Process ain’t sexy, but your business is in big trouble without it:

I like to share with you this article from Donald Cooper's Newsletter. Donald speaks internationally on management, marketing and innovations and is the champion of straight talking. Here is his take on the importance of process. If you want to know more about how Donald works you may like to visit www.donaldcooper.com

"Creativity and innovation are ‘hot topics’ right now. They’re all the rage, and

I applaud that. But, in the end, it’s boring, unsexy ‘process’ that actually gets

things done. Even ‘creativity’ is most often a process. Sometimes it’s just

dumb luck…but mostly not.

In fact, most successful companies have developed a disciplined ‘creative

process’ that delivers innovative products, more efficient operations,

consistent quality, employee safety and an amazing, perhaps even tailored,

customer experience.

'Process' is what keeps airplanes from falling out of the sky. It’s what makes

a Big Mac exactly the same in Montreal as it is in Moscow. Process is what

gets cars designed and made and gets a spacecraft launched and safely back

home. Process is what allows a hotel chain to know that you want a nonsmoking

room on a low floor, near the elevator, with a king size bed, foam

pillows and a USA Today at the door. Process is what gets priority luggage

onto the airport baggage carousel before all the other luggage. Okay, so

clearly that’s not the best example.

In fact, everything that happens between ‘intent’ and ’delivery’ is process. As

a business, you can have the greatest intentions in the world for your

customers and staff, for the environment and for your bottom line. But

without clear, effective and well-communicated processes, these wonderful

intentions will be just that…’intentions’.

To quote the late W. E. Deming, the internationally renowned authority on

quality and efficiency, "If you can't describe what you’re doing as a process,

you don't know what you’re doing."

So, exactly what is a process, anyway? Simply put, a process is…

1. An effectively communicated sequence of activities,

2. Supported by the necessary resources,

3. Designed to deliver a consistent, efficient and effective result,

4. To a specific standard.

OK, so it's not so simple. But that's what a process is...and there are no

shortcuts. Re-read the definition above and, while you're at it, rate your

business’ performance, on a scale of 1 to 10, on each of the four elements.

Then, using that info, determine what needs to be done to improve your

processes.