If you get the right people in the room, most process issues can be fixed in 15 mins, and the first 7 mins are for pleasantries…
A bold claim, but there are some critical points in the sentence
- the right people
- in the room
- most process issues
The right people; this means the process owners who have a collective and shared understanding of the end-to-end process. As process owners they can make decisions. A shared understanding of the process means that they can focus on the root of the issue. Most time is wasted on ambiguous terminology around processes which delays getting to a common understanding.
In the room; The room can be virtual or physical, but it requires the undivided attention of those attending and a collaborative approach to solving the issues. This cannot be via email, interviews by consultants, phone or social media. Although all these techniques can help if used judiciously.
Most process issues; I remember a senior process professional at Toyota saying that most issues are in the hand-offs between process, because people working in the process know it well. However, there are just a few process issues which are really tough. They are complex and take time to work through. But most processes in corporate are pretty straightforward, once the jargon and ambiguity is stripped away.
Where do most organisations fail? Point 1. The right people.
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