Hack:
Value beats formality
Processes, procedures and comportments have to proof their value to the business.
Formality may have its benefits, but they have to be made explicit and the value has to be bullet proof. The costs of formality like decreased agility, flexibility, poor customer service, hidden costs etc have to be brought on the table.
No process is for ever. Define the conditions and circumstances for the process to stay in place. As soon as they vanish, the process will have to be deleted as well. This will make it transparent for everyone, whose job will no longer exist then or will change. This can help to avoid unnecessary discussions.
Simply put together: The bottom line will improve dramatically!
Direct financial impact
Why will this happen? Basically everyone get rid of the daily clutter of task, which do not contribute to a positive outcome.
In General
At first glance, people might consider this as another burden for them. This will be true for the beginning, but it should soon turn out that the benefits overweight.
The Organization and its Habits
Habits create their own zone of comfort. As long their is no struggle for surviving no one will hardly feel urged to chage the status quo. People have grown up in their system. What from an outside position looks strange and weired, looks for those dealing with the proocedures daily as withput alternative. Some of them make their living by being part of unproductive processes.
Status
Status is always a major inhibitor of change. Those who have to give their consent or dissent, fear for their position, when people get empowered.
Two points to start with are possible:
a) Each element of formality has to be evaluated. Where is the benefit? Does it lower costs, does it increase speed? Does it increase quality or any other metric and if yes to which degree?
b) Start from scratch. What is a minimum set of formality the enterprise needs at least.
Then we have to look at the alternatives any less rigid procedure or rule or process should be preferred. These alternatives can be variations of the existing formality, but with more flexibility and agility.
I should like to thank my friend Andreas Humeny and Chris Grams for reviewing my hack and providing valuable input.
You need to register in order to submit a comment.