Everyone knows about the Grinch, that angry, green guy who hated holiday cheer. Most people don’t know why he had this knack for spoiling other people’s joy. That’s what I’ll tell you about today. You see, he was the Grinch with no process.
Entrepreneur Gone Wrong
Believe it or not, the Grinch didn’t always hate yuletide. As an entrepreneur, he once had a promising skin care business (ironic, I know, given his complexion).
The market loved his products, and his business grew rapidly. But he had one big problem: He worked way too hard, even with a large staff that should’ve lightened his load.
To make matters worse, his business operated seasonally, generating most of its revenue around the holidays. No matter how much he tried to prepare, this time of year was filled with chaos, missed shipments, and accounting problems.
And when an especially busy season resulted in a cash crisis despite record revenue, the Grinch threw in the towel. He sold his inventory, fired his employees, and shut down his business. December 25 had crushed him, and he would never forgive it.
Growing Three Sizes
Legend has it that the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes, and he stopped spoiling people’s good cheer all because of Cindy Lou Who’s kindness.
Don’t believe that – it’s pure Whoville propaganda. Truthfully, the Grinch’s heart grew when his business coach, a good-looking bald fellow, taught him the key to success.
The Grinch could easily engage employees, lighten his workload, and drive better profitability. All he needed was clearly documented processes.
If you feel a little Grinchy this year, you might have a process problem too. Why? Because in the absence of clearly documented processes, you can’t engage your employees, who generally fall into one of three buckets:
- People who would like to help but don’t know how
They’re the reason the saying “it’s easier to do it myself” became a thing. Without a process for them to follow, they can’t help you. - People who could help, but they won’t without a process
They know your business well enough to help. But they won’t sacrifice their personal life and sanity to become the victim of your chaos. Without a clear process, they won’t help you. - People who can and would help, but they can’t do it all
They’re both willing and able to help, even in the absence of a process. But you just don’t have enough of them to carry the business. And the few who do exist will likely burn out … just like you.
Core Processes Documented and Followed By All
If you turn that on its head, you get the opposite! When you get your core processes Documented and Followed By All, as we say at EOS®, everything changes:
- Average players will have a process they can follow to be productive.
- “A” players will give their full effort because they can see the path to success.
- Superstars will do amazing things for you and your customers without the risk of losing their sanity.
That was the revelation that caused the Grinch’s heart to grow and make him love the holidays and his business again.
Even if you don’t live in a cave with a dog named Max, I bet you can get excited about a smooth-running, scalable, profitable business. A strong Process Component™ is one of the most important and most often neglected keys to getting there.
The Grinch and process documentation – what could warm your heart more this season?
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