A Different Lens | The Process-People-Product Model at a Montessori School

Excerpts from Same Problems, Same Opportunities: Why Leadership Still Matters 

Coming Dec 18th, Routledge/CRC Press

The Process-People-Product model isn’t limited to business, leadership teams, or corporate offices. You can see it play out almost anywhere.  The same principles that stabilize operations in a company can bring order and growth to everyday life. When processes are clear, people thrive, and the product (output, learning, or confidence) becomes the natural result.

One of the most vivid examples of this happened in a third-grade Montessori classroom.

Process

In 2016, I spent a week in my son Samuel’s Montessori class. The school emphasized curiosity and independence, letting students manage their own time and workload. But what worked for most students was becoming a challenge for him. His teachers described him as bright and curious, but easily distracted.

My first response was, “he is a kid, give him time.”  After a few meetings here and there in the school yard about this, I decided to take some time off work and see it in action myself.  While the school wanted to test for behavioral issues, I felt an old school current state analysis may reveal an opportunity, not a future label.

One of the benefits for him for simply being my son, is that I see things through a different lens.  Not to downplay anyone’s effort in helping create success for him.  I just wear a different set of problems solving glasses.

After observing him for several days, I saw the real issue. Not a lack of attention, but a lack of structure. Each student received a week’s worth of assignments with complete freedom to decide when and how to complete them. There was a total of 30 assignments each week. For an eight-year-old, that kind of freedom can feel more like pressure than opportunity. He did not need testing or labels. He needed a process.

I broke his workload into smaller, daily targets: six assignments a day, thirty minutes each. They were given a little over 3 hours in the morning each day to complete their assignment. That was my math.

Then I created a simple visual tool. An index card with six boxes labeled by subject. The rule was simple: Complete one assignment every thirty minutes. Check the box and keep going. That small structure gave him rhythm, focus, and visible progress. Within weeks, he went from scattered to steady.

People

Once the process was in place, I focused on the person using it. Samuel did not need to be managed.  He needed to understand the system and how it could help him succeed. We sat down together, talked through the plan, and walked step-by-step through what the day would look like.

When he realized that the structure gave him control rather than restriction, everything changed. He stopped reacting to distractions and started taking ownership of his time. The same transformation happens in any organization. People do not resist structure; they resist confusion. When they understand how a system works and why it helps, you increase the chances dramatically that they will engage.

Product

By the end of the first month, the results were visible. Samuel was finishing his assignments, staying engaged, and taking pride in his progress. He had his ups and downs as he adapted, but for the most part it was the ticket that got him to where he needed to be. The teachers noticed and began using the same card system with other students.

That is the same outcome strong leaders see in the workplace. When people work within a clear process, performance becomes predictable and consistent.

Metrics

Results only matter when they can be measured. For Samuel, the metric was straightforward: six boxes checked by the end of each day. That visible progress kept him motivated and on track. For teams and organizations, the same concept applies. Measure what matters. Track what shows effort and improvement.

Whether it is output, reliability, or engagement, metrics give leaders visibility into the health of the system.

Final Thought

As I reflect on this almost decade old story, it makes me think of all those kids being labelled with behavioral issues, getting tested, and made to feel different.  Maybe time to observe their surroundings and give them a more tailored process could be what they truly need.  Who knows.

Leadership shows up every time we create systems that help people succeed. The Process-People-Product model is more than a business framework.  It can bring order and confidence to most situations.

Whether it is an eight-year-old managing schoolwork or a manager leading a team, the principle holds true. Build the process, develop the people, and let the product follow. When you apply structure with purpose, improvement stops being a goal and starts becoming a habit.

Would love to hear any stories about your experiences with classroom dynamics and childhood distraction. I highly recommend this book to public and private school systems to hopefully give them some insight on a different approach to childhood success.