Shearing a sheep has a pattern that, when followed, is efficient, precise and safe for both you and the sheep. In the 1950’s Sir Godfrey Bowen developed a method for shearing that is still used today. The pattern is very specific down to the exact number of strokes each part of the sheep takes. A really good shearer can shear a sheep in less than 2 minutes using his technique. I’m not a really good shearer but it reduces my time by more than half. (Yes, I tried to shear a sheep after watching a few Youtube videos and it took 45 minutes. After a week of shearing school I was down to 20 minutes.)

 

There are so many things I do every day that would be faster, more accurate and easy if I found the best way. Michael Gerber in “The E Myth,” his popular book on small business, suggests finding the best way for everything, then recording it in an Operations Manual.

 

Here are my top 5 reasons for putting some effort into writing Operations Manuals.

 

1. Your mind is free to be creative somewhere else

 

2. It is easier to teach someone else how to do what you do

 

3. You have a baseline for tracking effectiveness

 

4. When something goes wrong you can look at your process to find out why

 

5. You don’t have to waste your time problem-solving something you problem-solved in the past

 

What have you found to be easier after finding the best way?

 

Rachel