Organizational Roadblocks to Processes

Introduction

Designing, researching, sketching, testing, training, implementing, and maintaining processes is a challenging endeavor. Even in the most successful, process-based organizations with uniform buy-in from C-suite to individual contributors, creating truly functional and useful processes takes time, and there will inevitably be roadblocks ??. But with the right mindset, we can overcome ??!

Be curious ??

Before we can address a roadblock, we need to look at the complete landscape. Leading with curiosity, we should seek to understand the root cause of the resistance we are facing. And as much as we should strive to eliminate personal biases, to varying degrees they will kick in and often block us from seeing that we actually are biased! By looking at roadblocks in this manner, we can:

1. Understand the history and meaning behind the organizational resistance which currently exists.

2. Determine if actual organizational roadblocks exist, or if is it simply perceived that way by us.

You may find that what you are encountering are natural reactions that are rooted in fear of the unknown, a lack of understanding, and maybe even some defensiveness or jealousy, which are all quite normal. By taking the time to ask those difficult questions and taking in the bigger picture, we are better prepared to face the challenges we are presented with. And facing those challenges may mean having to slow down, pause, or abandon certain ideas if our research tells us that the company is simply not ready yet. The important thing to remember is to let the data talk!

Be patient ???, it's a virtue!

So, let's assume that we have done the research and have identified that our organization is in fact resistant to processes, formal workflows, etc. That does not necessarily mean that it has to stay that way; it will be up to us to decide if and how we approach process implementation. The most crucial question that needs answering is:

"Why is my company opposed to process?"

Essentially, the answer to that question will help us decide whether or not it makes sense to attempt to create processes in our current environment. If we decide that there is too much friction to move forward, we can either abandon the idea altogether, or we can create our own processes and follow them (Don't tell them...show them!) This is a great way to test the waters. If it doesn't work, we haven't wasted a ton of time and money creating something without that elusive "buy-in". If our efforts are noticed and appreciated, then we have a golden opportunity to build on that.

Whether we see an opportunity or not to create new processes in our organizations, it's key to remember that we should be patient, humble, and respectful. Sometimes it's just not going to happen, and that's ok. And sometimes, often when we least expect it, this happens...

Be pragmatic...and right ?

I'd rather be happy than right! Sure it's nice to be the subject matter expert, the "go-to" person for whatever your specialty is, but ultimately that is not what makes you a valuable contributor and leader. Are you reasonable? Do you collaborate effectively with your colleagues? Are you open to teaching and mentoring others? Do you take feedback in stride? How we present ourselves will undoubtedly affect how we, our contributions, and our ideas are received. We need to start from there, earning trust, building relationships, and being true team players.

If we've done a good job of building rapport with our team, earning their trust, and establishing that we share a common goal, we then need to be prepared to demonstrate our ideas in a clear and concise manner. In other words...Be right!

One final takeaway. Regardless of how much effort it takes to overcome organizational resistance, remain positive. It can be quite taxing at times, and you might even find that you have to abandon your efforts at times, to "let it go" as they say. But, if we remain positive and do not view resistance as a personal "threat", then we can help maintain a happy, peaceful, and respectful workplace...even when we are wrong!

What's next?

Next week we are going to talk about how to deal with individual and team resistance to process. As with organizational roadblocks, there are a few methods we can employ to work through this.

Author - Marc Jobin