Did you know you could be limiting your success if you don’t know if your company is process-driven or event-driven? But don’t hyperventilate if you’re not sure. Here’s how to make your events into effective processes – and your processes into dynamic events.

Note to C-Level Executives:

This is a special article that involves leadership, budget, process management and employee satisfaction. It addresses significant issues and offers an unusual, practical solution.

No Holds Barred

Admit it! You’ve watched professional wrestling at least once. Maybe you’re bold about it or maybe you watch on your laptop under the covers, but just about everyone has seen it. There is an almost hypnotic lure to the WWE, the flamboyant wrestlers, hysterical fans, and testosterone so deep you feel like you’re treading water. You get tons of exciting action – even if it isn’t Shakespeare.

Events Need Process & Process Needs Events

Well, many corporations view business process and business events just like a wrestling match. Some people view process as a tedious fun-sucker that drains the life and excitement out of the organization. Other people think events are silly wastes of money that kill the vital processes and procedures that make the company successful.

In this business stand-off, who’s the winner? That’s what we’re going to decide. But before we get started, let’s set up some definitions. We aren’t talking about planning and producing an event like a meeting or a conference. Instead:

Event = a one-time experience that happens in a given place and time – workshop, executive briefing, meeting, training, team building, conference, customer event, etc.

Process = a continuing system, procedure or method designed to achieve a result over time. A process is a way to standardize procedures and execution. It gets everyone doing the same things in the same ways.

Let’s give them some ring names:

“The Cruncher” Process

“Mad Dog” Events

I bet you can see the battle brewing. “Mad Dog” is motivating and enjoyable but can be a little superficial, fake and meaningless. “The Cruncher” is methodical and efficient, but few people get excited at watching him work. Process tends to be tedious, uninspiring and boring. So, which wrestler does your company support?

If You Think You’re a Process-Driven Company, You’re Wrong

If you gathered 100 C-level executives and managers in a conference room and asked, “Are you an event-driven company or a process-driven company?” About 99 out of 100 would say, “Process-driven!” They would be decisive but wrong. You have lots of processes, strategic and marketing plans and company policies – but how are they delivered over time?

We like to think that processes are constant and consistent cycles. You start them and they just keep going around and around – like perpetual motion. But that’s not really how they work. In the beginning, everyone gets a download of information and procedures and leaves enthusiastic and ready to go. But after awhile, consistency becomes repetition. People get bored and start to cut corners. The process winds down until it grinds to a halt and the desired results fade away.

The reality is that a process isn’t a continuous cycle. Usually it’s delivered as a series of well-executed activities and (get ready for this!) … events.

A Company Grudge Match

Process is the map and direction. Events drive the momentum you need to get up to speed and to keep moving. It’s easy to view events and process as 180-degree opposites. The leadership expert John Maxwell highlights what he sees as the difference between the two in 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. He views events as fun, but they don’t change anyone’s life. I’d like to offer a slightly different perspective.

There is no reason that the two can’t be coordinated parts of the same results-delivery system.Here’s how to make processes and events work together. Let’s look at them together.

•  Process is objective-driven; events are message-driven.

•  Process uses measurement to gauge success; events use willingness.

•  Process develops a culture; an event reflects or celebrates a culture.

•  Process tends to be a solitary experience; an event emphasizes a community that shares common goals, values and rewards.

•  Process is highly structured and predefined; events are more dynamic, experiential and personalized.

•  Process is building a house – events are living in it.

We are Better at Events

Most companies and organizations are pretty good at creating events. They can get people together, transfer information and get all the noses pointing in the same direction. The problem comes in actually designing and implementing an effective process that continues after the event.

All the things that make process work also make it difficult to sustain. Over time, the regimentation becomes tedious and people tend to sneak back to all the comfortable bad habits they had before. Like sand in gears, the friction builds up, efficiency plummets, and that’s it for “The Cruncher” Process.

Make Processes and Events Work Together

The cure is a series of strategically placed catalytic events that inspect, inform and inspire action. Use the events to humanize the process, let people view it emotionally and build some involvement in fine-tuning it.

Catalytic events take the emphases off executing the process and highlight the actions that produce results and the rewards that the process provides.

Your smartest strategy is to take an objective view of the process and determine a series of benchmarks. These are both positive and negative. Then plan catalytic events to make mid-course corrections and maintain enthusiasm. In this example there are benchmarks to generate action whenever the process slows down or needs a push to increase efficiency. The level at the end becomes the starting point for the next phase. Remember, the primary outcome is to jumpstart action and progress.

Try the “Tag Team” Strategy

Okay, you have two powerful wrestlers. They have different styles and ways of working. So, instead of making them battle it out, transform them into a tag team. Now you have a synergy that works together and complements each one. Here’s how it works.

1.  Review the status of the process in terms of the overall goals and the specific desired results.

2.  Divide the process into sections, benchmarks and transitions.

What happens if performance or efficiency falls below a certain level?

What happens if performance or efficiency exceeds a certain level?

What happens if there is a change in the process?

3.  Identify areas where catalytic events support and facilitate the process at key milestones and at transitions in the work streams.

4.  Plug the events or mini-events into the process at strategic times to inspect, inform and inspire action.

5.  Blend process and the events to move people towards the desired results.

Let Each Do What It Does Best

The overall goal is not to simply support the process – it’s to generate the long-term results. When something goes wrong, your instant reaction is probably to blame the employees who have to execute it. But that’s like blaming the fans in the stands when your team loses.

Don’t body slam your coworkers and put them on the ropes. By creating a tag team of process and events, you can transform employees into believers, supporters and players. Your company’s process provides the path, direction and structure. Events provide the energy, personalization and motivation at critical moments. And don’t forget: Events don’t need to be large, elaborate and costly. A catalytic event can be 45 minutes just as long as it is personal, emotional and produces the correct action.

Failure Smack Down

You can make processes and events work together. By using a “Tag Team” Strategy, you will incorporate the best strengths of both process and events to generate your organization’s desired results. And, you have to admit – every supply chain management process can use some flames, smoke, bulging muscles and Spandex!

Let’s spend 15 minutes talking about your next project or challenge. It’s a free consultation so we can get to know each other. Just click on CONTACT US or send an email to andy@ideagroupatlanta.com and get in touch.

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