With Halloween approaching, we started talking about the ideas of fear and process management, which lead to someone posing the question, “what’s the scariest process management nightmare?”
Yes, we really are that geeky—bear with me. This, as one could expect, led us down the rabbit hole of what are the most common process management nightmares we hear about. Though the nightmares varied, they all involved engaging people—either in how they think about the work they do or how they connect process to the business’s value.
So, for me, the scariest nightmare is miscommunication and a lack of a common language.
Several years ago, back when my son was still really excited about Halloween, he decided to dress up as the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who (remember, I fully acknowledged the geekiness factor earlier). So, there we were, all ready to trick-or-treat, my son was decked out in his red fez, suspenders, bow tie, and, yes, sonic screwdriver. As we went from house to house, his spirits were crushed as person after person asked him, “who are you supposed to be, a Shriner?” Until, finally, at one house, a woman shot past her husband out the front door to laud my son’s Doctor Who costume, offer extra candy, and proverbially make his evening.
The trick was that most of the houses we went by did not have the context of who Doctor Who was—there was no commonly accepted set of symbols, in this case, the costume—to create a shared experience and, in turn, the process of trick-or-treating nearly ended in tears.
Often, we struggle with similar difficulties around mixed symbols—in this case a common language—when working in process management.
Using a common language to define the work processes of an organization can standardize its efforts for benchmarking, content management, and process management. It can also help engage employees in process and break down silo walls reinforced by language differences.
A key benefit of using any process framework is creating a common language and clarity around the organization’s processes. However, without definitions, the processes are still open to interpretation, which limits a framework’s ability to ensure process standardization, compare and benchmark performance, and identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
For more information on process definitions and for guidelines for creating your own, check out:
- PCF Version 7.0.4 Process Definitions and Key Measures (Collection)
- Keys to Writing Process Definitions
Let us know below in the comments what you think are the scariest process management nightmares in your work place.
For more process and performance management research and insights follow me on twitter at @hlykehogland or connect with me on LinkedIn.