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.