Solid processes can be difficult to build, and perhaps a bit boring to follow, but a lack of processes can make it difficult to reach your goals.
In his book “Win Without Pitching“, author Blair Enns mentions this concept a few times, summarized here:
In almost any of our repeated endeavors, it is the strength of our processes that drives the consistency of our outcomes.
The better your processes, the more consistent your outcomes will be.
Processes vs creativity
Some years ago we were talking to a potential client and shared our web development process with him, which caused him to say “I need more creativity, so I can’t be locked into a process like that.” I understand what he was saying, but he was wrong — good processes lead to increased creativity. Trying to just “be creative” without any kind of process is likely to lead to chaos.
Creativity is a tricky thing. Being creative simply for the sake of being creative isn’t likely to do much for you. As David Ogilvy has said, “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”
Being creative is essential in many types of business, but wrapping that creativity inside of a solid process is the best way to be sure it’ll work.
