the big systems work. It helps you clear the clutter, organize what matters, and set the stage for Systems that actually support you.
No more scrambling when opportunity knocks… Grab The Kit and get started today.
