Most people do not work on refining their systems because they do not want to spend time researching, brainstorming, and making decisions to change the system to be more efficient.
This is what I talked about recently when I discussed how to refine your workflow to simplify the process in your company. If you haven’t read it, then you need to take a look once to know what significant changes asking yourself simple questions can bring.
If you have done that, then by now, your workflow or process chart might look very different from the one you started with. Revamping the process of your business system isn’t supposed to be just on paper, and it definitely does not have to end with a new visual.
Once you have identified the key areas that need changes, you need to gather key individuals and fine-tune your output. While involving the people who are responsible for said processes and resources is the most obvious thing to do, one hurdle you can face with this is that people can be rigid to change. Especially if the change requires them to learn new processes, software, or technologies. If you have had the same process for years, then you can face a little push back from your employees when it comes to change.
Yes, for your business to benefit the most, you need to get these people on board. But, wait, they are not all you have – if you include two sets of people in the brainstorming session i.e. your experienced, top-level employees as well as outsiders, you will get better results.
Bring in your experienced team members, involve them in the decision-making, take their input. These are the people who have lived and worked with the process, their insight and perspective run deep. Especially if they’ve been in the business for a long time, they should definitely be included.
The pros of having experienced team members are that they have been with the company for long, so they know the places that need work. They’re also probably attuned to the changes that required the overhaul, especially your industry is an ever-changing one and you have been reluctant to make the switch.
On the other hand, the cons are that, as mentioned earlier, they might be attached to the processes more than the new ones and that can make them a little less receptive to the changes.
“Outsiders” are people who have experience in the industry, but do not work with a specific company or they work for a company but are from a different industry. Most of them are called consultants.
It is a plus if the person has a strong technological background and industry knowledge that can help you identify which processes to automate or streamline using technology. That person can then figure out more ways to streamline your process.
Sometimes, people who have been with a process long enough fail to see the need for change, that is when a fresh pair of eyes can be of great help. The consultant or advisor will point out the blind spots that you and your most experienced employees might have missed. It is easier for them to separate emotion from the process and just look at the logic.
Final Thoughts
Don’t hesitate to take outside help. Bring in experts from time to time to keep your process up to date and let your employees have more meaningful discussions about the workflow. Let both parties talk and listen to the best that each has to offer. It will often reduce the time and effort that is required when upgrading and modernizing any workflow.
