When Processes Break Down: A Cautionary Tale
By 
I was known at one of my jobs as the Process Queen. I was always saying “Process makes us safe.” It was my mantra and I was sticking to it. The truth, of course, is that sticking to good processes makes us safe. Adhering to processes that exist to protect roles or jobs, process for process sake, or processes that put artificial barriers between those that do the work and those that prioritize the work is not good process. Think about your organization, can you identify processes that represent one of these examples?
No organization is safe. Sometimes processes are created with the best intentions and never really thought about again. To avoid this fate, do a process review (just like you would do a code review). Make sure that the processes that you have in place create efficiencies, not impede them. If you can’t find a good reason for the process to exist, get rid of it. If you realize a process has been created that creates an artificial barrier you will have to do a full review of how work gets done in your organization. It may be time for a re-org.
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