The company I work for is right in the middle of a complete reorganization of all Business and IT areas. During the past year, there have been numerous "Town Hall" meetings to discuss our progress towards achieving our new organizational goals. Most of the IT Town Hall meetings I have attended spoke about introducing new "tools" that will help our IT organization improve it's efficiency and value to our business partners. Questions regarding the development of "processes" before introducing tools has been brought up, but Senior Management is reluctant to have any meaningful conversation about this, and often dismisses the need for process improvement, or the use of industry best practices. I would like to know are we just a train wreck waiting to happen if we continue to focus on developing the tools first, and not the processes? If so, what are some ways in which I can begin to persuade Senior Management to start looking at developing the processes first, then looking at the tools? Saving Changes...
As far as persuasion, I'm sure you have a history of previous tool introductions. Do you also have a history of lackluster improvements in organizational effectiveness? If so, the question is "Why should we expect this time to be different?" Saving Changes...
Michael WoodProject Manager / Business Analyst / Business Process Improvement Guru| Independent ContractorGig Harbor, Wa, United States
Albert, At your next meeting you might want to facilitate the creation of a simple GAP analysis. Use a flip chart to capture and quantify the situations that management believes need to be changed. Next to each situation capture and quantify the outcome management wants to achieve as a result of that change. Make sure you have the group quantify vague words and phrases like "too slow" or "too long" or inefficient, etc.
Then make a list of the things that would need to change (improve) in order to achieve the outcomes - categorize these changes (tool, process, communication, policy, etc.)
Hopefully an AH HA will occur and an approach will emerge that has the horse before the cart.
This should only take about 30 minutes or so to accomplish. Good Luck Saving Changes...
