People-oriented Processes

"Process"... a word that often causes discussion and debate.  To some it's a dirty word suggesting bureaucracy that constantly slows down productivity, and even a poor substitute for diligence & discipline.  But to others it actually suggests good discipline, repeatability and organisation.  When we are guiding major change and improvement initiatives, process improvement is always a contentious subject, so we are always mindful of two of our VFS Principles: 

PRINCIPLE - Prioritise Effectiveness before Efficiency

Get sound, repeatable and effective ways of working in place and then start to streamline it to reduce costs or increase speed.  Let’s get good at doing the right thing and then let's get better at doing it.   It's not uncommon to observe effort being expended trying to make a process more efficient without the people involved thinking critically about the What and the Why of the process....what is it trying to achieve and why.

PRINCIPLE - A process must enhance the workplace

Note the third ‘E’.  This is often where process-driven operations fail to embrace the human aspects of an organisation.  We’re not suggesting being light on process, nor are we saying that only high level processes should be implemented.  We simply encourage all three ‘E’s to be considered to improve the chances of process being followed.  Processes don’t get followed for many different reasons.  These reasons sit on a continuum from a lack of awareness through to deliberate disobedience.  Somewhere in the middle are the minor indiscretions.  These typically result from frustrations with the processes not being fit for purpose, not flexible enough to allow sufficient empowerment or people not understanding why the process is as it is.

Considering this principle and all three ‘E’s helps ensure that a culture of learning, continuous improvement, and ownership emerge along-side a supportive 'guidance & governance' ethos.