Summary
A good process is well bounded. It provides enough structure to guide innovation and creativity, constraining it to appropriate times and places.
A good process clearly defines tasks. The tasks are focused on results without specifying minutiae, so that we progress efficiently and yet still have the freedom to adapt to unusual events or changes in circumstances.
A good process produces accurate progress and status information for team leaders, project managers, upper management, and the client, while minimizing the impact on the developer's time.
A good process quickly becomes a matter of habit rather than a set of conscious acts. Developers don't want to have to consult a 3,000-page process manual every time they reach a new step in an activity.
A good process helps a team maintain quality and manage complexity.
A good process optimizes communication within and outside the team.