Strategic Process Evolution

How many times over your career have you heard the phrase “change is the only constant?” I lost count 6 months into my first job…. As leaders in operations, we're often challenged to refine our processes, optimize efficiency, and stay ahead of the curve. But amidst this pursuit of improvement, sometimes good intent, can have some real unintended outcomes. With good intent, sometimes we overlook the consequences of too-frequent changes on our teams.

Let's face it: in a world of change, stability still matters. Consistent processes provide a solid foundation for our operations, fostering efficiency, reliability, and predictability. They enable our teams to hone their skills, deliver consistent results, and build trust with our customers, their co-workers, and even with themselves when they reflect on their ability. Based on the introduction, does this mean we should resist change at all costs? Not necessarily.

The key lies in finding the delicate balance between stability and evolution. While stability provides a sense of security and continuity, adaptation is essential for growth and innovation. So, how do we navigate this balancing act effectively?

It starts with asking the right questions. When considering changes to processes, we must be intentional and strategic. Here's a framework that I would encourage all leaders to incorporate into their decision-making:

• Are the proposed changes aligned closely with our strategic objectives? Will they move us closer to our long-term goals? How will these adjustments contribute? How will they retract?
• Is there a potential impact on efficiency and effectiveness? Will these changes streamline our workflows or introduce unnecessary complexity? Are the improvements really “improvements?”
• Do we have a structured cadence for introducing updates that employees can come to expect to best manage expectations? Is there a validation at that time that updates are “meaningful?” If a update is not meaningful, is there a system in place to push the update to the process to a different timeline until the update can be refined for value-add?
• What are the implications for our teams? How will these changes affect morale, job satisfaction, and work-life balance? Are employees involved in beta testing and ideation sessions to address any concerns proactively?
• What is the impact on the intended user? Will these changes improve their experience? How will they perceive the adjustments, and will it strengthen our relationships with them? If it will not improve their experience, is the “juice worth the squeeze?”

So, Rob, you said a lot here. Why is this so important? Isn’t evolution important in business. Yes - however, it's also important to recognize the consequences of changing processes too frequently. Especially when the author of the changes, may not necessarily be the user of the process. Here are some potential pitfalls to think of:

• Constant changes can lead to uncertainty and increased workload, contributing to burnout among our teams.
• Rapid changes may prevent employees from fully mastering processes if they evolve too often, leading to a loss of expertise and efficiency.
• Frequent changes can contribute to resistance among employees, making it challenging to implement future changes effectively.
• Too many changes can disrupt operations as folks try to master the changes, leading to downtime, delays, and decreased productivity.
• Employees may lose confidence in the organizations ability to deliver consistent results if they perceive us as constantly changing direction.

The above is not a deterrent of change. Instead, it is a cautionary tale intended to help fellow leaders (myself included) acknowledge these consequences and adopt a thoughtful approach to process evolution. By doing so, we can mitigate risks and maximize the benefits of change by ensuring that they are meaningful. So, now I have to ask: Are you on board to master the art of intentional strategic process evolution?