Good process work requires addressing three core components: process design, managing performance (including data and analytics, measurement, and strategic planning), and project management. However, process work and the processes themselves have been taken on a tumulus ride over the last two years. Teams have found themselves collaborating with their stakeholders in interesting and technology driven ways. They have also had to readjust their plans and triage projects based on what’s broken, what needs to be good enough, and which areas really need best practice processes.
I recently talked to Grace Duffy, president of Management & Performance Systems, on the topic of process work during the pandemic and how to optimize your processes to best practice.
How has the pandemic impacted process teams efforts over the last 2 years?
Process teams have been challenged in a couple of ways over the past 2 years. One is the technical learning curve as so many meetings, presentations, and working sessions have been forced onto virtual platforms. Organizations have chosen virtual platforms for general use and not all users are comfortable with the specific features of that platform. Issues arise around process team and ongoing committee requirements for data storage, cataloging recordings, and control of downloads. Training on the new platforms takes time away from the focus of the process discussion. The behavioral challenges are more long lasting. Virtual etiquette is a bit different than face to face etiquette. Do we use the “raise hand” feature, or just talk? Do we keep the video on, or turn it off? What is that attention span of someone in a virtual process improvement meeting, versus face to face? How can you tell when someone is paying attention, or they are off on another window checking their emails? Productivity in the short term may be suffering with the sudden swap to virtual process improvement team activity. One positive I see is the acknowledgment that much process work can be done asynchronously, rather than in a formal meeting. As long as the process workers and owners are accountable for output and outcomes and are meeting deadlines, productivity may even increase.
What skills or methods have become more important for process teams?
Behavioral skills have become more important. The individual is more accountable for their own involvement in the process. Discipline is required to stay involved in a virtual conversation or work group. The swap to virtual process work disrupts the process flow to the point of requiring process documentation and measurement changes. Interpersonal skills become more critical. Respect for others on the virtual meeting is a must. When another individual is just a picture on a display screen, it is easier to discount their opinion. Technical skills on new platform features are also an issue. How does the whiteboard function work? How do we save the whiteboard data? What format should it take? Is there a greater need for a team scribe? How does the breakout function work? Does everyone know how to share the screen? What about the bandwidth when lots of videos, extensive graphics are required? Improvement methods have not changed. The implementation of the approaches is now more challenging.
What process areas are the most pressing challenges to address? Why?
Good question. Retaining the priority of the process team activity schedule is more of a challenge. Some team members feel that a virtual meeting is less important than a face to face. Getting team members to attend on a regular basis takes more communication from the team leader, facilitator, or sponsor. Some team champions are not comfortable on a virtual platform and may not come across well on their periodic visits and especially during a stage gate review with the whole team. Legibility of graphics, flowcharts, control charts, illustrations, etc. is problematic on a virtual screen. Although the graphic can be enlarged, the enlargement focuses on only a part of the total picture, causing difficulty in keeping the “larger picture” in mind. Discipline and member attention is a pressing challenge.
At a high-level, what is the BEST method?
The BEST-method is an approach that explains what is necessary to assess or write a best practice. It contains definitions, explanations of criteria, characteristics, how to use and interpret the assessment checklists, examples, tips, and tricks. The BEST-method is also a valuable tool to assess your good practice. The outcome of this assessment will help you confirm that you have a good practice and identify where you can make further improvements to achieve a best practice.
How does it help organizations differentiate themselves? And how does it address the challenges that have emerged over the last 2 years?
The BEST-method and associated tools guide the process owner to adjust core processes based on changes required. What productivity gains or losses have affected processes as employees resign, are out for extended periods, are required to quarantine, must socially distance? What effect has the virtual workplace had on core processes? What documentation, policy, and procedure changes have been required? What damage as the disruption of the past two years done to the workflow of the organization? How has curtailed travel affected marketing, sales, distribution, and overall supply chain? The BEST-tools allow the process owners and leadership to prioritize and implement changes in the organization, whether incremental or breakthrough. Proper description of a core process, as guided by the BEST-method, enables more effective benchmarking across industries to maximize lessons learned from industry over the past 2 years.
Want to Learn More?
Join us for a webinar, Prioritize Improvements with the BEST Quick Scan Tool, on February 16, 2022 at 11:00 am CDT, where Grace Duffy will explain how the BEST Quick Scan tool’s quick 20-minute assessment focuses improvement discussions on the highest priority core processes. Participants in this session will learn:
- the four components of the BEST Quick Scan tool and how it prioritizes continuous improvement of core processes,
- how the BEST Quick Scan tool supports and integrates with the APQC Process Classification Framework®, and
- how to use the BEST Quick Scan to do process gap analysis and prioritize improvements.
For more process and performance management research and insights, follow me on Twitter at @hlykehogland or connect with me on LinkedIn.