Business Processes | TL;DR

Why are our business processes TL;DR?

Too long; didn't read. Many business processes are overdone. We can't help ourselves. Too many boxes. Too many swim lanes. Too many handoffs. Decisions are obscured by transactions.

I'm not saying business processes have no value. But let's start with Steve Jobs' philosophy: simple and it just works.

I have a challenge for you. What's the minimum effective dose for business process? What's the simplest message you can convey and then trust your people will do what's necessary with the requisite quality and completeness?

We talk a good game about engaging and empowering our people to do what's right for the company. Then we prescribe exactly what and how they should do things in such dreary depth that we remove all joy and creativity from their work.

Then we scratch our head wondering why our processes aren’t followed.

Here's an alternative. Show what good looks like. Trust your people to do their jobs. Provide feedback and guidance to ensure the right behaviors are understood as an input and the desired outcomes are achieved as an output. Let the tasks in the middle take care of itself.