People > Processes

It surprised me the first time I heard that all problems (specific to the business world) are the result of human error or a faulty process. Who’s creating these processes? Can a faulty process not be traced back to the person or people that created it?

I don’t want to create the impression that I don’t think processes matter. They do. But I can’t think of a single potential problem that can’t be traced back to an individual who was either (1) honestly mistaken, (2) wasn’t skilled enough or who (3) simply didn’t care. The first is tolerable and to be expected. In fact, if handled well, it can create a learning experience for your entire organization. The second is your fault if you put that individual in that position. The last is actually what I see most often. Many talented people just don’t care about what they’re doing.

We work in a creative business. We have to care. We have to be inspired and passionate about our work. We have to get that silly little grin on our faces when we’re presenting work to a client that we know is good. My guess is that most shops larger than about 25 people have hired people to fill gaps and have ended up with someone who’s there for a job. These people could even be willing to work 70 hour weeks cutting their chops, but if it’s all for a promotion or a paycheck, it’s not inspired, and the deliverable will suffer.

Here’s the takeaway: give me 40 hours of inspired work over 70 hours of indifference.

Sure, we’d all love 70 hours of inspired work, but the point is that it’s the people that matter. Next time you think you have a broken process, before you open up the ol’ work flow diagram and SmartArt, make sure you’ve got the right team in place to execute it. Inspired and passionate people solve problems and learn from their mistakes. Who knows? If your process is broken, maybe they’ll fix it for you.