DEFINING PROCESSES FOR THE ORGANISATION

1
DEFINING PROCESSES FOR THE ORGANISATION

• These slides are intended to support a group
  through an exercise to develop a process model
  for their organisation. They reflect two
  different ways to draw out the model one
  radical, and the other incremental.
• Please do not attempt to use these slides as part
  of a presentation until you have read and fully
  understood the relevant sections of Managing by
  Design, you know how the slide works, and you
  are clear on the points you wish to draw out with
  it.

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• The first five slides provide a basis for getting
  the group to understand the value of developing a
  process model

3
ROLE OF ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Managers Role Unclear
M
M
M
Our Organsation
M
M
M
M
M
Managers Role Clearly Defined (or at least
developed)
4
THE ROLE OF ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT
Managers Role Becomes More Clear
M
M
M
Process A
M
Process B
M
Process C
M
Process D
M
Process E
M
Managers Role Clearly Defined (or at least
developed)
5
PROCESS OWNERSHIP IN CONTEXT
Management Team
Process A
Process C
Process E
Right First Time
6
PROCESS OWNERSHIP
LocalTargets Objectives
Process Owner Process Team
Measures
ImprovementProjects
Internal External Customers
Process
7
WHAT DO WE GAIN BY HAVING A LOGICAL PROCESS MODEL?

• What are the advantages?
• How could we use it if we had one?
• What would it enable us to do?

8

• The next two slides look at a way to generate a
  process model from first principles.
• This approach requires that you have three or
  four sets of post-it notes which have listed on
  them the main activities of the organisation
  (typically between 50 and 200 post-it notes).
  These can be generated either by splitting the
  group into syndicates to list the activities in
  separate areas of the business, and then bringing
  the list together and duplicating it onto four
  sets of post-it notes, or by generating the list
  in plenary.

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UNDERSTANDING OUR PROCESSES

• In your syndicate groups, take the post-it notes
  and, using the affinity approach group the
  activities into sensible process groups.
• When silent grouping has settled down, discuss
  the process model which you have generated, and
  determine suitable summary statements for each
  of the groups - ideally using verbs nouns.
• Having done this, or maybe during this, you may
  make further movements of post-it notes to refine
  your process model by discussion you may choose
  to split or regroup processes to develop new
  ways of looking at our organisation
• Be prepared to present back your model, and its
  underlying logic, to the group

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UNDERSTANDING OUR PROCESSES

• For each of the models presented back
• What are the advantages of the model?
• What are the disadvantages?
• Which is the preferred model to work with this
  year?
• Are there any refinements which might make it
  more useful? (Reflect on the listed advantages
  of some of the other models)
• Are we all willing to work with this model?

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• The last nine slides outline the more common
  approach of adapting and developing an existing
  process or organisational model.

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PROCESS FOR AGREEING OUR PROCESSES

• Initial Model

• Defining the Processes

• Refining the Processes

• Adjusting the Processes

• (Affinity Diagram)

• Next Steps

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PROCESS OWNERSHIPOur Experience

• Process Ownership goes wrong where
• they are not related to day-to-day priorities
• they are not part of someones job
• they are seen as abstract or an add-on
• they are seen as a project for a committee
• Therefore Process selection is critical to
  success.
• Processes should be pragmatically defined so that
  they can be
• tied into real (individual) responsibilities
• separate, fully manageable, aspects of the
  business
• the sole basis for (performance) management

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STARTER FOR TEN

• Based on previous model
• Pragmatic units of responsibility
• Useful for beginning the thinking
• Allows us to assimilate the learning from last
  year
• Should be a complete model
• Divides up so we can work on it here
• Can be changed easily after the initial
  sessions(Providing result reflects the learning
  points)

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STARTER FOR TEN

• Process name 1
• Process name 2

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PROCESS DEFINITION (1)

• What for you are the key activities or
  responsibilities of this process (c 10-15)
• As it is effected currently?
• As you believe it should be effected?
• Do these reflect what is needed of this process
  if the organisations objectives are to be
  achieved?
• What else does the process need to deliver?
• How can it help to stack the deck?
• Write one idea per Post-It note, clearly so it
  can be read from a distance
• Stick the notes under your process heading.

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PROCESS DEFINITION (2)

• Look carefully at the activities/responsibilities/
  deliverables defined under each process
• Do not move or amend them
• Think through what might be missing
• Are there any other things that could be done
  in/by this process to ensure the objectives?
• Are there any other things that could be done to
  ensure the objectives - even where this does not
  fit a process?
• Write any further activities/responsibilities/
  deliverables on separate Post-It notes and stick
  them under the relevant processes (or separate)

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PROCESS DEFINITION (3)

• Reflect on the overall picture
• Are there any areas of duplication?
• Are there better allocations/alignments/synergies
  that may be made?
• In silence (using the rules of Affinity
  Diagrams)
• Move the post-it notes, one at a time, to where
  you feel they are best placed
• Stick to the current process groups at present
• Make groups of similar activities within each
  process
• Differentiate/split Post-Its that reside in two
  processes

19
PROCESS DISCUSSION

• Are there any areas of conflict still to be
  resolved?
• Are we happy to commit to work with the final
  picture?
• In its entirety?
• With certain processes but not others?
• Do we want a free hand at regrouping the problem
  areas?

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IF THERE IS DISPUTE ON THE PROCESSES...

• Each proposal will be presented in turn.
• The proposer will make a brief argument as to why
  they feel proposal should be accepted.
• The group will present an initial show of the
  Yes, No cards to indicate their current
  agreement.
• By invitation, the arguments for and against its
  acceptance will be heard in turn until the group
  is comfortable that all the main arguments have
  been heard and understood by themselves and their
  colleagues.
• The group will confirm that it will be happy to
  abide by the majority viewpoint at this time.
• A final show of the Yes, No cards will be
  taken.