By Michael Halperin
“One of them has to go,” the integrator said. The other members of the leadership team nodded their heads in grim agreement.
“Maybe both,” said the operations leader. “We may have two ‘wrong people’.”
Jen, their production manager and Dave, the human resources specialist, seemed to hate each other. Every time they worked together, it was a fight.
I asked what they fight about.
“It happens every time we hire someone,” said the operations leader. “They argue about everything… who gets the resume first, who makes the screening call, who makes the offer. Every time it’s an ugly battle.”
“What does the process say?” I asked.
After a long silence, the finance leader sheepishly answered, “What process?”
IS IT PEOPLE… OR IS IT PROCESS?
The EOS® Issues Solving Track™ Tool helps identify the root of the issue. Spoiler alert: at least 70% of the time, the root of the issue is in either the People Component™ or the Process Component™.
Now, it is easy to convince business leaders how critical it is to get the right people into the right seats. Yet many don’t realize the Process Component is just as important! In this company I was working with, what looked like a People issue was actually a Process issue.
GET CLARITY ON YOUR PROCESSES
Many issues across any business can be traced back to lack of clarity about how work gets done. It creates frustration and wastes time. It leads to inconsistent results, demotivating employees and confusing customers.
By contrast, organizations that strengthen their Process Component become more consistent, predictable, manageable, and scalable. People become more productive, so the business becomes more profitable.
Because confusion about how things get done is a main source of day-to-day frustration, a company that strengthens its Process Component becomes a much more fun place to work.
Yet many business leaders tend to underestimate the importance of their Process Component or shy away from taking a systematic approach to improving their processes. Some fear the initiative will be a complicated, expensive, time-consuming project that won’t really change anything.
But strengthening the Process Component – establishing and implementing clearly defined efficient processes – doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive and consumes less time than you might think.
Use the EOS 3-Step Process Documenter™ to focus on a few “critical few” processes – the ones that really matter to your customers and employees – and document them in only a few pages, focusing on the 20% of activities that yield 80% of the result.
CREDIT GREAT PROCESS FOR A HAPPY ENDING
Two weeks later, the operations leader sat down with Jen and Dave. They expected the worst. What they got instead was a new hiring process.
“Well that clears up a lot,” said Dave, relieved. Jen nodded in agreement. Since then, the two have gotten along just fine.
If all your processes were clearly defined, efficient, and consistently followed, what impact would that have on your business? If you are like most, it would be a game-changer.
That opportunity is there for you and your company too if you’re willing to embrace and put into action the Process Component.
NEXT STEPS:
- Download a free chapter of Traction by Gino Wickman.
- Check the strength of your company with the Organizational Checkup®.
- Learn to make decisions faster and better by downloading a copy of our free eBook, Decide!
