The People vs. Process Spectrum

Written by Dave Bailey

Filed under management

People practising yoga to find balance

You need processes to scale… but how much process is enough?

New companies usually have few processes in place, so team members are often encouraged to ‘figure it out’. But as the team grows, so does the complexity.

The intuitive solution is to create standard processes and train your team to use them. However, as the number of processes grows, you may find your company becomes too rigid, slow-moving, and bureaucratic.

How do you strike the right balance?

Whenever you come across the word ‘balance’, try to clarify the two extreme ends. In this case, the extremes might be:

  • The ‘people’ extreme: People are free to choose how they complete their goals, even if their way doesn’t leverage existing work and negatively affects other stakeholders.
  • The ‘process’ extreme: People must follow a standard process, even if they identify a more efficient, or effective, way to complete their goals.

Identifying the extremes helps you tease out the pros and cons, and move to a ‘both/and’ solution. For example, you may want to empower people to choose the best way to achieve their goals, while leveraging existing work and respecting other stakeholders.

Wait. Leveraging existing work? Respecting other stakeholders? They’re behaviours, aren’t they? Yes, and that’s the insight: if you want to balance people and process, focus on your culture. 

 

Originally published Apr 16, 2021, last updated Jun 1, 2021

Learn a new skill every week

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter and learn new skills and mental frameworks that make startup life easier.

Unsubscribe any time.

Popular articles

How to Drive a Culture of Ownership

Do you wish your team took more ownership? Here’s how to trust them to get the job done without you...

How to Ask Your Team The Right Questions

To improve your ability to ask great questions, it helps to understand the types of questions you can ask...

A Guide to Running Exceptional One-on-Ones

How effective are your one-on-ones? Here's a practical guide for managers and their direct reports...

Join my newsletter

©2023 Founder Coaching Limited. All Rights Reserved.
FOUNDER COACH® is a registered trademark of Founder Coaching Limited.