Business Process Leadership

Are your business processes taking you where you want to go? If not, the last thing your processes need is business process management. Instead consider business process leadership. Efficiency guru Steven Covey once said, “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” Is your process taking you up the right wall?

The problem with most process management is the triumph of means over ends—following the process because it’s the process. When you and your team focus more on the steps of a process than the actual objectives of the process, you fall into, what I call, the process management trap. To avoid this trap, everyone involved in the process must clearly know what the process’ objectives are, not just the steps. Unlike process management which focuses on getting the steps right, process leadership focuses on what your process must accomplish. And, just like your organization, too much management and not enough leadership will get you nowhere fast.

Unlike process management which focuses on getting the steps right, process leadership focuses on what your process must accomplish. And, just like your organization, too much management and not enough leadership will get you nowhere fast.

Clearly define what the objectives should be for every critical process that you have. This is the essence of process leadership. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are you expecting this process to do?
• What transformation will happen with this process?
• What constraints exist around the outcome (i.e. quality standards)?
• What will the end state be if this process completes successfully?
• Who benefits from this process, and are their needs met?
• Who has an alternate interest in this process (e.g. regulatory), and are their needs met?

Business process management without business process leadership is a high-speed train to nowhere. The best thing you can do for your process is make sure it’s accomplishing what it needs to accomplish, and that means clearly documenting and communicating objectives. As a leader, this exercise starts with you. Survey the landscape of your current processes, and make sure you have your ladders leaning against the right walls.

Contact us today if you’d like to chat more about improving your organization’s critical processes.