Why Processes Fail

For the longest time, I believed that the word “complexify” didn’t exist and, after all, why would we want it to? There’s a reason why “simplify” is popular; who wants things to be complex? Yet imagine my surprise when I found out that the word is right there on Merriam-Webstar, mocking me.

Complexify

com· plex· i· fy | \ käm-ˈplek-sə-ˌfī , kəm- \

complexified; complexifying

Definition of complexify

transitive verb: to make complex

intransitive verb: to become complex

However, I can completely imagine the need for the word when it comes to processes, especially organizational processes. How many times have we scratched our heads wondering why something must be done in a certain way or cursed into a computer screen when a process goes awry? It’s something I believe has left no one unscathed yet we continue to suffer through them. Why?

The answer is both simple and not so simple. A process, as defined by almost everyone, is a series of actions or steps required to achieve a particular outcome. Note that last part “achieve a particular outcome”. The purpose of a process is to get something accomplished yet for many of us, we’re mired in processes that seem to live for their own sake, taking on more effort than the value of the actual outcome!

So other than gut feel that a process is in bad shape, what are the symptoms that something needs fixing? They include lack of adaptability, inability to measure or even know when a process is going off the rails when people responsible for executing a process aren’t clear on their roles and responsibilities. And there are more.

But there is cause for optimism so chins up! At the heart of any malformed process are some common root causes and these can be easily identified. They can be as simple as lack of documentation or modeling a process off of a single person or an external organization that has different goals. Each core problem, once identified can be solved, but taking an “atomic” view of a process is a fool’s errand: you have to start from a higher perspective and then redesign the process in order to reap significant gains.

Want an example? There is a popular band-aid approach to making an efficient process that merely automates the process you already use. The result might be something more efficient and it might also make you more efficient at making mistakes or accelerating an already poor process. That’s not what most organizations really want. You have to go deeper to really innovate.

The key to real process innovation is to take stock in the processes you have, which ones are more important, and then to assess them using a number of factors to help you focus on the ones that really matter and in a way to assures success.

Recently I co-hosted a discussion called “Why Processes Fail & What to Do About It” hosted by Marni Carmichael and yours truly where we deconstructed symptoms, root causes, and how to address them. Check it out.