The Leadership Habit

How to Operationalize Excellence with Derrick Mains

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In the latest episode of The Leadership Habit podcast, host Jenn DeWall sits down with Derrick Mains, CEO of The Process Fixer and Process Triage, to discuss how leaders can operationalize excellence within their organizations. This engaging conversation dives deep into the processes that can transform business efficiency and offers actionable insights into building resilient teams that thrive in today’s dynamic work environments.

Meet The Process Fixer, Derrick Mains

Derrick Mains is the CEO of the Process Fixer and Process Triage. He’s an Emmy award-winning content creator, four time author and optimization consultant renowned for his pioneering work in process engineering, optimization, and transformation. Derrick’s work spans more than 20 years and 250 companies across nearly every industry from early stage companies on through the Fortune 10. He’s authored four books: Adaptagility: Overcoming Biological Resistance to Change, AMP Your Outcome: Management Hacks for World Famous Leadership, The LEAN Manager’s Playbook, and The Frontline Manager’s Playbook. Derrick’s approach blends essentialism with a focus on human-centered system design, emphasizing the need for regular audits, reflection and reinvestment to achieve optimal results!

What Does It Mean to “Operationalize Excellence”?

Operationalizing excellence means creating streamlined, effective processes that allow organizations to consistently achieve high-quality results, even during periods of disruption or uncertainty. According to Derrick, the key to operationalizing excellence lies in understanding your processes at every level—from the executive suite to the frontline workers.

“We’ve been living in a time where things have been relatively good, so businesses haven’t had to operationalize,” Derrick explains. “There’s a lot of waste and inefficiency that has crept into organizations. Around 65% of what we call work is actually busy work—waiting, checking, looking for information. We need to focus on improving the flow of work to eliminate these inefficiencies.”

The Four-Step M4 Framework: Map, Measure, Manage, Mobilize

At the heart of Derrick’s approach is his M4 framework, which provides a structured method for driving continuous improvement in organizations. The framework includes four steps: Map, Measure, Manage, and Mobilize.

  1. Map: The first step in operationalizing excellence is mapping out your processes. Derrick highlights the importance of visualizing every aspect of the work to identify inefficiencies. “Start with sticky notes on a wall,” he advises. “Once you see the steps, you’ll realize how much can be optimized.”
  2. Measure: Next, measure what matters most. Derrick urges leaders to look beyond traditional KPIs and focus on metrics that truly reflect efficiency, such as the number of steps employees take in a day. “We put Fitbits on employees to reduce unnecessary movement,” Derrick shared, “which improved efficiency dramatically.”
  3. Manage: Managing becomes easier when you’ve mapped and measured effectively. Derrick emphasizes that mistakes made by employees often stem from poor systems, not poor performance. “In Japanese management, the first rule is that employees cannot make mistakes; it’s always a process issue,” Derrick said. “Fix the system, and you’ll fix the errors.”
  4. Mobilize: Finally, once processes are optimized, your team will naturally be mobilized to maintain and further improve them. When employees are engaged in process improvement, they are more likely to take ownership of the changes and ensure long-term success.

The Power of Team-Based KPIs

One of the unique insights from this episode is Derrick’s approach to measuring team performance rather than focusing on individual metrics. As many managers learn, KPIs are only effective if they are measuring the right things.  He illustrates this with a story of a manufacturing company that fired an employee for not hitting her KPIs, only to see team performance drop by 30%.

“Janet wasn’t fast, but she kept the team organized and motivated. When they let her go, they lost that crucial team dynamic,” Derrick explains. “Focus on team goals, because a high-performing team delivers better results than a group of individuals working in isolation.”

Reducing Waste Through Meetings

Another highlight from the episode is Derrick’s critique of time-consuming meetings. “We found that one company was spending 44% of its employees’ time in meetings,” he said. “For every 1% we reduced that, we saved them $100,000 in profit.”

By introducing shorter, more focused meetings, businesses can not only save money but also improve productivity and employee engagement.

A Final Thought: Business Strategy Needs a Pencil, Not a Pen

Derrick’s closing thought drives home the need for flexibility and continuous improvement. “Run your business with a pencil, not a pen,” he advises. “A pencil has an eraser for a reason—you need to constantly refine your processes. Businesses that adapt will thrive.”

Where to Find More from Derrick Mains

Thank you for listening to The Leadership Habit podcast! If you would like to find out more about Derrick Mains, you can: 

If you would like to learn more about how Crestcom can give your team the tools they need to streamline processes and deliver real results, you can request a FREE Workshop today! Our leadership experts deliver business training all around the world, so contact us today!

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