When Process Gets In The Way
Photo by Clayton Robbins on Unsplash
At some point in the evolution of any organization, we have to build in structure and process.
The pure quest for growth and, hence, total focus on execution, in a company’s early days inevitably leads to a situation where some level of resource organization is necessary.
That makes sense. We’ve been so focused on getting things done that we’ve spent less time trying to figure out how best to get it done. At some point, scale mandates greater rigor, not simply to manage costs, but to also maintain compliance and minimize conflicts.
(Of course, many involved in the early days bristle at this (“this isn’t how we used to be”), but process isn’t a dirty word. It’s par for the course.)
The problem arises when we become slaves to that process, when the pursuit of control trumps our ability to innovate, to create, to respond with agility.
When mandated product development schedules restrict our ability to respond competitively.
When our focus on cost control inhibits our ability to invest in the technology needed to drive innovation.
When administrative requirements take away from our ability to fully focus on execution.
Certainly, the answer isn’t one or the other. There’s value in both, so the answer has to be balanced, which, of course, means it’s hard to strike that right balance.
But I think the underlying driver has to be the values of the organization.
What are our priorities?
What messages do we want to send?
What are the most important signals of our actions?
People notice when it comes to our values. There’s no way to soft pedal, brush it aside, or bury it.
Decisions that contradict values ring loud and clear.
