How a PB&J Sandwich Can Teach Us the Importance of Defining a Process In Business

Written By: Stephanie Burford, PHR, M.S., HR Manager at Advisor HR

In elementary school there is an exercise where kids are instructed to write step-by-step instructions on how to successfully make a PB&J sandwich. The task sounds quite simple – it’s a PB&J sandwich, how hard can it be? Each kid takes time to write out their step-by-step instructions on how to successfully make a PB&J sandwich. After their instructions are completed, they are required to follow their instructions and demonstrate step-by-step on how to successfully make the sandwich. When the kids read through their instructions, they quickly realize they forgot multiple steps or did not clearly define what needed to be done which in turn, leads to an unsuccessful attempt at making the sandwich.

In both simple and complex tasks, it’s clear that step-by-step instructions are essential to achieve a desired outcome. While the task above seems straightforward, the act of actually defining each step reveals how easily missteps can occur without precise guidance.

A PB&J sandwich sounds pretty intuitive, right? It’s only a few ingredients:

1.     Bread

2.     Peanut butter

3.     Jelly

• Step 1: Retrieve all ingredients.

• Step 2: Spread the peanut butter on one side.

• Step 3: Spread the jelly on the other side.

• Step 4: Combine the bread slices together.

Even this simple outline is ambiguous. It creates a lot of room for interpretation such as: what type of bread? What utensil to use to spread the PB&J? Do you use the same utensil for both the peanut butter and jelly? How much peanut butter and jelly do I spread on the sandwich? Is there a certain type of peanut butter or jelly that should be used?

Defining a process in business involves much more than developing a simple checklist of tasks that need to be completed. It requires a deep understanding of the business and the bottom line. This is where businesses get their competitive edge. While one business may use store brand peanut butter and jelly, another business may make it homemade. Having clear objectives and communication is key. A well-defined process ensures three factors: Consistency, Accountability, and Productivity & Efficiency.  

1.     Consistency – Consistency is key. This is crucial for maintaining high quality products and services. Customers are drawn to businesses because they know exactly what to expect and it is the same every time. This ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction rates, happier customers, and increased profit.

2.     Accountability – Having a well-defined process allows business to easily assign tasks, track progress, and hold people and teams accountable for results. Additionally, it allows businesses to clearly identify opportunities for growth and areas they excel.

3.     Productivity & Efficiency – establishing a well-defined process increases efficiency and productivity where employees are clear on what’s expected of them. As a new hire, this clarifies expectations right away and helps with the learning curve enabling them to contribute quickly. Additionally, this eliminates the need for redundancies, increasing productivity.  

Defining a process establishes a framework that aligns with the organization’s bottom line. Whether you’re making a PB&J sandwich or managing a multi-million-dollar business, defining a process is essential. The lessons learned from crafting a successful PB&J sandwich teach us that a well-defined process provides clarity which in turn results in consistent results, ability to hold employees accountable, and higher productivity and efficiency.  

Do you have internal processes you need to streamline? Advisor HR provides exceptional software that is designed to streamline processes such as new hire onboarding, benefit enrollment, time off tracking, applicant tracking, performance management, and so much more. Reach out today to learn more about the services Advisor HR can offer!