It's Not About Your Processes it's About Your Outcomes

Have you ever met one of those people who talk non stop about their processes? It seems like “Systems” and “Processes” are all the rage these days with consultants, and rightfully so - there are a lot of businesses that lack proper organization. The problem is, however, that some people come up with great processes yet they miss their goals drastically. WHY? The answer is simple: human beings hate change. Because of this innate distaste for change, most people end up operating off of the mentality that, “what worked yesterday most certainly will work today”. Though that makes sense in theory, yesterday's process is probably what is holding back most business owners from achieving the success for which they vision, plan, and strive.

It is great for consultants to start with the actual process because you do need to be able to measure your advice. That being said, ‘the process’ isn't the end all be all in the business world; your outcomes are really the end all be all.

So what does that look like? Think about the outcomes you want on a day to day basis. You want to close sales, you want to deliver products, you want high customer service, you want to make a profit, you want to grow your business. Here is a scenario in which the outcomes are what matter as opposed to how you there. Think about this situation. You have a happy customer, your company made a record sale, you hit your profit target, and your employees are happy. Everything went perfectly except for the tiny little fact that your employees got creative and didn't follow ‘the process’. How do you handle that situation?

Today’s Tidbit -

If you’re not sure how you would handle that situation, first know that it is OK to not always follow the process. Especially when all the major outcomes came through. If you are frustrated simply when your process isn't followed you are measuring the wrong thing. Measure the outcome and create plans to get there.

Last week’s MMT was all about asking “WHY?” in your business. If your employees can somehow achieve great results for the company without following the process then you need to ask the question - why?? Take the time to sit down with your team and get a better understanding of how they achieved what they achieved.

Where did this topic come from? Well, I recently had a great conversation with a business owner who was drastically down in revenue over a 10 year period. When I visited him in his shop he was so proud of his process and the organization of the shop. He was proud of the way he designed it. But I challenged him.

“If the process is working so well,” I said, “why aren’t you able to handle more capacity, and why isn’t your productivity through the roof?” It turns out that he had engineered his processes in a way that actually reduced the size of the company instead of making room for growth and expansion of both productivity and profit.

This is what happens when you are focused more on the process and less on the outcomes. So take time to really understand the outcomes you are shooting for and build processes that have one goal in mind: achieving what you have envisioned.

Enjoy!