Do Your Processes Still Serve You?

This morning I was undertaking a review process I have been doing for a while now – and realised it does not serve me anymore!

Each month I would gather some reporting data, filter it, seek trends, do comparisons – all the “good stuff”. Yet I never truly found an insight I could use. I never found a “signal” in the noise. It failed to serve the purpose it was designed to fulfil. So what did I do? I removed the recurring time to do it from my diary. Ended. Gone. All over Red Rover.

In my 30 plus years in business, I've seen a lot of processes that were just accepted as the way things were. They are never reviewed to determine if they were still necessary or if they even served their original purpose.

It's easy to tolerate these processes because they're familiar. We're comfortable with them, and they're already part of our job. But just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean it's the best way.

For example, a review process to “approve” something. Ask yourself; when was the last time we did not approve something? Do we even keep those stats? Is this now “process theatre”?

Processes should be reviewed regularly to ensure they're still effective. The world is constantly changing, and new technologies and approaches are emerging that can make our jobs easier and more efficient.

Has the process's original purpose been met? If not, why is it still in place? Can we streamline it or eliminate it entirely?

Another important consideration is whether the conditions that created the need for the process have changed. For example, if the process was put in place to handle a high volume of requests but that volume has since decreased, it may no longer be necessary. On the other hand, if the process was put in place to address a specific issue but that issue has not been resolved, it may need to be revisited and updated.

Sometimes, processes are kept in place because they're owned by a particular department or individual. However, if the process is no longer relevant or effective, it's important to be willing to let it go, even if it means breaking away from tradition.

Ultimately, I believe it's important to be open to the possibility that our processes may no longer be serving us or the organization effectively. We should be willing to review them regularly and make changes or eliminate them as needed.

Ask yourself – when was the last time you “retired” a process?