Why People Need Process in Strategy

Do you ever feel like your organization’s strategy is a total cluster? Most strategic systems, meaning how a strategy flows from the broader vision and goals to the day-to-day to-do’s, are in need of some love and flow, i.e., process. 

The majority of people in my life have hated process. The word itself in our society, and especially workforce, tends to relay restriction in a way that has many people avoiding its power — especially the creative industry. The truth is, process sets people free. Here’s why:

Clarity is kindness 

Think about all the times you’ve spent in your life so confused about what you were supposed to do, that never did any of it. Self-directed anything is always more difficult than having the path laid out in front of you.

When you fail to provide a process to work with your strategic initiatives, you force people into a situation where they have to know how to make the strategy work within their goals, their role and their world. Strategy is too hard for this type of ambiguity. Giving people a simple ‘this, then that’ process allows their minds to focus on filling it with smarts versus orchestrating an ambiguous, multi-faceted — likely leadership-built, intangible “strategy.” 

Practice makes perfect  

While I hate the word perfect, it is true that when you do the same thing over and over again, you get better at it. You also start to see where you can lean into adjustment or enhancement.

Strategy can be so hard to measure but by giving it a process, you can start to see where there might be bottlenecks, gaps or opportunities. When you don’t have one, you will never be able to know if your strategy is actually coming to fruition in a way that will help you reach your goals. 

The obvious one, efficiency  

You know when they say really successful people have the same routine every day so they can make room for other important thoughts? Think Steve Job’s black turtleneck he wore everyday to avoid decision fatigue. Process provides the same gift.

I am not saying you have to be a productivity monster but allowing your organizational system to have a strategic process will give them a constant they can manage and adapt so they have space to bring more ideas. If you don’t make one, others will make many for you. Which, many processes are definitely not better than one. 

Our plug: We’ve built and refined strategic processes for both large and small organizations; please reach out and we’ll send you a case study.