Before you rush to automate a process that lacked clarity and ownership, ask yourself what exactly am I automating?
Automation is being hailed as the savior of all things inefficient. From AI-powered bots to workflow systems and no-code platforms, we’re bombarded with solutions promising to save us time, money, and headaches.
Why Process Clarity Must Come Before Automation
But here’s the brutal truth: automation doesn’t solve bad processes — it scales them.
Before you rush to automate, you need to step back and ask: What exactly am I automating?
Because if the underlying process is broken, unclear, or just plain messy, automating it is like putting a jet engine on a shopping cart — you won’t get where you want to go, and you might crash even faster.
The Automation Frenzy — A Double-Edged Sword
Let’s face it. “Automation” has become a buzzword everyone wants to throw into a pitch deck, a strategy meeting, or a Monday morning email. It sounds efficient, futuristic, even smart.
But in reality?
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
— Peter Drucker
Imagine trying to automate an expense approval process that no one understands. There are four different spreadsheets, multiple email trails, two forgotten Slack threads, and nobody’s quite sure what “approved” even means anymore. Automating that only ensures that confusion happens faster, more frequently, and at scale.
Real Story: Automating a Bad Hiring Process
A fast-growing tech startup built a custom ATS (applicant tracking system) to streamline their hiring. On paper, it looked amazing — automated email responses, scheduled interviews, and quick candidate sorting.
But within weeks, qualified candidates were falling through the cracks, interviewers were getting double-booked, and hiring managers were overwhelmed. Why?
Their interview process itself was broken.
- Job descriptions were vague.
- Interview panels were inconsistent.
- No one owned the final decision.
By automating a process that lacked clarity and ownership, they simply made poor hiring faster and more expensive.
Before You Automate: Fix These First
1. Clarity of Process
2. Ownership and Accountability
3. Data Cleanliness
4. Process Simplicity
5. Customer or Employee Experience
The Cost of Automating the Wrong Things
Let’s talk numbers. According to a 2023 McKinsey report, 70% of automation projects fail to deliver the expected ROI. Their failure stems from weak foundations built into the system.
Worse, Bad Automation:
As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Only now, it’s automated garbage, 24/7.
Think Like a Craftsman, Not a Machine
Automation should be the last step — not the first. A craftsman doesn’t automate before perfecting the craft.
“Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”
— Navy SEAL saying
By slowing down to understand, simplify, and refine your process, you actually speed up long-term success. That’s the paradox.
How to Approach Automation the Right Way
Here’s a better 5-step framework:
And always, always measure outcomes — not just activity.
Final Thoughts: Automate With Intention, Not Impulse
Automation isn’t a cure-all. It’s an amplifier. It amplifies clarity — or chaos.
So before you jump on the automation bandwagon, ask:
Because if the answer is no, you’re not automating — you’re just multiplying the mess.
Let’s Flip the Script
Instead of rushing to automate everything, what if we became obsessive about simplifying first?
If you do, you won’t just save money or time. You’ll build a smarter, saner, and more scalable business.
So don’t automate yet.
Fix the mess first. Then fly. ✈️
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