Every creative or marketing leader knows the feeling: you’ve carefully built a process to bring order to chaos—yet people ignore it. Work slips through back channels, leadership bypasses approvals, and team members complain that the process “slows them down.”
You’re not alone. In a recent RoboHead LeaderLab session, participants voiced the same frustrations:
- “Not having everyone following the process consistently—or at all.”
- “Leadership has always done it a certain way.”
- “People just feel like they know better.”
So why is it so hard to get people to follow the process—and how do you fix it?
Why People Ignore the Process
The short answer: process is rarely just about the process. It’s about people.
- Lack of understanding. Sometimes stakeholders simply don’t know the process or don’t see the value in following it. As one LeaderLab participant put it, “Teams are working in silos…since they are not forced to follow the process, they just don’t do it.”
- Perceived inefficiency. Without context, a new workflow can feel like red tape. “Our team has learned the process, but they feel like it slows them down,” said one leader.
- Old habits. Senior leaders, especially, may revert to “the way we’ve always done it.” That could mean phone calls, hallway conversations, or dropped-in requests that bypass intake entirely.
Human needs. As one participant observed, We are emotional decision makers, even if we think we are logical. Processes bump against very human instincts for control, speed, or familiarity.
How to Regain Control
Getting people to follow the process doesn’t mean doubling down with rigid enforcement. It means building buy-in. LeaderLab participants shared practical strategies:
1. Show the Bigger Picture
Help stakeholders see that process isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about outcomes. “Is there an opportunity to show the big picture and connect the dots?” one leader asked. Simple tactics like printing out all projects in one visible place can make workloads real and help partners understand the ripple effects of skipped steps.
2. Adjust Without Abandoning
Instead of scrapping the process when things get tough, look for places to be agile. One participant shared an 80/20 rule: 80% needs to be in RoboHead, maybe the other 20% can operate outside of it. That flexibility can reduce resistance while keeping accountability intact.
3. Use Data to Drive Accountability
One participant pushed back on the 80/20 rule and emphasized that even if a rush job bypasses the system, log it later. That way, you can show leaders the real cost of “just this once” exceptions.
4. Secure Leadership Buy-In
The most powerful shift comes when leaders embrace the process themselves. Without top-down alignment, teams will always find a shortcut. As one LeaderLab member said, “This is like an airport—everyone has scheduled times, and when you just show up it falls apart.”
The Takeaway
If your process isn’t being followed, it’s not just a systems problem—it’s a people problem. Visibility, education, flexibility, and leadership alignment are your strongest tools for change.
When people see that the process helps them succeed—not just you—it stops being “extra work” and starts being second nature.
