Nowadays, I make sourdough bread at least twice a week. I know I’m not alone in this! I watched lots of Youtube videos and blog posts to learn how to do it. I then borrowed some starter from my local café and bought the equipment.

After several attempts, I perfected the process. It takes the best part of 24 hours, but nowadays I turn out a pretty decent loaf every time. I don’t have to think about it. I just do it.

Every successful endeavour requires a process you can trust. Writing a brand plan, launching a new product, generating ideas, creating a presentation, writing a blog post. 

You can’t improvise your way to success. You can’t hope it’ll work out ok. You just need to devise a process that works for you. Tinker with it. Practice it until it becomes second nature. The results will inevitably come. 

There’s a famous quote from Bill Walsh, regarded as one of the greatest ever American Football coaches, which became the title of his leadership book.

‘The score takes care of itself 

Bill’s philosophy was to simply focus on the process: meticulous planning, motivating the team, practice, praise, etc. If you did only these correctly, then you don’t need to worry about the score. You’ll win.

How do you create YOUR perfect process?

The first step is to learn from others. People who have already mastered what you’re trying to achieve. Learn other people’s approaches.

For example, If you want to create a great company follow the process of the management guru Jim Collins, who has distilled all his learnings into a 4 Stage Map. Click here

Don’t re-invent the wheel.

Through trial, error, and practice, you’ll eventually develop your own version. One that works for you. Whatever process you eventually create, normally has the following characteristics.

1 Minimal Steps

My ideal process for everything has 3 steps. At a push, it can stretch to 5. Each step should feel intuitive and easy to follow. Any more and it becomes too complex and difficult to retain.

Make it memorable. One trick is to give it an acronym. Eg the GROW Model for coaching. Or use you can use a single letter a the beginning of each step eg the 4Ps of Marketing. This is my version of a 4P process that I use for planning workshops.

2 The Right Tools

Each step needs a tool to help you complete it. In marketing-related tasks, these could be templates/frameworks that need to be completed. For example, use a ‘creative brief’ template, when briefing an agency. Or if you’re developing an innovation process, create simple frameworks for capturing ideas throughout.

For creative tasks, these tools could be ‘real’ equipment – pencils, paper, rulers, cameras, lights, etc.

3 Clear Actions and Timelines

Within each step, there needs to be clear actions and timelines. It should be easy to understand. It should be written in layman’s language with guidance provided on how long it should take you.

If the process involves more than 1 person, then ownership for each step needs to be clear. Who does what?

How do you know when you’ve developed a great process?

You’ll know because…

..it feels intuitive, clear, and natural. 

..you’ll find it enjoyable and relaxing

..you’ll find that you’ll be able to replicate it again and again.

..and of course, it’ll work. You’ll get the results you’re looking for.

In summary

For every significant task, you need to complete, develop a process. Whether it’s the perfect sourdough bread, creating a new product, or developing a brand plan. Don’t rely on chance or trial and error. Work out an approach that works for you. Learn from people who have been through the journey, but don’t be afraid to experiment and adapt to it. Codify it. Summarise it on 1 page and use visuals or better still an infographic to bring it to life. You need to own it, to feel it’s yours. After you’ve perfected it, trust it. Don’t worry about the results. They’ll be sure to follow.