What Can Go Wrong in an Idli?

Idli, a humble dish which originated in southern India, is a ubiquitous breakfast food across India. These savory steamed cakes made of rice and lentils are a favorite across all sections of the population in India. Key reasons for its popularity are – great taste, easy to make, quick to serve and being steamed easy on the stomach.?Numerous restaurants across India churn out millions of Idlis daily, and given the simple and easy preparation, one can expect Idlis to turn out tasty each time they are made. And yet, I was completely disappointed when I had Idli at a restaurant on a recent road trip. Which made me wonder, what can go wrong in an Idli?

Our jobs condition us to focus on outcomes because results can be easily used to measure our progress. ‘One is only as good as the results one delivers’ – we hear lot of such phrases at work. There is no doubt, excessive focus on results does put excessive pressure on people. Out to prove one’s worth, one is more susceptible to cut corners (knowingly or unknowingly) to achieve the results.

This is not to say outcome is irrelevant. Outcomes are the only thing that ultimately matters in any organization. However, more important thing to consider is how do we ensure we keep producing the desired outcome consistently? Excessive outcome focus can result in process relegation.

It is advisable to think about the outcomes when one needs to attain extraordinary or breakthrough results. But not all outcomes of our jobs must be breakthrough. Those parts of our jobs that are routine and transactional in nature require a pronounced focus on processes that we can trust to produce good outcomes consistently. Well-designed processes are measurable and repeatable. If a result is bad, one can adapt the process to improve the outcome. A focus on processes encourages experimentation and innovation leading to continuous improvement. This guarantees a good outcome. With robust processes, one obviates the need to worry about routine or repetitive activities. It allows you to focus on more important aspects of your job. Quality, in addition to being defined by technical parameters is defined by the customer. It is defined by meeting the customer requirements and as being ‘fit for use’. Constantly linking process improvement efforts to the ultimate customer satisfaction goals can substantially enhance quality of outcomes.

No wonder the most famous verse of the Bhagwad Gita translates to – Focus on the actions (process) not on the fruits (outcome). Only way to reduce the impact of randomness on the outcomes is to have robust processes. In the long run, that is the only effective way to avoid dishing out bad Idlis.