The Process Ninja

Of Garbage Trucks and Process Bubbles

This morning, as I drove into the street where I park my car, I was faced with a large garbage truck blocking the street (and of course, as bin trucks are magically immune to the rules of the road, he was driving the wrong way down a one-way street). Therefore I was forced to sit stationary with my indicator on in a very busy Sydney CBD street.

Behind me, cars slowly started to back up with their indicators on. Then cars coming round the corner who wanted to go straight on got stuck in the queue. The first car behind me could see the garbage truck blocking the street, but the other cars behind me could not. It was only a matter of time before the horns started honking (about 30 seconds to be precise since Sydney drivers are not known for their patience). Who was this idiot sitting in a busy street with his indicator on for no reason? Why was he blocking the road!!!?

Thankfully, across the road from me, a van full of electricians were watching from a distance - they could see the whole line of cars and the garbage truck blocking the road. So when the cars further down the line started honking their horns they started to shout and gesticulate towards the cars indicating that there was a blockage in the street. The horns stopped honking, the bin truck eventually emerged and everyone was happy again.

The same thing happens with process - often those performing the work are living in process bubbles - they see immediately what is in front of them, but they don't see what is happening before or after them in the process. So if something goes wrong they don't have the visibility of what has gone wrong and they have no idea how to fix it. But, like our friend the electrician who can see the whole process unfolding, if we take a holistic view of the process we can not only see where the pain points are occurring, but we can communicate our message across all workers in the process.

Standing back and looking at process in its entirety is not some self-indulgent, navel gazing exercise. By the nature of functional work, workers are primarily interested in getting their piece of work done (that's why they studied so hard at the university of blah de blah - so they could sit and do that particular work for the next 45 years!) But doing work and doing it well doesn't necessarily equate to good process - it's not about doing things right, it's about doing the right things.

This is why looking at the process in its entirety (the customer experience) is so essential and why it needs to be the focus of the C-level. Otherwise we all end up honking our horns for no good reason at all.

Cheers,

TPN

Carry The Wounded And Shoot The Stragglers

BPM Guru Michael Hammer once famously said that in re-engineering they would "Carry The Wounded And Shoot The Stragglers". Whilst the cutback and redundancy culture of the 90's re-engineering era gave birth to the horrendous process PR that we are still battling today I believe that Hammer's quote is still relevant today in terms of change management and process.

I'm a strong believer in Change Management as the right-hand man of process. If process is to succeed we need change management - not at the end, not in the middle, but throughout the entire duration of the process change. We need to sell process and what it can deliver and we also need to make people understand and be comfortable with the changes that are coming. But change management can also be exhausting; there are always staff who "don't get it" and who never will and there are always managers who try to assassinate the process change.

This week, interestingly, engagement expert James Adonis talked about "Adherance to Policies and Procedures" where he talks about using "Hard Power" and "Soft Power":

"When trying to get your employees to adhere to policies and procedures, you have hard power and soft power at your disposal.  Hard power is negative motivation.  This is when you intimidate employees into compliance.  You issue warnings, reprimand them, and offer greater (or fewer) tangible rewards.  Soft power is when you get them to follow a process via the art of influence".  

Both of these methods are applicable to process change management - always start with soft power, such as using 5 simple steps to communicating process change. If soft power isn't working for you, that's when it's time to switch to the hard stuff.

So in change management we carry the wounded and talk softly to them, heal their wounds and rehabilitate them so that they can join the good fight. But if they won't take their medicine, won't keep up and won't join the good fight, it's time to shoot the stragglers...

- TPN

The Church of BPM

I see a lot of "Process Evangelists" out there in linkedinland. Some of these guys seem to have almost cult-like following. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that's a bad thing at all - in fact it gave me an idea.

A few weeks ago I had a coffee with a fellow BPM enthusiast - a recent convert to the process way of thinking. After he was finished with his enthusiastic speech I said to him "Finding Process must be a bit like finding God..." - he agreed. We'd both had that lightning bolt moment when suddenly the way that we saw business had changed forever - and it was a powerful moment.

So maybe what we need to do is not to educate the world in BPM, not to send out white papers, not to hold conferences - maybe what we need is to be fundamentalists, preachers and pilgrims. Maybe we need to start shouting, singing and clapping our hands and saying "praise be" to the church of BPM. So what I say to all of you out there that feel the need to spread the word - let's stop being timid and let's start making some noise.

If the brothers out there aren't a listenin' yet, then they'll be a hearin' the callin' a real soon...

Ninja Tip: Separate work and personal opinions

It is fine with being friends with people at work, but to maintain a healthy balance it is important that you are able to separate your personal and professional opinions. If you have a colleague at work who isn’t performing, it needs to be addressed, whether or not they are your friend. Vice versa you shouldn’t cast aside a good friend because you are embarrassed by their ability to do their job or that you don’t like the work they have given you to do. It may help for you to think of each person as having two sides – a work side and a personal side – and one should never tarnish the other.

 

This is a hard leap for some people to make and it may sound harsh - but ultimately you will be the one looking bad for protecting an underperforming staff member. The converse is true; just because you don't get along well with someone personally, you must not let this come in the way of a professional work relationship.

 

If they're good, they're good. If they're bad they're bad.

 

- TPN

Some Process Wisdom from My Dad

My dad's a very smart guy - he's an accountant. Don't hold that against him. He's worked for a ton of top firms around the world and ocassionally throws me a nugget of wisdom like he did today:

 

"Just remembered something from the days when I managed Budget-rent-a-Car for Appleyard 35 years ago.  The UK MD of Budget used to talk about the telephone being the "money machine".  The call was an enquiry about the product - car rental.  The call had to be handled properly and turned into a rental.  There was no point in the phone ringing if some dumbo answered it and lost the potential client.  It might have been less costly for it not to ring in the first place.  Today's equivalent is wider than the phone - it still includes the phone, but is much wider.  Anyway the moral of the story is that enquiries have to be handled timeously and correctly to turn someone's interest into a sale".

 

What dad is saying, essentially, is that there is is no point in having a million ways that the customer can easily communicate with you if you don't get your entire sales process correct. Think about it. If you have a shop in the busiest street in the busiest town, you'll still sell nothing if your salespersons stand around chewing gum and talking.

 

So think long and hard about communication methods in your company, but don't think that's the be-all and end-all. Making a sale is still making a sale, whether that's an automated system or someone in the flesh - there is no margin for error.

 

- TPN

EVERYTHING is Process

My favourite band of all time, Oasis once sang "You're all part of the Masterplan..." and that's how I think about process.

What a lot of people seem to forget is that everything we do is a process. When you get up in the morning you follow a process, when you brush your teeth you follow a process. A lot of what we do has become routine and habit, but once upon a time they were new to you - you probably just don't remember when the switch from being a new process to being "just something you do" occurred.

How is this relevant? - well we have to stop thinking of process as being a thing that we fix or we tweak or we control. It is all of those things, but it is so much more - process IS everything that we do, and the sooner we can make decision makers understand this way of thinking, the sooner we'll change the world.

Process is rock n' roll. They just don't know it yet.

TPN

Process Tip: Don't become "one of them"

After a while in an organisation you will get a feel for which of the staff are one of “those people”. They are the whingers, the complainers, who revel in negativity but are prepared to do absolutely nothing to improve their situation or others. They love to wallow in misery like a giant impotent hippo. Don’t become one of them. Always stay positive, and if you find yourself feeling down, in a rut or negative, just think “what can I do to change this”, and then (the most important part) actually do something about it. And what about them? Do everything you can to get rid of them – they don’t just bring the organisation down, but like a giant grey snowball of depression they gather momentum by bringing everyone else down with them.

 

Don’t let the snowball start rolling. Melt it in its tracks.

Ninja Tip: How to Crush it at Interviews

This is a bit off the process topic but since there are a lot of people out there at the moment feeling the pain of the financial crisis I thought I would share some tips on how to nail that interview (or CRUSHIT as Gary Vaynerchuk would say). Here's how:

Quality Not quantity

12 months ago, if you were 80% right for a position you'd probably have a good chance of getting it. Now, with the glut of candidates on the market employers can be ultra picky about what they want and can hand pick candidates that are 99% right for the position. The lesson is, go for positions that are very closely aligned with your skills and experience rather than those that are a loose fit. Otherwise you are just wasting your time.

Change your price

The market is paying 10-20% less than it was 12 months ago so make sure that your price expectations are not unrealistic. There are many people living in denial that are still trying to get the same rate they got 12 months ago. Again, as employers can afford to be picky they won't even look at you if your price is too high. Work out what is the lowest price you can afford to comfortably live on and go for that. Just get yourself employed - and stay employed.

Look the part

When you are going for an interview make sure you look a million dollars. Your old suit with the giant lapels from 1977 won't cut the mustard. Guys - Go out and buy a classy suit, a hot tie and shirt with cufflinks. Take someone female with you (we men are useless with clothes, and if you don't agree you are probably gay). Spend some money on it. Your suit you wear to work eavery day isn't good enough. Get a haircut. Shave (if you are a man, of course!) Do not smell BAD. Smelling good is a bonus, but don't overdo it. Girls, you are usually good at this stuff but be careful with the amount of cleavage. Try not to look like a high class...I won't say it. Aim for classy. Buy Trinny & Susannah's The Rules or get more tips here.

Be prepared

Print out all the address details and contact numbers for the interview. Take 3 copies of your resume with you to the interview. If someone has been called in at the last minute and you can hand them a resume they will be most impressed. Also, take along any documentation that you can use as examples (be sure to blank out company specific information). Prepare a list of questions to ask at the interview and provide a copy to each of the interviewers when they ask the ubiquitous "do you have any questions?" question. They will love it. If you would like to see my question list e-mail me.

Before you go in

Drink an espresso coffee with sugar 30 minutes before you go to the interview. This will be just enough to get your brain fireing without making you look like a crack whore who's just had a hit. Make sure your resume, notes and examples are all in a neat folder. Turn up early, but not too early. 10 minutes early is acceptable, anything more you will appear to be a paranoid schizophrenic. If you are early just sit in the foyer, relax, check your outfit is presentable and for god's sake please go to the toilet. A fart in an interview? - let's not go there.

Don't look like a puddle of Jelly

When you meet your interviewers give them a firm handshake. Firm - not a fishy little girl's handshake and not a bone crushing "I've got a bigger penis than you" handshake. Something in between. Look them in the eye with your shoulders back. Be confident. Repeat to yourself "I ROCK!!!" When you go into the interview wait to be offerred a seat. If they don't offer you a seat, sit down when they do. At all times, sit forward, use eye contact with ALL the interviewers and show interest by nodding and responding (Yes, I see, etc). As hard as it may be, try to enjoy the interview. Look at it is a learning experience.

It's a 2 way street

Don't think of an interview as you trying to impress them. They also have to impress you. An interview should be a two way process where you assess them. Don't be afraid to ping questions at them during the interview. It shows alertness. And balls. Not many people have balls.

If it isn't right, say so

If you think the position isn't for you, kill the interview. It isn't fair to waste your time or theirs. Poilitely say that you don't think the position is a good match and that you don't want to waste their time. Keep the door open by saying that you appreciate their time and that you would be more than happy to work for them if a suitable position arises.

Don't be a stalker

After the interview, under no circumstances should you harass the interviewers with multiple phone calls and e-mails. It smacks of desperation and makes you look like you are psychologically imbalanced and needy. Wait for them to come back to you. Give them a week and follow up with a polite e-mail or phone call.

Remember that above all, if you get to an interview, you have every chance to get the job. Just don't blow it!

Good luck!

TPN

How to make process change smoother – 5 simple communication tips

Process does not operate in a vacuum. Process is not all about systems. Process is about people. People need communication.

 

Here’s how to oil the wheels of process change:

 

1.    Plan

 

Before you do anything, draft a communications plan. This should include the messages you want to communicate, the mediums you will use to communicate and the timeframes for the communications. But who are you communicating with…?

 

2.    Identify your audience.

 

Who will be the process owners? Who is involved?

You need to ensure that these people feel loved from day 1. More communication is better than less. Explain to them what you are trying to do, what help you need from them and how you are going to perform the work.

 

3.    Start off big.

 

You may think that by identifying your key audience that you have covered all your bases, but be sure to expand your communications to as many people as you can (within reason). There are always people who are left out of the loop who feel that they should be involved. It’s important to make these people feel that their opinions are being heard or they can inflict negative PR on your process change. Remember, however, that the bigger the audience for communication the more general your communication should be.

 

4.    Build Rapport.

 

By this I mean that you should get to know your audience personally. The more you can break down barriers and understand personality types the more likely they will be to co-operate with you. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their lives outside of work. They may even start to think of you as a human being!

 

5.    Make it regular, consistent.

 

Whatever communications you are performing you need to make sure that it is regular. This is because it often takes time for a message to sink in. The world is so filled with communication “noise” that it may take a number of communications before people start to “get it”. This is why the communication needs to be consistent, in order to hammer home the message. It’s like beating a drum over and over – eventually people will hear it and start to walk in step.

 

The Benefit of Hindsight and Why We Shouldn't Take the Media Seriously

I came across this magazine lying in our lunch room at work. The fact that our only source of entertainment in the lunchroom is a magazine from December 2007 is an altogether different topic for discussion. I just found this cover to be hilarious (with the benefit of hindsight) and another classic example of why we shouldn't believe everything we see, hear or read.