Which is more important to your organization – A+ process or A+ players? That’s a tough question, isn’t it? You are probably thinking that you need both. And, yes, you do need both. But not every process or every team member has to be A+. Good thing, huh? How could you find all A+ players in this environment? And, A+ process takes a lot of time.
Newer and smaller companies tend to have less process. This is by necessity not necessarily by design. As they grow, many put process in place that drives repeatable performance and outcomes. If you observe what they do, good process gets implemented where the management team focuses. So, if the founder is an engineer, product design and function may have the best process. If the founder is into sales, sales will have the best process. If they love growth, top line performance will have the emphasis. If they love profit, profit goals will be emphasized.
As growing a business could be compared to a game of Whack-a-Mole, the better your processes the fewer Moles you have to whack. Yet you can’t stop playing and you will continue to need top players on your team. I notice the demand for all A+ players most when the goals are not clear, everyone on the team is wearing too many hats and there is just not enough capital to add players. Hasn’t everyone been here at least once? Give yourself some grace. This will not be solved immediately. Pulling the most important threads first is critical.
If you are not good at creating systems and process, please make sure someone on your team is. Or bring in consultants who are. A+ players are sometimes so intuitive, they can’t explain how they do things. And, they can’t teach others how to do what they do. Think Kobe Bryant (basketball fans). He was brilliant. He could never explain how to do it to any one else.
If you run a team or an organization look at your systems and people with a critical eye. Where do you need to focus this year for the highest leverage. Start there.
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