No Process, No Progress

As entrepreneurs, we pride ourselves on our independence, creativity, risk taking and willingness to chart the unknown.  Scheduling  meetings,  defining  accountability  and  discuss- ing process may feel like a step backwards or a step in the wrong direction; after all, many entrepreneurs feel they left the status quo behind on purpose—along with org charts, mandatory meetings, and “corporate speak”—when they fled their cubicle to join the “dark side.” While this gut feeling makes sense, it is a perspective that can harm entrepreneurs’ endeavors from day one and fundamentally disable their progress. The entrepreneur’s perspective that process is meant for larger companies, and the wave of activity is just the nature of the entrepreneurial beast, can hamper your organization for years.

“Process also allows you to be productive.” 

Process Is Not A Dirty Word

First and foremost, you must recognize and understand that process is an enabler that accelerates not decelerates your activity and is not a dirty word. You are going slow—but you are going slow so you can go fast. Think about it. What if you had a sales presentation that could be used in a variety of customer meetings by changing just one slide? Or a clear structure for determining pricing that all your managers share? Or even if you’re running a solo business, having a process set up for shipping— labeling software, postage meter, scale, FedEx materials and scheduled pick ups—is much more efficient than digging for supplies and running to the post office every time you need to ship your product. Process also allows you to be productive, efficient and to focus on the substance of your business. It’s not a dirty word—it’s a secret password that gets you into the club of successful businesses.

Once you recognize the benefits and consequences for your business, you are ready to implement or improve processes across your organization.