Why You're Automating All the Wrong Things (And Missing the Good Stuff)
Let me tell you about a conversation I had last week.
A potential client called, super excited about automation. They wanted to streamline everything. Well, almost everything. When I asked about their biggest time-suck—the thing that had their team pulling their hair out every single day—they got quiet.
"Oh, that? No, that's too complicated to automate."
Sound familiar?
Here's the thing: This happens all. the. time. I'll sit down with someone who's pumped about automating their weekly newsletter formatting (saves 20 minutes, tops) but won't even consider tackling their inventory management nightmare that eats up 15 hours a week.
It's like organizing your junk drawer while your kitchen's on fire.
The Automation Paradox Nobody Talks About
We've all been there. You know that one process that makes everyone groan during Monday meetings? The one where someone always says, "There's got to be a better way"?
Yeah, that's usually the last thing anyone wants to automate.
Instead, we go for the easy wins:
- That report nobody really reads
- The expense tracking that was already pretty simple
- The meeting reminder that everyone ignores anyway
Meanwhile, the real monsters—the processes that actually drain your time, energy, and sanity—keep lurking in the shadows.
Why We Do This to Ourselves
After years of helping businesses untangle their processes, I've noticed some patterns. Here's what's really going on:
We're addicted to quick wins. Automating something simple feels amazing. You set it up in an afternoon, it works, everyone's impressed. You're basically a tech wizard now, right? But tackling that beast of a billing system? That's next quarter's problem.
We're secretly terrified of breaking things. Your biggest pain points are usually your most important processes. Mess those up, and it's not just an "oops"—it's a full-blown disaster. So we play it safe, automating the stuff that wouldn't really matter if it went sideways.
We think complicated = impossible. Just because a process has lots of moving parts doesn't mean it can't be automated. Often, the most complex manual processes are actually the best candidates for automation. They follow rules. They have patterns. They're predictable. But our brains see "complicated" and immediately file it under "not gonna happen."
We've fallen for the control illusion. There's something oddly comforting about manually approving every purchase order or personally checking every data entry. It feels like control. But let's be honest—it's really just expensive babysitting.
The Real Cost of Playing It Safe
Here's what keeping those big pain points manual is actually costing you:
While you're celebrating that your social media posts now schedule themselves (congrats on saving 30 minutes a week), your team is still spending entire days on that monster process you're avoiding.
It's not just about time, either. Those big, painful processes? They're usually the ones where mistakes hurt the most. And guess what? Humans make more mistakes when they're doing mind-numbing, repetitive work they hate.
Time to Face the Music
Look, I get it. Starting with the small stuff feels smart. Build confidence, prove the concept, get some wins under your belt. Nothing wrong with that.
But at some point, you've got to ask yourself: Am I actually solving problems, or am I just rearranging deck chairs?
The transformation you're really after—the kind that actually frees up your team to do meaningful work—means facing those big, scary processes head-on.
Your Next Move
Take a minute right now. Seriously, I'll wait.
What's the one process that makes everyone in your organization die a little inside? The one you've been telling yourself is "too complex" or "too important" to automate?
That's your goldmine.
That's where the real magic happens.
That's where you stop playing automation dress-up and start actually transforming how you work.
Because here's the truth: The biggest pain points are usually the biggest opportunities. They're not too complicated to automate—they're too expensive not to.
Ready to stop organizing the junk drawer and put out the fire? Let's talk about tackling the stuff that actually matters. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.
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