A thought hit me earlier today about the role of processes in our (humans) work. As I observe it, I think we can divide work into either being focused on the process (leading to outcomes) or on the outcomes (driven by process).
In the former (i.e., process-focused work), the emphasis is on executing a well-defined, repeatable, structured process, which aims to produce the best possible outcomes. However, given that most of the focus is on executing the process as efficiently as possible, there is a range of outcomes that can occur, from extraordinary to mediocre, which will be in part dependent on the inputs and also dependent on the execution of the process. Examples of process-focused jobs are investment banking (sell-side engagements are typically referred to as "processes"), flying (think of the importance of checklists), fast food workers, etc. I think in these types of roles the key metric of success for an employee is the ability to maximize their throughput with a suitable level of quality.
The second type of job or role is one where there is a process but the emphasis is more on the outcome. I think of this category of jobs as being the case where you can have structured or messy a creation process as you want, as long as the output is sufficiently good. This is likely the base case for many individual-contributor type roles / professions (e.g., attorneys, artists).
Ultimately, the above is not some novel, new observation on the structure of the working world. I simply wanted to share my thoughts with the world and given that it's #2020 try to actually act on my resolution to write more this year.