Many of us have heard the well-loved “Grandma’s Pot Roast” story: for generations, the women in a family cut off the ends of the pot roast before cooking it. When asked why, the answer was always the same: “Because Grandma always did it that way.” Eventually, someone asked Grandma herself. Her answer? The roast only needed trimming because her pan was too small.
What looked like tradition was simply a workaround for a constraint that no longer existed. This story perfectly illustrates my least favorite response when evaluating business processes:
“That’s the way we’ve always done it.”
Thriving organizations understand that complacency is costly. Inefficient or outdated processes lead to errors, delays, missed opportunities, employee frustration, and ultimately lost profit. Asking “why” is not an inconvenience—it’s the foundation of operational excellence. It forces us to examine the task, the workflow behind it, and its connection to the organization’s broader goals.
In short, it keeps us from wasting perfectly good pot roast.
A Real Example: When Old Habits Create New Problems
Recently, I worked with a client who experienced frequent payroll errors and repeated delays in sending files to the bank—issues that resulted in significant fines. To diagnose the problem, we did something simple but powerful: we mapped the payroll process on a whiteboard.
This wasn’t an exercise in complex flowcharting. It was about seeing the work visually and asking intentional “why” questions. Once the team could see the entire process at once, several problems became obvious:
- Multiple points where the process could break
- Significant duplication of effort
- Steps that no longer align with current software capabilities
- Tasks that were holdovers from outdated systems or past constraints
When “that’s the way we’ve always done it” was no longer an acceptable answer, the real reason for the inefficiencies came to light: an old software limitation that no longer applied. The process had outlived its purpose.
With a few targeted adjustments—nothing complicated—we reduced payroll processing time by 1.5 days, eliminated late filings, and saved the organization an estimated $90,000 per year.
Not bad for a pot roast conversation.
The Cultural Shift: Empowering Employees to Ask “Why?”
The impact didn’t stop with payroll. The exercise sparked a grassroots cultural change. Employees began to ask:
- Why do I perform this task this way?
- Is this process efficient and effective?
- Does it make sense given our people, systems, and technology?
- Is this the highest and best use of my time?
- Does this support the organization’s goals?
When people start asking “why,” they start seeing opportunities for improvement everywhere.
One employee in particular took this to heart. She began examining how the company tracked labor. Some employees used an electronic timekeeping system; others still used paper. When she compared the two, she discovered discrepancies that not only cost the organization money but also created legal exposure.
She proposed a full transition to electronic timekeeping and helped lead its implementation. The results were substantial:
- Reduced payroll expense
- Lower legal and compliance risk
- Fewer pay discrepancies
- A more accurate view of labor costs
- An engaged, empowered employee who grew in confidence and capability
Sometimes the greatest improvements come not from sweeping initiatives, but from individuals who are encouraged to question and improve what they touch every day.
Process Improvement Isn’t a Luxury—It’s a Mindset
Many people believe that process improvement is something only large companies with specialized teams can afford. But meaningful improvement doesn’t require a project charter or a department of analysts.
It starts with a single question: Why?
When you give your team permission to challenge assumptions, old habits, and “the way we’ve always done it,” you unlock opportunities to streamline work, strengthen accuracy, reduce risk, and increase profitability.
You might even find that the pan has been big enough all along—leaving room not just for the whole roast, but also the potatoes and carrots.