“Hold the vision. Trust the process.” – Source Unknown (heard through Michael Brass via Google+)
How many times have we been told to “trust the process?” Much of what constitutes “customer experience” centers around “the process.”
Too often, we find we can’t trust the process:
- Business systems, processes and practices fail to meet the essential needs of the business and its customers
- Companies fail to do the right thing when the opportunity presents itself
- A country confronts evil with more evil in the form of torture in spite of the fact our stated vision is we do not torture
Where do process breakdowns start? It can start with a weak vision. But, more often than not, the breakdown occurs when someone believes that the vision can be sacrificed due to exigent circumstances. That typically undermines not only the process but the vision for the process.
My best practice is to drive the process faster when it needs to go faster, not subvert the process. If the elements of a process are intentional and appropriate, it’s important to preserve process integrity. If something must happen in an hour, there’s a way to do that without undermining the essential process. That’s my vision and key guiding principle.
If your company has processes that can’t be trusted, what are you going to do about it? Get on it? Or, look the other way? Which approach will accelerate your growth?
Photo Courtesy of Moyan Brenn on Flickr
Thought for the week:
0 Comments