IYI Newsletter: How to Build a Process You Can Trust


Approximately a 3-minute read

Good Morning!

Today's message is for those of you who want to get serious about developing a process-driven approach to performance.

-Justin

Everyone talks about trusting the process, but no one explains how to actually build one.

For the past 15 years, I’ve been working with the best athletes in the world, and I have a front row seat to how they build a process they can trust.

Before we dive in, it’s important to remember this: A process doesn’t guarantee success. It increases the probability of achieving your desired results.

Here is a clear, 5-step framework to help you build your process:

Step 1: Name Your Process

This is the part where you decide what you want to build a process around. Give your process a clear name that reflects its purpose. For example, it could be your pre-match process (for a tennis player), decision-making process (for an executive), or morning routine process (for a parent).

Step 2: Map Your Process

Identify one to three key behaviors that you have full control over—these are the drivers of your process. When you say “execute the process,” you’re referring to performing these behaviors.

Step 3: Design Your Process

Once you have identified what the key behaviors are to execute your process, it’s time to design them. Get precise with each one.

When are you going to execute them?

At what sequence?

How often?

When are you going to do those behaviors?

At what intensity are you going to do those behaviors?

The more specific, the better, especially when you’re first designing it. However, be sure not to get stuck in paralysis by analysis; don’t worry about making it perfect right now; we know that this won’t be the final product.

Step 4: Score Your Process

Once you have your process on paper, it’s time to test it in the arena. Identify a singular data point you want to use to measure your process. The data you collect here will set you up for the next step.

Here are some examples the professional athletes I work with use:

A yes/no score: I have an MLB player send me a yes/no score after every game on whether he executed his process in each at-bat.

A scale score: A pro sports team executive sends me a score on a 1-7 scale on how well he felt he communicated during 1:1's

These scores will reflect trends.

Step 5: Refine Your Process

Finally, once a week, sit down with someone you trust and review how well you executed the process the past week.

What were the patterns and trends you noticed while executing your process? Systems are prone to drift. By doing this simple exercise, which takes only 10-20 minutes once a week, you will be better able to stay on track.

In these conversations, you will notice that the process you created may be ideal on paper, but it isn’t feasible in reality. This is where you make tiny tweaks to the design or behavior, and after a few weeks, you may realize you should focus on a different process altogether.

After that conversation, run the process again with any edits you made.

Living a process-driven life will help you be more consistent and increase the probability of closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

Give this framework a shot and let me know how it goes!

Justin Su'a

At the Performance Advisory Group, we’re passionate about helping people live a process-driven life. If you’re a sports parent and interested in your child working with one of our Process Coaches, reply to this email, and I'll give you more details.

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Justin Su'a

The Increase Your Impact Newsletter is your Monday morning edge, created for growth-minded individuals. Each issue is a 2-3-minute read that delivers actionable strategies and powerful stories straight from my work with the world’s top performers. I 'd love to have you join my weekly email list and join thousands of others who are striving to get better, just like you.

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