No, this is not a culinary article per se. But will you allow me to use it as a metaphor for business processes?
Let’s talk about recipes. My wife and I recently watched this culinary show on TV where Stanley Tucci had traveled to Italy and visited a restaurant that made this amazing dish called Cacio e Pepe (Look it up. It’s cheese and pepper in English). The way it was prepared and the experience of those on the show that tasted it got my mouth watering.
That did it for me. I HAD to learn how to make that dish. So I watched that part of the show a couple of times, bought the ingredients, and gave it a shot. Needless to say, the results were not everything I had hoped for. So I got on the internet and found several different recipes and approaches for making the dish.
After experimenting several times I eventually got the process down for making that dish. I made it recently for my son and his family when we were visiting them. It was a BIG HIT, especially with the grandkids!!
Is there a point to all this? Of course there is!! You have to pick:
- Invite yourself over for Cacio e Pepe (Yes, I really will cook for you!!)
- Figure out your business processes like I did my recipe and apply them to your business
- All of the above…
Do you have business processes in your business? Of course you do! Sometimes these are formal written processes, and sometimes they are more informal. But they are there. They exist.
These processes are what we use to make sure everybody is in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. They make our business functional and efficient.
But over time, things change in your business. As an example, let’s say your business grows by 20%. That’s great news, right? While that sounds good on the surface, your systems and processes were designed for a smaller business. You might find new challenges that I call capacity constraints showing up as the business changes.
Remember how I had to experiment a little with my Cacio e Pepe recipe and process to make it great? When capacity constraints show up, that might call for a change in the ingredients or processes to make sure the business remains functional.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On the other hand, if it is broken, you should fix it.
We are excellent business chefs, so don’t hesitate to call us if you need help with your business recipe.
