Too Much of Process Is Bad Enough

But too little of process is just as tough.

Finding the right balance of how much

process to implement can be tough. Having too little process can lead to work being done at the wrong time, which can be not only frustrating, but also costly. Too much process can lead to standstills in production, not to mention confusion in terms of clear decision makers. 

Further complicating this delicate balance is the fact that there is no “one size fits all” in terms of process: every company is unique in terms of what it needs based on factors such as team size, your product, and your unique company culture. 

With that said, there are some surefire ways to identify if your company hasn’t hit the sweet spot in terms of the right amount of process. 

Signs of too little process:

1. There is no clear owner, so no one is ultimately accountable for each project.

2. Things may be getting done but the people who need to know are out of the loop. 

3. The wrong things are getting done or things are getting done at the wrong time.

4. People are doubling up on the same work or someone is assigned work that should have been assigned elsewhere.

5. No one knows when a project is due or people are missing deadlines.

6. There’s a feeling that things are always late, even when there was never an assigned delivery date.

7. There’s frequent miscommunication.

Signs of too much process:

1. There are so many owners for each project that it's impossible to determine who is the actual decision-maker.

2. There are bottlenecks in the approval or production process, delaying delivery.

3. There’s excessive documentation that does not have a clear purpose.

4. Set deadlines are missed due to unnecessary steps or overly documenting work.

5. Employees lack autonomy to do work they’re capable of doing.

6. There is no flexibility, even when the process doesn’t account for outlying situations.

7. There’s frequent miscommunication.

Getting the right amount of process in place is critical to company success: bad processes can lead to low morale, missed deadlines, and poor work product. Each company requires its own specific set of processes to be successful but here are a few places to start if you think your company's processes may need a refresh:

1. Identify your bottlenecks. If you’re finding there’s one place that’s constantly backing you up, find it and implement a different solution. 
   

2. Define your owners vs. your stakeholders. Specifying upfront who is accountable for strategy, decision-making, and project success, who is impacted by the project's outcome, who influences decisions, and who is interested in the project’s success will make everyone clear on their roles and make the project easier in the long run.
   

3. Message, repeat, reinforce. A good process should streamline communication. It does not make communication obsolete. And even if you've said something once (or twice), say it again!

It can be hard to make the decision to re-vamp your process, but your process should be working for you. If it’s not, it’s probably not the right process.

If you need help designing, improving, and reinforcing processes for your organization, you can reach out to us here.