How to Create a Process

Let’s talk about something that might sound as exciting as watching paint dry, but trust me, it’s the secret sauce to crushing it in business: standardized processes.

Yep, you heard that right. We’re going full meta in this post.

Picture this: you’re running around like a headless chicken, putting out fires left and right, and wondering why your business feels like a chaotic episode of Survivor.

Sound familiar?

Well, buckle up, because I’m about to drop some knowledge that’ll make your future self want to buy you a beer.

We’re diving headfirst into “How to Create a Process: A Process for Creating Processes.”

I know, I know, it sounds like we’re about to enter the Matrix of productivity.

But stick with me — this is the stuff that separates the big leagues from the minor leagues.

Here’s what were unpacking:

1. The secret ingredients of a standard process

2. A step-by-step guide that even your coffee-deprived Monday morning self can follow

3. Why winging it (non-standard) vs. nailing it (standard) matters

4. The mind-blowing benefits of getting your process game on point

Whether you’re a scrappy startup founder, a middle manager trying to impress the big boss, or just someone who’s tired of reinventing the wheel every day, this guide is your new best friend.

Ready to transform your business from a hot mess into a well-oiled machine?

Let’s do this!

Time to put on your process pants and dive in. Your future, less-stressed self will thank you.

Overview

There are two types of processes: standard and non-standard.

Non-standard processes are what you do when you’re just executing what you think is best to accomplish the outcome you think is needed. Keyword: think.

A standard process is a document consisting of an overview, results, resources, and tasks.

Standardizing a process is important because…

• It ensures consistency.

  • When a process is standardized, it can be repeated with the same level of quality and efficiency every time, regardless of who is performing it.

• It improves efficiency.

  • By documenting the best practices and most efficient methods, standardization eliminates guesswork and reduces the time spent on figuring out how to complete tasks.

• It facilitates training.

  • New team members can be trained more quickly and effectively when there’s a clear, documented process to follow.

• It enables continuous improvement.

  • With a standardized process, it’s easier to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas for improvement, leading to the ongoing optimization of the standard process.

• It reduces errors.

  • By following a set of predefined steps, the chances of mistakes or oversights is significantly reduced.

• It enhances scalability.

  • As an organization grows, standardized processes make it easier to maintain quality and consistency across different teams or locations.

• It aids in compliance and auditing.

  • For industries with strict regulatory requirements, standardized processes help ensure compliance and make auditing more straightforward.

• It promotes knowledge sharing.

  • Standardization captures institutional knowledge, making it less dependent on specific individuals and more accessible to the entire organization.

Results

A standard process with an overview, results, resources, and tasks.

Resources

• Tools:

  • A place to document the standard.

    • Pro-tip: use Motion to document your processes (via templates) and make them actionable.

      • Create a Task Template in the appropriate workspace.

• Information:

  • What are the specific results of the process?

  • What prerequisite resources are needed to accomplish the process?

  • What are the step-by-step tasks to execute the process?

    • What is the task? (Task Name)

    • Who is doing the task? (Assignee / Role)

    • How long should it take? (Estimated Time to Complete)

• Materials:

  • Non-applicable.

    • This section can be utilized in the event that the process you’re creating requires physical materials as inputs.

Tasks

• Navigate to Motion Settings.

• Click on the appropriate workspace.

• Click on Task Templates.

• Click on Create Template.

• Give the template a name [bottom left].

• Give the process a name [top left].

  • This will be the title of the task when created in Motion.

• Adjust the "Motion Task" settings as needed.

  • Default status, assignee, priority, duration, labels.

• Copy the template below.

• Paste the copied template into the new template's description.

• Specify the results of the process.

• Specify the resources (tools, information, and materials) needed to execute the process.

• Specify the step-by-step tasks; from start-to-finish.

  • Pro-tip: use Loom to record an example of executing the entire process — or even for each task, depending on the complexity of the process.

Template

Overview

[provide context and additional information about the process]

Results

• [clearly define what success looks like, one sentence at a time]

• [use specific, measurable outcomes]

Resources

Tools:

• [specify the hardware/software needed for execution]

Information:

• [specify the data/knowledge required for execution]

Materials:

• [specify the physical resources required for execution; if applicable]

Tasks

• [insert 1st task]

• [insert 2nd task]

• [etc.]

Alright. You’ve got the blueprint. Exit the matrix.

Here are 2 ways that I can help you:

1. Let’s make your processes visible and actionable. Schedule a 15-min call to see how me and my team can help you stop fighting fires and start improving processes—so that your business can produce more without having to hire more people.

2. Follow me on LinkedIn! I’m sharing content like this every single day.

Til next week!