How I think about transparent process

Are you frustrated when things slip through the cracks in your business?
Do you find yourself constantly following up on tasks that should already be done?
Are you working in your business instead of on your business?

As a small business owner, you juggle a hundred responsibilities. When processes aren’t clear or well-documented, chaos takes over: deadlines are missed, customers are unhappy, and you’re left scrambling to put out fires that your team has left for you.

At the heart of high-performing teams lies the principle of transparency. When processes are transparent, everyone knows what’s happening, what’s delayed, and where intervention is needed.

You need to document your processes.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Weak or opaque processes create:

• A lack of visibility into what’s happening in your business.
• Repeated mistakes that waste time and money.
• Unnecessary stress from constantly micromanaging your team.

But imagine running your business with clear, transparent processes:

• Your team knows how to do more enabling you to do less.
• You know exactly what’s happening at each stage of every task through a dashboard of meaningful metrics.
• Problems are caught early and resolved before they escalate.
• Your team consistently delivers on your promises to your customers.

Transparent processes don’t just make your business run more smoothly—they free you to focus on growth instead of firefighting.

In this article, I’ll introduce a simple framework to help you categorize and improve your processes. This is intended to enable you to take a step towards building a business that thrives on clarity and efficiency.

Principle First:

Transparent /tranz · pair · ant/ adjective. Easy to see through, recognize,and understand. (Dictionary.com)

Process /prah · sess/ noun. A systematic series of actions directed to some end. (Dictionary.com)

I’ve put Transparent Processes in the heart of my framework for building a high-performing team.

Here is what I mean:

Transparent processes are those where visibility is prioritized, meaning anyone can see exactly what’s happening at each stage.

They are not hidden in a ‘black box’ but are open and clear, with progress made visual and measurable through specific metrics.

When you have transparency, everyone can see what is happening. You can see when something is stuck and it is time to intervene or to coach. You get meaningful metrics indicating the progressive maturation of a particular work product.

But there are so many things my team does – where do I start documenting?

Start by categorizing.

Here’s how:

🧠Framework: The Three Types of Processes

Every organization, whether it’s a cutting-edge tech firm, a manufacturing plant, a pizza shop, or a property management company, relies on systems to thrive.

Processes are how we consistently deliver the intended value to our customers.

Results without process are not repeatable. Processes without results are futile.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” – James Clear, Atomic Habits

At Lighthouse Leadership, we believe everything we need to do consistently deserves a process. But not all work gets the same type of process.

There are three types of processes:

1. Routine
2. Complex
3. Creative

Everything you do repeatedly fits into these three categories.

Pizza Shop Example

Almost everyone has a favorite pizza shop.

Picture yours. Why do you keep going back?

Here is the Google Review summary for my favorite pizza shop:

Look at how consistently high they are rated!

Here’s why I love mine:

• They use the same ingredients in the same proportions.
• They follow consistent preparation methods.
• Every pizza is baked at the same temperature for the same amount of time.

This consistency comes from great processes called a recipe.

By now you’re thinking – I don’t run a pizza shop. My work is more complex. How do I create processes for what I do?

Let’s look at some examples of these three types: Routine, Complex, and Creative.

Routine Processes

These are the heartbeat of daily operations. They keep the wheels turning smoothly—think of payroll, maintenance checks, or data entry tasks.

There is only one way to execute a routine process. The point of documenting a routine process is to reduce variation.

There is only one way to make the pizza in my favorite pizza shop. This is the recipe.

The ingredient ratios and techniques were perfected and then documented in a routine process called a recipe.

Anybody with the recipe, the ingredients, and the right experience can make a great pizza that appropriately represents the business owner.

If this was your pizza shop, documenting this routine process enables your workforce to deliver your promise to your customers. This scales your know-how and allows you to focus on other things.

Can you name some other routine processes in the pizza shop?

Now, think about your business:

• What are the routine processes that keep your operations running?
• Are they well-documented?

Complex Processes

A complex process may have steps that vary but drive to a consistent outcome.

The point of documenting a complex process is to provide a structured guide that balances consistency with adaptability. It allows for situational adjustments without losing sight of critical milestones, timelines, or quality standards.

The complex processes in the Pizza Shop might be hiring, training, and scheduling staff.

What makes these complex?

The hiring, onboarding, and training process at the pizza shop drives to a consistent outcome – a friendly, competent, adequately staffed restaurant.

But the staff will come in at different levels of experience and interest. The timing may vary – the shop may be busier in the summer, but there is also a pool of vacationing students available during this time. These students may come in with no cooking experience at all and they need to get trained from the ground up. The rest of the year may get staffed by full-timers who have lots of cooking experience but need to understand how this restaurant does things.

A complex process allows for this adaptability.

This concept is not limited to a pizza shop:

Google has 30,000 managers and each has received their mandatory manager training. Brand new managers get a 3-4 day training to help them shift from coding to managing. But a manager hired from the outside goes to a 1-day training. They already have management skills, they need to learn what is different about managing at Google (source).

With 30,000 managers they’ve turned the training assignment into a routine process: Is this new manager experienced or unexperienced?

What other complex processes exist in this pizza shop?

How about inventory management? Can you think of 3 reasons why I would call this a complex process?

In your business:

• What processes require flexibility but must deliver consistent results?

Creative Processes

These are the processes of the future—designed to create something new, solve unique challenges, or push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Innovative processes, like R&D, thrive in an environment where they can be flexible and exploratory.

The purpose of documenting innovative processes is to establish a flexible framework that guides experimentation, supporting frequent testing and early integration. This documentation ensures that creativity is organized rather than chaotic, allowing teams to test assumptions, capture learnings from both successes and failures and adapt as they go.

It helps keep failures small and “intelligent” by embedding checkpoints for review, allowing for ongoing progress while minimizing risks, so the team can pivot quickly and incorporate new ideas without losing momentum.

There is still a process.

If this is a pizza shop, it’s developing a new recipe. It might look like this:

• Market and Trend Research: remember when buffalo chicken was the latest rage?
• Experimentation
• Customer testing and feedback
• Documentation and training staff
• Advertising the new offering

Remember: Pixar saved Disney with its creative process that consistently builds great films.

Bringing It All Together

To build a business that thrives:

1. Categorize your processes as routine, complex, or creative.
2. Document them to ensure visibility and consistency.
3. Set a rhythm for regular review and improvement.

Transparent processes aren’t just tools—they’re the foundation of clarity, efficiency, and growth.

How might categorizing your own processes change the way you lead your team?

Evan Hickok

Evan Hickok has over twenty years of experience designing and managing high-complexity systems in high-consequence environments. As a Systems Engineer and Program Manager, he has guided projects through every phase of the product life cycle—from concept, detailed design, transition to production, production, installation & activation, and operational support. A dedicated researcher of team dynamics, Evan focuses on building high-performing teams capable of delivering exceptional results in the most challenging environments. He shares his insights and frameworks in the Lighthouse Leadership newsletter, published almost weekly at evanhickok.com.

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