Balancing process and results is an essential approach that coaches should both adopt personally and pass on to employees, managers, and leaders. This concept involves integrating two distinct thinking styles: process-thinking and results-thinking. Often, people default primarily—or even solely—to results-thinking, focusing on outcomes, targets, financial gains, and status. While results-thinking is beneficial for achieving objectives and driving actions, it represents strategic thinking that, when overemphasized, can become problematic.
The Trap of Results-Thinking
Excessive results-thinking can lead individuals to become almost addicted to outcomes, where they evaluate all aspects of life, even personal relationships, solely in terms of tangible returns. Senior managers, highly skilled in results-thinking, sometimes fall into this trap, allowing their obsession with outcomes to consume their lives. In organizations, such leaders may focus heavily on quarterly ROI metrics, sidelining long-term growth and the development of people and products.
Understanding Process-Thinking
In contrast, process-thinking centers on understanding the actual steps and dynamics that lead to effective results. In NLP, this is viewed as the “strategy process,” or the how-to knowledge essential for developing mastery and expertise. Every experience has a structured process, with actions and strategies that, when executed correctly, lead to desired outcomes. This is the core of expertise and the basis of modeling successful behaviors in coaching.
By recognizing that processes create results, individuals can embrace the notion of “trusting the process.” Following a reliable, well-defined process—whether in weight loss, strength training, or coaching—ensures outcomes with time, effort, and patience. Trusting the process, even when results are slow to appear, is key to long-term success.
Finding Balance: Which Thinking Style Dominates You?
Most people naturally gravitate toward one thinking style over the other, creating a default mindset that becomes habitual. Relying too heavily on one style can create imbalance: results-focused individuals risk burnout, while process-oriented individuals may struggle with productivity. This divide sometimes creates tension between management and employees, especially when results-oriented managers grow impatient with process-focused colleagues.
The Importance of Integrating Both Styles
Both thinking styles are essential. Results-thinking helps set strategic goals, while process-thinking facilitates the journey to achieving those goals. Results-oriented managers may overlook the fact that processes sometimes take longer than anticipated due to unforeseen events like accidents, illness, or delays in resources. In such cases, pressing harder without compassion can further slow down progress.
Conversely, employees who focus solely on process without regard to results may fail to communicate broader objectives, like the company’s ROI or added value for investors. Leaders should balance these elements to ensure alignment with the organization’s purpose and strategic goals.
A Collective Effort to Balance Process and Results
For both individuals and organizations, achieving a balance between process and results thinking is essential for sustainable success. Balancing these approaches promotes both strategic achievement and the consistent execution of actions that drive meaningful outcomes.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
1. [Certified_meta-coach] 2024 Morpheus #44 BALANCING PROCESS AND RESULTS by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
