Process vs Progress: Are you valuing the wrong thing?
Process vs. progress.
This was a phrase that I heard during an overview presentation for my son’s soccer league. It struck me hard during that presentation and has stuck with me over the last few weeks since hearing it. It perfectly encapsulated a struggle that runs deep throughout very large organizations and startups, perhaps everywhere.
Why is it a struggle? Because they are often in direct opposition to each other. And many times one is so strongly valued that it kills the spirit of the other. You choose which word plays which role, but in my experience, the value of process can take away the full potential of progress.
Don’t get me wrong. I love process. I like knowing that for many of the things that I do for my clients, it’s a natural, known process to me. I know the first, second, third, etc. step to get “the thing” done in a timely way and with good quality. I even love creating processes for things that I know will need to be scaled going into the future. Having worked at large companies that are very good at processes, I can see how there is a necessity for them, or things would fall apart. You can’t behave like you’re in the Wild West and expect things to move smoothly all the time.
However, having process for process-sake can be counter to progress. Startups can move at the speed of light because oftentimes process is limited (or hasn’t yet been established), and the cycle of approvals is short. They can make progress quickly and the only thing standing in their way may be money and staff. Give them a bit more of each, and they’ll go faster.
At the largest company I worked for, process was everywhere. You couldn’t do anything without a process tripping you up. It took forever to get things done. Onboarding a new vendor, launching a campaign, approving a white paper, posting a social media message, putting out a press release. Whew!
Now, I get it. There should be controls and several things require more time than others to complete due diligence requirements, getting paperwork completed, yadda yadda. But if process stands in the way of business progress, there’s an issue.
Here are my suggestions for businesses who put an overwhelming emphasis on process:
There must be exceptions to processes. This is especially true for anything that could negatively impact the business such as losing revenue, lose clients, lose your position in the market. Opportunities come quickly and often have a timeframe on it. If you don’t jump on it, you can lose out to another company who is willing to make a process exception and move faster than you. They will obtain the progress you can’t.
Make sure your process minders know when to apply escalations or exceptions. Many process minders take great pride in ensuring process is followed to a tee, which causes them to not see the forest for the trees. They must always see the forest. Make them see the forest.
Review your processes to ensure they are relevant to today’s business. Sometimes processes were created years ago, when market conditions and technology were different. If there is a better and more efficient way to do things today, change the process.
What are your thoughts on process vs. progress?
