Process & Workflow
5 Reasons Why Your Processes Fail
Every organization has processes, whether or not they recognize them is a different story. In the majority of organizations, processes typically come in three forms:
- The way work should be done.
- The way people want to do the work.
- The way work actually gets done.
Most of the time, a process isn’t implemented the way it’s designed to unfold. Unfortunately, in some organizations, when processes don’t work, they almost immediately blame employees for not working hard enough, which then leads to more micro-management, which actually decreases employee productivity and morale. This then starts a vicious, downward spiral.
The truth is there are likely other larger reasons why your process is failing. Read on to learn more about the top five reasons why processes fail, and what to do about them
5 Reasons Why Processes Fail
1. People forget
People are humans; they are bound to forget from time to time. This is why checklists, workflow charts, task management tools, and more come in handy.
Using process management software and tools like Rindle can help you document your processes and even automate them to ensure steps get completed rather than relying on a team member’s memory. It’s a great tool for managing teams and scaling projects while keeping everything smooth and organized.
2. There’s little team member involvement or adoption.
If you ask everyone in your organization what the process is and how the process leads to the shared ideal outcome, would you be getting the same answer from everyone? This could be a problem as this could mean that not everyone on your team understands the process or the value from it.
After all, your employees are probably the most qualified to give their opinion on what processes are working and which aren’t. They live in the process day in and day out; they know the pain points; and they have the valuable insights that you need to shape your process in the most efficient way possible.
The main reason there is a lack of employee involvement is poor communication. Project and team leaders are responsible for ensuring everyone is on the same page and no one is working in silos.
When implementing new processes, it’s important to take time to train team members. Leaders need to communicate any anticipated changes to their colleagues and explain why such changes are happening now, what exactly will change, and what will stay the same.
3. The process is outdated or overly-complex.
Perhaps the process is no longer relevant given the new dynamics or changes the organization has adopted or accumulated through time. If you continue to experience poor outputs, errors, or consistent delays, take a look at your process and see how you can update it to match the current climate of your organization.
Ideally, a business process should be audited, optimized, and updated at least once per year. Putting this into practice will keep processes updated as well as prevent inefficiencies.
4. Lack of Accountability
One of the first rules of execution is accountability. Make sure that each team member or stakeholder understands his or her role in the process. This is a tried and true way to ensure everyone on the team is responsible and accountable for getting their work done, and how their work impacts the project as well as organizational goals.
If necessary, these discussions should also involve executives to get their support and buy-in.
Executive sponsorship or adequate leadership is important to make every process-related initiative successful. At the end of the day, it’s all about total organizational alignment and cohesion.
5. Lack of Vision
Speaking of cohesion, it’s important for all team members and stakeholders to know and understand company direction as well as the key objectives and performance indicators involved in shaping a process. After all, if the vision is not clear, you find it harder and harder to ensure processes are followed.
Remember, any process-related initiative will be undermined without a clear vision that everyone in the organization genuinely accepts or believes in. To develop the ‘big picture’, there should be a coherent, simple, and meaningful narrative of where the whole company is heading.
Improve Execution with a Process Management Tool
Regardless of your process initiatives and improvements, Rindle can help you set a solid process management system in a way that is easy and efficient for everyone in the team. Check it out today and see how it can help you minimize inefficiencies and maximize productivity.