Why workflows sound boring but are actually genius.

When you hear the word "workflow," what do you think of? 

Perhaps…

“Boxes and arrows…”
“Sounds technical or something for a bigger company.”
“Snoozefest”
“We don’t need those. We will keep doing what we’ve always done.”
“I know what I am doing, no time for all that.”
“Is it to do with efficiency or productivity?”
“Fantastic, tell me how I can optimise mine.” (Less likely, but I’m an optimist). 

At Catalyst & Co workflows are the route to formidable growth and success. 

Let’s think about this differently for a minute. 

In 2024 IKEA recorded a revenue of €26.5 billion. We all know what IKEA is, what they sell and how well they sell it. They have layered value into everything they do and continue to innovate. But they aren’t  just selling furniture. They are selling an idea - a lifestyle, ethos and mindset - ‘The Wonderful Everyday’. They are selling the feeling that you can make your everyday life better, easier and more joyful through IKEA. They say that the everyday moments of your life are worthy of being special and being invested in. No more fancy sitting room for guests only, let’s enjoy the best - every day - ourselves. 

It’s a belief I happen to agree with and Catalyst & Co applies it to how your business works behind the scenes. 

For years I saw how fantastically talented people pushed themselves to the absolute limit for a moment of success, a great design, an event well done or a promotion. I did it too. But then, after seeing the less favourable consequences, I had to ask myself if the situation could be changed so that the ending was the same (or better), but the journey to get there was also enjoyable, rewarding and successful too? 

An interesting point to consider, is it not?

What a tough day at work might look like:

• Vague tasks thrown at you with no proper context.

• Meetings that drag on and end without clear outcomes.

• Constant interruptions — Slack, emails, side requests.

• Last-minute changes from a client or manager after hours of work.

• No thanks or acknowledgment, just more tasks.

• Systems or IT issues wasting time.

• Calendar packed solid with meetings.

• No time for a proper lunch

• Unrealistic deadlines dropped on you at 4 p.m.

• Team goes silent when decisions are needed — leaving you guessing.

• You end the day feeling busy but achieving nothing important.

What a good day at work might look like:

• Clear priorities from the start of the day.

• Two-hour block for uninterrupted project work.

• Quick decisions made in meetings (no unnecessary discussion).

• Helpful feedback after the first draft, not at the final stage.

• Constructive or positive feedback on actions or project.

• Technology and systems working properly — no crashes or login issues.

• Calendar isn’t overloaded with back-to-back meetings.

• Realistic deadlines agreed upfront.

• Team responses on Slack/Teams/Messaging app are quick and decisive.

• You finish the important tasks by the end of the day.

There are a number of solutions involved in changing a tough day into a good one. All of them are within someone’s control and all of them are encompassed by workflow science.

Catalyst & Co consider people, processes and leadership to be the key pillars of aligned and systemised business operations, all connected by carefully designed workflows. 

In the past workflows would have been considered purely process level driven and defined by a sequence of tasks. While this remains at the heart of what a workflow is, it is no longer sufficient as a definition. Workflows now need to consider behaviour. 

A true workflow is the living,
breathing system that powers
your business each day.

It is about interactions and the dynamics between people and processes. 

It's about creating clarity around every step that is required to optimise every action taken, and to identify all the resources and the environment required for that step to be successful.

Here are three examples of what might happen in a business if a workflow isn’t securely in place, and a business owner can’t be there every second of the day: 

1. Work gets started but not finished — or finished incorrectly.
Without clear workflows, team members may start tasks based on assumptions, miss important steps, or finish without necessary reviews or quality checks.

Result: Deliverables are inconsistent, need rework, or create reputational damage.

2. Bottlenecks form because no one knows who owns decisions or next steps.
If there’s no system to define ownership and flow, tasks sit waiting on someone's approval, action, or clarification — and no one feels confident moving forward. If the decision-maker is a bottleneck, that is also a problem to be solved. 

Result: Deadlines are missed, momentum stalls, and small problems snowball.

3. Customer or client experiences suffer silently.
Without structured systems, small errors (missed emails, duplications, forgotten follow-ups, slow responses) start to slip through because no one has visibility or accountability.

Result: Lost sales opportunities, poor client retention, and a decline in trust.

A workflow and its supporting resources and systems transform business chaos into clarity, allowing your services to flow smoothly from initiation to delivery without constant supervision. 

It is THE foundation of any well run business that wants to grow, scale or exit at some stage in the future. 

- Gemma O’Halloran