When most companies hear “process,” they think bureaucracy or red tape. But the strongest companies know running on Process is freedom—it’s clarity that lets people move fast and stay consistent without chaos.
Lisa Gonzalez and Mark O’Donnell’s book Process lays out how to strengthen this key component. If you want to test where your company stands, try a quick Process Component Checkup:
- Do you have a clear list of your company’s core processes? You can’t strengthen what you haven’t defined. Clarity starts with knowing what the vital Core Processes actually are.
- Does each process have an owner? Ownership creates accountability. Without a clear owner, processes drift and no one feels responsible for keeping them alive. Does your Accountability Chart clearly show who owns each Core Process?
- Is there a single place where everyone can access the processes? Accessibility drives consistency. Decide on a digital location or print them and make them accessible to everyone. If people can’t easily find the right way to do something, they’ll make up their own.
- Are the processes documented and simplified? Simplicity turns good ideas into tools people actually use. Overly complex documentation ensures no one will follow it. Simplicity is one of the 5 Leadership Abilities that help you break through ceilings.
- Have the right people agreed these are the best way to do things? Alignment builds buy-in. When leaders agree on “the right and best way,” the team gets one clear message instead of competing preferences.
- Has everyone been trained to do them correctly—and do they understand why? Training builds competence and confidence. When people understand not just the “how”, but the “why,” they take more ownership in doing it right.
- Are there measurables in place to track whether the processes are followed? What gets measured gets done. Measurables at the process step level go on weekly department Scorecards and reveal where consistency breaks down before it becomes a bigger issue.
- Is ownership clear to everyone? Clarity prevents confusion. When the team knows who leads and manages a process, questions and improvements flow to the right person. Here’s a great resource on how to lead and manage processes effectively.
- Do you have a way to keep processes current and alive? Processes should evolve as the business does. A simple update rhythm keeps them relevant instead of shelf art. Try taking 5 minutes to review one section of a core process in your Level 10 meetings to make sure they are up to date, and your team is operating in alignment with them.
It takes time to get your processes documented, simplified and followed by all. I hope this checklist helps you identify your next step in strengthening the process component of your business.
Drop a comment below with any other questions you ask to assess the strength of the process component of your business.
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