The word Process annoys many people.
Some feel Process locks them in closets and beats down their independence. Actually, the exact opposite is true.
So, when someone like me talks about the value of business Process...for these people, it's like I am throwing a wet blanket at them...Process turns some People off. I see that. I hear that. It is between the lines and it is the lines.
I want to help People get over their aversion to Process.
To succeed in my job, I must do that.
Why?
I will let W. Edwards Deming1, the extraordinary teacher who changed the world's auto sector, answer that question:
"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing."
And, I will expand on that a bit:
- Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations [that's a Spirited philosophy]
- If you can't describe what you are doing as a Process, then you don't know what you're doing. [that's Deming's wisdom]
- Even if that Deming wisdom can be proven wrong on some occasions, if you can't describe what you are doing as a Process then you can't delegate to other People what you are doing.
- If you can't delegate to other People then you can't grow your business beyond the weight your single set of shoulders can bear.
- And - if you can't delegate to other People then you can't smoothly exit your business.
[Addendum - February 5th, 2013 - If you cannot delegate work-tasks to other People then, even if you do not want to exit, sooner or later you will hit the plateau where you will not be able to grow your business.]
On top of that, and of most importance, clearly defined Process helps People feel more comfortable and confident...making your workplace more harmonious, more satisfying, and more fun.
Process does not throttle creativity. The reverse is true. When the numerous repeated work-tasks are organized and well-defined People have two things that open the door for creativity: (1) they have more time to use their imagination and (2) they enjoy a more-positive frame of mind.
Footnote:
- Deming was visionary and he taught many people. For example, in his book 'The MasterMind Marketing System', Jay Abraham talked about what he had learned while working for Deming, in summary:
- well-defined process is essential
- process consists of finite elements
- we must isolate and identify each element of every process
- we must measure & monitor each element
- we must compare each element against alternative: testing each with a view to enhancing and improving it
- we must focus on the benefits each element provides