Processes – a team's superpower

Behind every great team is a great playbook of processes!

This is not a catchphrase you hear often but I’m a believer it is true because in recent years I’ve been working with teams to help develop and refine their processes and I’ve seen firsthand the transformation these have created for them.

Processes not only specifically benefit teams, at a more macro level in organisations processes:

• Enhance customer service as they facilitate consistency of experience

• Reduce costs by streamlining tasks and improve productivity

• Support organisations to have more robust systems of governance

These are only a few benefits as a starting point, but clearly some important positives to shout about!

What is a process?

To define a process at the simplest level, it is a series of steps involved to complete a task.

Just in this definition alone, there are a few key words – series, steps, and task. 

In order to achieve the optimal outcome (i.e. task), the series of steps need to be performed in the most appropriate/practical order by the most relevant people – and these days we need to also consider how systems/technologies also play a key role.

It is not uncommon for processes to organically develop in organisations (how many people do you know do tasks on autopilot with information kept in their head); however, ensuring processes are clear and mapped, and that they are reviewed is key. Also, considering with the fast-paced nature of the world of work and technology, processes even more so constantly need to be reviewed and revised to ensure they keep up with advancements and the best way of doing things.

So why are processes a superpower for teams?

A few words that come to mind are Clarity, Ownership, and Efficiency.

To break these down a bit further….

Processes create clarity of task. Very simply, they clarify who does what. Can you imagine how this creates understanding for people about what they need to be doing, but it also helps with any issues of conflict amongst team members and improves team harmony.

By allocating who does what, it assigns responsibility of a task within a process – ownership. We know people having purpose in their work is a key motivator, and by having clear processes established that identify responsibility and accountability, this connects people and their work to a greater outcome in organisations.

Furthermore, knowing who does what is not only important within a team, but also for other stakeholders across an organisation so they know who to go to for a task. It also removes any ambiguity between colleagues in different departments.

A structured, organised flow of tasks creates efficiency for teams as by mapping and documenting processes it becomes clear to the team what they can streamline and eliminate while not compromising their end outcome.

As someone who has seen the benefit of establishing and also streamlining processes in organisations of all sizes – from start ups to larger organisations, I could talk about the benefits of processes all day; so I will leave it here! 

But hopefully this has been a helpful prompt for you to think about what processes exist in your organisation or team, and whether it is time to revisit this so you can fully utilise them as a superpower.