But what is “the process”?

I know you’ve heard  success is a process, not an event (ahem…that was last week’s post, after all…). But what, exactly, is this “process” we keep referring to?

For the answer to that question, like so many that appear on the journey, we can simply go back to the basics. The very essence of the science of management, in fact. Management (and leadership) is the process of  four ongoing activities. Four verbs, in other words – Planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling.

You first develop the plan (or vision, or goal, whatever label you prefer) for what you want to accomplish, you then gather the resources necessary to accomplish the goal (people, money, materials, etc.), then you implement the plan (the execution, launch, or actual “doing” of the plan), and then you go back and compare the original plan with the results in order to see what worked and what didn’t (the control stage).  The findings can then be used to develop more plans and better plans in the future (back to the plan step again). Plan, organize, implement and control.

This one is simple in theory, but powerful in practice, so let me encourage you to be aware of how you use, or can use, this in your own world. Not just at “work,” but in everything you do, (learning, parenting, coping, you name it) break down the process into “Plan, organize, implement, and control” and see how working to improve on all the component parts can make the process more productive, faster, easier, more efficient, whatever.

And since you know it’s a process, and since you know if you stick to it you can’t help but be successful, why not make it a point to enjoy the process rather than waiting to celebrate after you achieve whatever you’re after?

 I don’t believe in failure. It’s not failure if you enjoyed the process.” – Oprah Winfrey