If You Can't Describe What You Are Doing as a Process, You Don't Know What You're Doing

"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing."
— W. Edwards Deming

I have always found this quote from W. Edwards Deming thought-provoking because, at first glance, it can sound a little blunt. Most Registered Managers know their services extremely well. They understand the people they support, they know their staff teams and they work incredibly hard to ensure that good care is delivered every day.

However, I do not think Deming was questioning people's competence or experience. Instead, I think he was highlighting the importance of understanding how things work and ensuring that good practice is supported by clear and consistent processes.

One of the biggest risks in any care setting is relying on individual knowledge rather than organisational systems. Many experienced staff carry a wealth of knowledge about how things are done. They know who to contact, what actions to take and how situations should be managed. That knowledge is incredibly valuable, but if it exists only in the minds of a few individuals, it can create vulnerabilities for the service.

Strong services do not rely on assumptions. They create clear and repeatable processes that help ensure consistency, accountability and positive outcomes regardless of who is on shift, who is leading the team or who is supporting the service on any given day.

For me, one of the simplest ways to understand whether a process is truly embedded is to ask whether it can be clearly described. If a member of staff can confidently explain how something works from beginning to end, there is a good chance that the process is understood. If different people describe the same process in completely different ways, there may be an opportunity to strengthen clarity and consistency.

Review How Key Processes Are Understood

One useful exercise is to select a key area of practice and consider how clearly it is understood across the team.

For example, if you asked several members of staff to explain how concerns are identified, escalated, monitored and reviewed, would you receive a consistent explanation? If you asked them how incidents are managed, how safeguarding concerns are progressed or how complaints are investigated, would they describe the same process?

The ability to clearly explain a process is often a good indication of how well that process is understood and embedded within the service.

Look for Variation in Practice

Another valuable area for reflection is variation.

Variation is not necessarily a sign that people are doing something wrong. However, significant variation can indicate that expectations are not always clear or that processes have evolved differently across teams and individuals.

Consider a routine activity such as care planning, medication administration, incident reporting or handovers. If three different members of staff completed the same task, would they follow a similar process and achieve a similar outcome?

Consistency helps create confidence, not only for leaders but also for people using services, families and staff.

Identify Where Systems Depend on Individuals

Every service has experienced and knowledgeable people who contribute significantly to quality and continuity.

However, it is worth considering whether any important activities rely too heavily on specific individuals.

For example, if a senior member of staff was unexpectedly absent, would key tasks continue to happen in the same way? Would people know where to find information, what actions to take and who was responsible for each stage of the process?

The strongest services ensure that important processes are embedded within the organisation rather than dependent upon the knowledge and experience of a small number of people.

Consider How Processes Are Taught and Reinforced

Processes do not become embedded simply because they exist within a policy or procedure.

People learn through induction, supervision, competency assessments, team meetings, observations and day-to-day leadership.

For that reason, it can be helpful to reflect on how key processes are introduced, reinforced and reviewed within the service.

Do staff have opportunities to discuss why processes exist and how they support quality and safety? Are expectations regularly reinforced through supervision and team discussions? Do leaders provide opportunities for reflection and learning when processes are not followed as expected?

The more visible and understood a process becomes, the more likely it is to be applied consistently.

Review Whether Processes Remain Effective

Services are constantly evolving. New people join the organisation, regulations change, technology develops and new challenges emerge.

As a result, processes should never be viewed as fixed or permanent.

A process that worked well several years ago may benefit from being reviewed and refined to ensure that it continues to support positive outcomes.

Regularly reviewing key processes provides an opportunity to identify unnecessary complexity, strengthen accountability and ensure that systems remain aligned with the needs of the people receiving care.

Why This Matters for Quality

When quality concerns arise, our attention is often drawn towards individual events. However, many sustainable improvements are achieved by strengthening the processes that sit behind those events.

A well-designed process supports consistency, reduces reliance on individual knowledge, creates greater clarity and helps leaders identify where improvements may be required.

Perhaps that is why Deming placed such importance on understanding processes. When we can clearly describe how something works, we place ourselves in a much stronger position to review it, improve it and ensure that it consistently delivers the outcomes we are aiming to achieve.

Reflection

As leaders, it can be easy to assume that because a process exists, it is understood.

However, there is often a significant difference between having a process and having a process that is consistently understood, applied and embedded throughout the service.

As you reflect on your own organisation this week, it may be worth considering which of your key processes are strongest and which would benefit from further clarification, review or reinforcement.

Think about the areas of practice that are most important to the people you support. If you asked different members of your team to explain how those processes work, would they describe them in a similar way? Would they be able to explain not only what they do, but why they do it?

Strong services are rarely built on assumptions or individual knowledge alone. They are built on clear expectations, shared understanding and processes that help people deliver consistent, high-quality care.

Perhaps the question to take away from Deming's quote is not whether your service has processes in place.

The more useful question might be whether those processes are understood well enough to deliver the outcomes you are striving to achieve.

So as you plan the week ahead, consider this:

Which process within your service would benefit most from being reviewed, mapped or strengthened, and what difference could that make to the people you support?