Are you still kicking the can on Process? You’re not alone, but that’s not an excuse. Let’s get you straightened out and moving forward.
Process is urgent. And the fact that you don’t think so is probably part of the problem. Process dies when it’s relegated to the “Island of Important but Not Urgent.” That’s the place where ghosts haunt dark corridors, murmuring things like, “We’ll get to it once things settle down around here.”
And why do you think that’s the case? Well, because things are never going to settle down around here. It’s going to be chaos—non-stop, Groundhog Day chaos—UNTIL you tackle Process.
Process Is Not a Rock
Let’s also be very clear—Process is NOT a Rock. It’s one of the Six Key Components® on the EOS Model® for a reason. Think of Process like you would think of any other business function—like sales or marketing, finance or ops.
It’s not a 90-day kind of thing, so breathe. No one runs into a Quarterly and yells, “Hey! I did it! I did marketing! We’re done now!”
Process is like that.
Finally, this is a big one: It turns out there is no return on investment (ROI) on simply documenting Processes. Nope. Document all you want, but unless you use Processes to drive change, it’ll be like you never did it. Instead, stay fired up by remembering that Processes (when used) buy back your time, reduce drag, and drive real and measurable top-line results. So, plan on these tools seeing the light of day and being used.
Now let’s address the top five reasons and reframe some of the very bad advice you’ve likely been given:
1. You Didn’t Tie into Your Visionary’s Rock
Every Visionary has their own “pet Rock” each quarter. That’s the fire they need to address. It’s a fire in their belly or a fire they have to put out. Either way, it’s URGENT.
So, if you want Traction®, launch your Process project by solving a major pain point or offering a major opportunity for your Visionary. Most visionaries are great at prioritizing, motivating, and pulling together resources. Plus, generally, they know how to get their way. Now draft on that energy and attach your first Process project to their Rock!
2. You Thought It was a Committee Thing
A common mistake is adding too many voices and trying to do this work as a committee decision. While that might sound very inclusive, it will destroy momentum. Just coordinating schedules alone will make your skin crawl.
Unless you have a process that is an unholy mess you have to fix, simply have ONE person be the authority for each Process. Then, others can audit the first draft AFTER it’s been created. That’s okay. FAST is better than PERFECT for first drafts because momentum is so crucial to Visionaries.
3. You Asked Your Subject Matter Expert to Do It on Their Own
Nope. Please do not do that. Left alone, most people will brain dump onto a Word document, and you will hate the result. It sounds like delegation, but it’s a formula for “meh.” Not because your subject matter expert (SME) isn’t an expert, but because their “mentor” brain wasn’t activated.
If you want to go fast, get it DONE, and improve the quality… interview them. Capture their ideas and film them talking about it with you. Ask dumb questions and listen. Mentor brains put things into plain English. Mentors keep it simple. They tell stories. They teach. Use that brain and the Process will come to life.
4. Your Content Is Boring, Sorry (Not Sorry)
If you create 14 pages of standard operating procedures (SOPs), don’t be surprised if you find that it doesn’t drive Followed by All (FBA).
People might not say anything to your face since it looks like you “tried real hard and everything,” but it’s unlikely they will study or retain page after page of reading. Instead, get creative with your learning tools. Use video. Lots of it. Images. Use quizzes. Make checklists. Add links. QR Codes. Make it fun. You ARE competing with Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok whether or not you realize it. You have to make learning look like marketing.
5. You Didn’t Launch It Like a Big Deal
Last one. You launch new things internally all the time: a new healthcare plan, a new product, etc. The major launch is something that merits feature in all-hands meetings and ongoing internal communication campaigns.
Do that for this. Make Process a big deal so your team knows it’s a big deal. Launch it, and then keep pushing until you see FBA. Expect to push for 12 months before you “bake” new habits into your culture.
Summary
Process is essential for ambitious teams. You can clone your top people, create self-onboarding, reduce daily chaos, and improve the valuation of your business before you sell it. You can even package your Process and monetize it. Process is insanely valuable, but unless you make it urgent, it’s never going to get off the ground. Make. It. Urgent.
Good luck, and pace yourself.
About Jon LoDuca
In the EOS® Community, Jon LoDuca is known for being humbly irreverent about Process. He’s the founder of PlaybookBuilder, the award-winning and AI-powered learning platform used by EOS Worldwide and recommended by hundreds of EOS Implementers. Why? Because he looks at Process like a Visionary does—as a means to scale. Prior to PlaybookBuilder, Jon led an intellectual capital development firm that helped hundreds of the top 1/4% income-earning entrepreneurs in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada identify, package, and monetize their intellectual property. He speaks internationally on megatrends affecting small businesses, runs on EOS, and is a TEDx, EOS, and Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) speaker. He is a very proud and devoted father and husband.
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