Box Theory™ Academy Education Modules
Academy Home Page and Reference Material
Module 2 – Your Organization Blueprint
Module 3 – The Box Theory™ Way
Course Information
Welcome
You are about to learn the most important skill any small business owner or entrepreneur can possess. I call it the Master Skill. In a few short weeks, you will be able to develop high-performances business systems and processes that will dramatically increase your customer loyalty, profitability, and growth. Like any skill, a little time and determination will reap enormous benefits.
Think of this training as a one-semester college class. By the end of the course, you will have created an Organization Blueprint, and you will have hands-on experience developing or refining one of the important business systems or processes of your organization. You won’t receive college credit, but you will be rewarded with a better-run and more profitable company.
Becoming a Systems Thinker and learning the Box Theory Way™ will shed new light on how to grow a successful business. And by the way, it will make the endeavor a lot more fun!
Course Materials
eCourse: Box Theory™: Double Your Profit with High-Performance Systems and Processes
Software: Box Theory™ Gold or Silver Edition
Self-Paced Education: Box Theory™ Business Systems Academy (You are here.)
Enrichment: Supplemental Information, Articles, and Videos
Definitions
When following the Business Systems Academy course outline, there are repeated references to resource materials and tasks. Many of the resources are available from the Toolbar Buttons found at the bottom of the software main window (Task Window). Frequently used terms in this course outline are defined below:
Purpose: This statement describes the purpose and objective of the current lesson.
Principles: These are chapters of the eCourse, Box Theory™: Double Your Profit with High-Performance Systems and Processes, and cover the basic principles you should understand and will apply to the current lesson. You can find these chapters in 1) your downloaded eBook, 2) under the eCourse tab of the software Home Page, or 3) by clicking the Principles Button on the lower Toolbar in the area of the software you are working.
Action Plan: This is the end result of your current lesson assignment, the completed task. It is the statement, design, or plan you create on the Action Plan page of the software that, when implemented, will improve and strengthen your business operation.
Examples: This page shows a real-world example of a completed Action Plan page for the current lesson topic you are working on.
Worksheet: This is an exercise available in most sections of the software to stimulate your thinking and help you prepare for completing the Action Plan. Worksheets are recommended, but optional.
Video Help: For many sections, a screen-capture video will provide visual instruction and walk you through a process in the software (see Toolbar Button or Home Page>Video Tutorials).
Software Help: This is the written help describing the functionality of a specific section of the software. It is especially useful if a video tutorial is not yet available. Software Help is far more extensive in the Box Theory™ Systems area than the Organization Blueprint area.
Enrichment: This is optional but recommended material that will deepen your understanding of the lesson topic, or business systems and processes in general.
Keep in mind, there is a logical order to the lesson material. However, there are a lot of Enrichment articles and links which may take you to concepts covered in future lessons. If you have previously read an article, do a quick review or skip it. Furthermore, a few Enrichment articles are appropriate to more than one lesson—again, if you are familiar with the material, just move on.
My Recommendations
Set aside at least sixty minutes every day to work on your business in “The Zone.” Establish this important habit by completing the lessons of this Business Systems Academy. There is no better use of your time than building long-term value into your people, products, and processes.
Take the lessons with the intention of improving the operations of your business, not just completing the lesson assignment. This isn’t a hypothetical exercise. It’s about developing real business systems and processes that enable you to please customers, make money, and build a smooth-running operation.
Some items in the course are optional; others may not apply. Do what makes sense for you. The results you achieve are what matter most.
Systems-building can be quick and easy for some business processes; however, the core systems of your business will likely take more time and effort, especially creating and acquiring the physical components. We all know that the best things in life require work and perseverance. Box Theory™ Software will cut your time in half, but it is not a magic potion. Prepare to roll up your sleeves and dig in.
There are four stages to skill competence. Congratulations, you have already taken the biggest leap, and are now at Stage 2. To learn more, check out this five-minute read: Four Stages to Becoming a Systems Thinker
Good luck, and have fun!