Process is like the armor of your business. It needs to be strong enough to protect you from risk, but light enough that you can move quickly and fight the competition.
We sign contracts to buy a home, but only after detailed inspections and an appraisal. We do preventative maintenance on our cars. Our governments have committees drafting legislation and Roberts Rule of Order to keep senate hearings in line. Traditions and habits are the processes of our families and they build identity and security. And our businesses have operating systems that provide structure to our decisions and cadence to our activities. All of this is valuable and has a place. But one has to constantly rethink the design of that armor and whether it fits the purpose.
The medieval armor used in jousting competition was fine, when the rules were understood, the time for the battle was set, and you could see the enemy approaching from a distance. Many businesses enjoyed that kind of competitive stability in the past. Today's business battles are fought and won against unknown and known competitors, working on unpredictable time frames, and coming out of no where. This requires more nimbleness, speed, agility, flexibility, and empowerment.
Process can still protect you and plays a key role in your competitive success. Just not the same processes.