The proof is in the pudding...what does that even mean?
I wonder if you have ever heard that expression : “The proof is in the pudding.”
What proof is in the pudding? And why is it in the pudding?
The correct version of the expression is actually : “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” This makes a lot more sense. You are only really able to determine if the pudding is a masterpiece once you have tasted it. That is the test, that is the measurement of success. The proverb can be traced back to the 1300’s and was popularised by Cervantes’ Don Quixote in 1605.
What does this have to do with your business?
Simply, when the proverb was coined – it made sense. It had a meaning, people understood it. Over time, the expression was still used but it had changed. Some people may have known that it was incorrect, some people may have applied the meaning of the original expression to this new one. If you look at the expression with no understanding though, it is meaningless.
This could be said for a lot of business processes. When the process was developed it made sense. Over time though the process has been altered, its reason for existing may have changed or people may simply not understand why the process is there.
It is very important to regularly review your business processes and challenge the status quo. If you are fortunate to have your processes documented, review them and ask yourself these simple questions :
- Do I know the purpose of this process?
- Do I still need to perform this process?
- Does this process still achieve what it was designed to?
If you answer “Yes” to all those questions, keep the process. If the answer is “No”, then you might need to redesign the process or throw it out all together. If you have not documented your business processes, get started – good processes enhance and protect your organization’s value.
About the author : Chris Melck is a Principal at Pacific Consulting Group (and he likes pudding). PCG have a strong profit improvement capability which includes business process re-design.
There are many times that I've come across half-baked puddings and also bland ones and ones that have too much sugar added. I'm sure there is a link between business and puddings there also...