At Nimbus we adopted a mission statement earlier this year:
We want to make work easier, faster and more valuable for millions of people.
I realised this morning that the bit I'm most proud about is 'more valuable'.
I was commenting on Brad Power's latest post on his Harvard Business Review blog. Brad is pursuing some promising lines of inquiry. He came up with the idea of Process Attention Deficit Disorder and has moved on since to look at the wider blockers on executive attention to process improvement. Drawing on his work with the Lean Enterprise Institute, he is asking the right questions.
Brad's latest post asks whether process improvement is always relevant, and labels those who think so 'religious' and 'proselytizing' and 'a danger to their companies'. [which alone was enough to get me going - but some of the comments were also rather sad. You can read the whole thing here].
'Easier and faster' is where the focus has traditionally been. It's time-and-motion and automation, and links direct to the bottom line. It will always be important.
'More valuable' is where it gets interesting. I don't have any hard evidence for this but I know intuitively that being involved is energizing. A huge benefit of a culture of continuous process improvement is that it is inclusive and taps into the insights of the entire enterprise.
Instead of being treated like just another factor of production, a cost to be squeezed, I am treated with dignity and my contribution to delivering improved performance is welcomed. Truly valuing people in this way brings a whole new dynamic and energy into play.
This is no yellow brick road. Of course, there are continual challenges. Businesses go down as well as up. But, whatever the circumstances, any organization will surely do better where people are involved and connected, so that their work becomes more meaningful.
It highlights that in many ways BPM is a cultural issue, not a technical automation one. It's about a platform that enables engagement. It's about everyone playing a part in continual improvement. It's the platform upon a culture of which sustainable operational excellence is built.
Enterprises that can tap into the creativity of their entire workforce - that 'make work more valuable' - will surely prosper. Where else would you want to work?
There is a lot more evidence that you probably realise. Maybe you are having too much fun at work to find it!!
Here is some thinking on the subject: http://wp.me/pLuvX-aT
Posted by: Ian Gotts | 01 November 2010 at 09:46 PM