What if the biggest obstacle to growth isn’t a lack of people, technology, or resources, but the processes behind them?
As businesses grow, it’s easy to assume the solution to new challenges is hiring more people, buying new software, or adding another layer of oversight. But if the underlying process isn’t working, those changes may add complexity instead of solving the problem.
In Episode 2 of The Clarity Curve, Maurice Nassar sits down with Emergent Partners Partner Terry Saint to discuss what operational excellence really looks like and why strong processes create the foundation for sustainable growth.
Listen to the full episode below, then explore a few practical lessons you can start applying today.
Operational Excellence Starts with Understanding the Process
When something goes wrong in a business, the first instinct is often to fix the visible problem. Add another approval. Create another spreadsheet. Hire another employee.
Those solutions may solve today’s issue, but they can also make tomorrow’s process more complicated.
Operational excellence starts with understanding how work actually gets done. Before changing a process, take time to look at the steps employees perform every day.
Where does work slow down? Where do mistakes happen? Which steps create value, and which ones only add complexity?
Asking these questions helps businesses improve the system instead of treating the symptom.
Terry shares examples in the episode of how small process improvements can create meaningful operational gains over time.
Don’t Solve Symptoms. Solve Root Causes.
Quick fixes are tempting, especially when a problem is affecting customers or slowing down your team.
But every temporary workaround has a cost. Extra approvals, duplicate data entry, and manual checks can quietly become permanent parts of a process, making the business less efficient over time.
Before making a change, ask:
- What problem are we actually trying to solve?
- Why did it happen?
- Will this prevent the issue from happening again?
Taking time to answer these questions can prevent years of unnecessary complexity.
“Don’t put a band-aid on something when it needs stitches.”
During the episode, Terry explains how this mindset changes the way businesses approach operational improvement.
More People Isn’t Always the Answer
Hiring is often the first solution businesses consider when work starts piling up. Sometimes, that is the right move.
Other times, the workload is being created by an inefficient process.
Before adding another position, look at the work itself.
- Are tasks being duplicated?
- Are employees waiting on approvals?
- Are systems forcing people to complete manual work that could be simplified?
Improving the process first helps you understand whether additional staff will solve the problem or simply make an inefficient system more expensive.
Terry discusses how businesses can recognize the difference and why this perspective matters for long-term growth.
Operational Excellence Requires Continuous Improvement
Operational excellence is not about creating perfect processes overnight.
It is about continually asking better questions, removing unnecessary complexity, and making it easier for your team to do great work.
The processes that work for a business today may not continue working as the company grows. Regularly reviewing how work gets done can help leaders identify problems before they become larger obstacles.
Ready to dive deeper? Maurice and Terry dive deeper into these ideas, share real-world examples, and discuss how businesses can build systems that support long-term growth.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full episode on YouTube.
Helpful Episode Timestamps
- 4:14 – Why businesses misdiagnose operational problems
- 6:35 – The danger of adding unnecessary process controls
- 10:15 – Why employees should help shape procedures
- 15:06 – Understanding the difference between policies, procedures, and processes
- 18:48 – Looking at operations holistically
- 20:58 – Why physical actions matter most
- 24:07 – Why processes should be tested regularly
- 26:08 – More people isn’t always the answer
- 28:20 – Why technology can’t fix bad processes
- 30:00 – “Don’t put a band-aid on something that needs stitches”
- 35:02 – Terry’s biggest takeaway on operational excellence