Embracing Process - We can do this!

           OK, let’s have an honest talk! When you hear someone talk about process, what type of emotional response do you typically feel, if any? Do you embrace processes and find them useful? Do you feel they are intuitive and purposeful? Or maybe you find them to be limiting and inefficient with no real “value-add”. Regardless of how you may feel, the truth is that our feelings are never “wrong”, so we should at least examine what our emotions are telling us because there is often something insightful there...we should learn from our emotional responses, not ignore them!

           I for one am a big supporter of process (no surprise there), but what do I really mean when I say that? Let’s start with the obvious, yes, I personally like structure and have found that keeping things tidy leads to a more productive and less stressful life. But processes can also be obstacles, sometimes by design, and sometimes because they simply were not designed well and do not serve their audience in a meaningful way. Great processes can also become terrible ones over time, either because the original idea was not scalable, or because it was changed for the worse. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of bad processes out there, which has created a stigma against processes in general and has given rise to unfair biases against those who either do or do not believe in them.

           As passionate as I am about creating and implementing amazing workflows, I am a pragmatic progressive when it comes to the world of process. As you can imagine, this topic can be quite polarizing. It is my intent with this newsletter to “start fresh" by defining a new, common understanding of what process is and the potential value it can offer. This will not be a “technical publication”, focusing on the latest project management and flowchart software. Nor will it be a deep dive into SDLC methodologies such as Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean Six Sigma, DevOps, SAFE, eXtreme, and so on. I have found that the biggest hurdles in successfully implementing any type of process are not of a technical nature, the real hindrance stems from emotional responses and a true lack of understanding. It is my mission to change that mindset, not through force (as is the case with rigid processes), but through conversation, healthy debate, and a good dose of humor!

           So, why do so many of us avoid processes? There is a myriad of reasons why we resist adhering to a process, and often the problem is linked to prior experiences we have had when working with poorly designed processes, which is completely understandable. I will also admit that there is no shortage of really bad processes out there, which only serve to make the problem worse! So yes, it does make sense that we might not embrace process, and there can be perfectly valid reasons for doing so. The concern I have with that approach is that it does not address the underlying issues. WHY does this process exist? WHY does it not work? WHY is it not being changed if it doesn't work? That’s where “Empowering Process Improvement” can help! In each edition, we will examine both the emotional and practical challenges in creating, designing, implementing, and scaling processes, with an emphasis on curiosity, empathy, efficiency, and usability.

           Next week we will examine the challenges of creating processes from scratch, including strategies you can start using today to help your organization effectively implement processes.

Author - Marc Jobin