Ideas that Might be Ingenious
One of the few things that people working on BPM projects can agree on is the importance of getting senior executives involved. The larger the project or change, the more support you need.
Generally speaking, all process problems are ultimately business problems. Poor processes usually result in poor business performance and it seems safe to conclude that efficient processes will result in improved business performance.
As a process manager, we believe that you can’t optimize the way an organization performs without changing the way its processes work. We also know that a majority of the people in an organization hate change.
It is fairly easy to re-engineer a process, but getting the people in an organization to buy into this new process requires a lot of work. Management declaring the company will follow the new process is a great help. Employees will then look for ways to embrace the new process rather than looking for excuses not to use it.
At GE, Jack Welsh knew moving to Six Sigma would be a very tall order. To improve his chances of success, he announced that a significant portion of every executive’s bonus would depend on achieving their Six Sigma goals. Their Six Sigma success has been legendary.
So, how do you get management support?
Our Thoughts
Process managers that have successfully changed the way their organizations do business have sold management on the solution - not the technology or the methodology.
The successful process manager must learn how to appeal to their senior executives concerns over strategic problems [like lean manufacturing or Sarbanes-Oxley] or cater to their desire for improved business performance.
We have always maintained that projects that cross departmental boundaries will go faster and smoother with an internal champion. If you are that champion, you will be more successful with management support. If you are not that champion, it would be good to recruit a champion that is a part of upper management.
Your Thoughts
What has been your experience? If you attempted a big project without management support, how did it go? If you did have management support, how did it go?
Generally speaking, all process problems are ultimately business problems. Poor processes usually result in poor business performance and it seems safe to conclude that efficient processes will result in improved business performance.
As a process manager, we believe that you can’t optimize the way an organization performs without changing the way its processes work. We also know that a majority of the people in an organization hate change.
It is fairly easy to re-engineer a process, but getting the people in an organization to buy into this new process requires a lot of work. Management declaring the company will follow the new process is a great help. Employees will then look for ways to embrace the new process rather than looking for excuses not to use it.
At GE, Jack Welsh knew moving to Six Sigma would be a very tall order. To improve his chances of success, he announced that a significant portion of every executive’s bonus would depend on achieving their Six Sigma goals. Their Six Sigma success has been legendary.
So, how do you get management support?
Our Thoughts
Process managers that have successfully changed the way their organizations do business have sold management on the solution - not the technology or the methodology.
The successful process manager must learn how to appeal to their senior executives concerns over strategic problems [like lean manufacturing or Sarbanes-Oxley] or cater to their desire for improved business performance.
We have always maintained that projects that cross departmental boundaries will go faster and smoother with an internal champion. If you are that champion, you will be more successful with management support. If you are not that champion, it would be good to recruit a champion that is a part of upper management.
Your Thoughts
What has been your experience? If you attempted a big project without management support, how did it go? If you did have management support, how did it go?
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