RandomCrates

I’ve seen many people who pride themselves on being process oriented  get stuck thinking the process is set in stone. The current process is not gospel. If something isn’t working it’s usually not the people (unless it’s a training issue), it’s usually the process. Aside from constraint that cannot be adjusted, people should rarely be adjusted around the process. The process should be adjusted around the people.

Many managers have their head stuck in the sand, and can’t see the actual issue. The process is inefficient because the real world is never as nice as our flow charts, documentation, and PowerPoints. The real world is iterative, complicated, fighting for attention. We need to monitor the processes and adjust to match the real world.

Process Improvement Cycle

When designing a process, we have to use all the tools available to us, but the job doesn’t end when the new process is implemented. It’s a constant cycle of Problem > Adjustment > Stabilization > Problem > Adjustment… If we aren’t proactively adjusting and improving the process during this cycle, the process will begin to fall apart, we will lose buy-in and trust. A process is only as good as the people, make sure you don’t forget them.

Everyone knows there are problems in business, but they are not just financial. The economy is hurting, business are going under, or laying of workers.  These things are all symptoms of a much bigger problem. Managers are all at 30,000 feet, or in some cases only on ground level.

A manager, whether it is of people or projects, must find the appropriate balance between being high level and being in the weeds. Decisions must be made based on the details with an eye on the future. Without an appropriate balance, decisions are being made with out seeing the whole situation. Managers that are not concerned with the details can make decisions that negatively impact their employees. How can a manager who doesn’t understand what an employee does, make quality decisions? They can’t.  How can a manager who can’t see beyond the details make a decisions that aligns to a strategy? They can’t.

More… »