Is Process Weighing Us Down?
Is Process Weighing Us Down?
My son once brought home a math test he had just taken. The page was full of green marks which signified that he had done a great job. When I looked at the grade on top, however, I was stupefied. He was given a 75%. A solid C. Looking over the problems, I was stunned to see that every single answer was correct. I questioned my son uncomprehendingly. Apparently, getting the right answers was only worth three-quarters of the points. The other quarter was awarded for showing the appropriate work and documenting the process. In many ways, I think my sons struggles mirror the problem with modern-day corporate America. Is process weighing us down?
Definition process: a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
Definition product: a thing produced by labor.
Process Vs Product
By now, most of us are familiar with the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule. For our purposes, 80% of the results come from 20% of the activity. What happens to the other 80% of the work? It’s just spinning wheels. Although hard to swallow at first glance, many knowingly nod when they hear this theory. Anyone who has spent time in corporate America has struggled with this phenomena.
Is process weighing us down? Well, it certainly accounts for most of our lost productivity at work.
How many hours does the average corporate employee spend on process?
- Meetings
- Emails
- Planning sessions
- Travel
- Business dinners
- Compliance
In reality, we spend that wasted 80% of our time on detailed plans and schemes on how we are going to accomplish a specific task. That leaves sparingly few moments to complete the said task. No wonder we cram so much into 1/5 of the time. That’s all we have left!
More eloquently stated, we expend way too much energy and resources on process, and too little on product.
My son’s math teacher is wrong, in the real world, the answer is all that really matters.
How To Escape This Inefficiency
The financial independence community has several superpowers that fast track us through this horrible inefficiency. In truth, this community has a lower tolerance for BS and is all about getting the job done. So what is the end around?
We own businesses: There is no better way to cut through the fat than becoming the one who calls the shots. You can work for a company, pander to a boss who is less smart than you, and get lost in meeting after meeting, or you can avoid it all. You can streamline your processes, maximize your inbox, and delegate to others. Who is the driver of your business? You are the moneymaker. Self-employed people find the best ways to maximize revenue generating activities and offload process to others.
We work from home: Is process weighing us down? How about working remotely. There is no better plan to avoid being pulled into useless meetings and being curbsided for inefficient conversations than not being present. Although you are just a phone call away, you will be removed from the visual field of all the time wasters.
We FIRE: Ok, maybe not retire early. But we build financial independence and then pick and choose what we agree to participate in. We all have heard the concept of FU money. What better way to avoid the process rabbit hole than being able to walk away whenever you are asked to do something you don’t like?
In Conclusion
Process is weighing us down. There is no doubt about it. We waste hundreds of hours a year bogged down in the process, and too little time working on actual product. Whether your product is an object, advice, or physical labor, you make money when you deliver. The process that gets you there is only as good as the learning derived and the labor produced.
I personally hate long planning meetings.
I despise spending more than a few seconds on emails.
That’s why I work for myself.
It’s one of the great why’s of FI.
I work for the government, so I’ll spare you the depressing reality and just say “Yes. Lord, yes”
Sorry man. I guess it worked out either way. (I could never work for the government!)
I agree with you 100 percent. I hate meetings and think it is a huge waste of time. Everything gleamed from a 1 hour meeting could have easily been sent in an email with bullet points that would take 5 min at most to get across.
It’s almost like the main purpose of meetings is for the manager or upper level to show that he or she is doing something to earn that title rather than really try to increase productivity
G-d do I hate meetings too! I avoid them as much as I can.
“The process that gets you there is only as good as the learning derived and the labor produced.”
This is the key right here. For instance, let’s use an example in which “Financial Independence” is the product and “the journey” is the process. I would not say that all business losses during the journey toward FI are a waste of time as long as you continue learning from the process.
learning and refining. And optimizing!
MBA’s are taught one thing: process Nurse managers much the same. Insurance and government much the same. It’s fun to get paid to ram cookies in your mouth and drink coffee and be important unless you have real work to do.
Yep. Hard to be both a physician and an administrator. Your too busy trying to run out of meetings to see patients.
For me, it’s just boils down to Baloney. Whether it’s the luncheon meat or the human kind;
both have artificial fillers. I prefer to steer clear of them and not waste my time.
Sorry, Baloney lovers, feel free to indulge. Just my opinion.
lots of baloney in the work place.No thank you.
I recall reading a piece of advice about trying to keep meeting short — stand up. Don’t take a seat, instead, take a stand! Hey, the world is lead by the C students, so I think your son is off to a great start.
Best way to keep a meeting short…don’t schedule one!
So there. Not long ago I had to redo a five page document over concerns about how I wrote not applicable. Apparently there was a prescribed standard for saying something didn’t matter.
WOW. Process to the extreme.
I hate compliance exams. There I said it. I feel much better now.
Good, I’m glad commenting on my blog could make you feel better!
I am on a two year global system implementation project. We hired a bunch of consultants to come lead the project (because they are supposed to be the experts). We’re paying them millions of dollars and all they do is schedule meeting after meeting and show us powerpoint slide after powerpoint slide. Sometimes there are 15 to 20 people in a meeting or call, and less than 5 people are actually doing the speaking. It is such a waste. I think most meetings happen just because people like to hear themselves talk.
Fortunately, with all the meetings (a lot of which are phone calls), I end up working from home at least once a week. And by being FI, I know I have FU money that I could walk away if I wanted to. But I’ve done a decent amount of international travel for the project (with more to come), so I am staying put for now.
The travel can definitely be a perk if it’s at the right time of your life!