Thinking; sometimes it’s like a superpower.
In our crazy, convenience based, fast paced world, if you don’t have a core set of processes for consistent delivery of your product or services, you won’t succeed for long. There’s a fine line between consistent delivery of excellence and documenting so much that those using the system don’t have to think.
When people rely on processes to guide them every single step of the way, they can forget that the process is only there and working if the desired outcome is attained. When the exceptions happen, people need to be able to think within the process and use their common sense to problem solve.
When people become dogmatic and rigid about following the process, they can lose sight of the outcome the process is designed to deliver. Processes break down over time and need to be updated, revised, and improved. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss the opportunity to course correct, improve, or serve others when the process isn’t working.
No matter how good your processes are, people are involved. We must engage them to think while using the process or it simply becomes a checklist of activities which no longer serve a purpose.