Processes Result from Either Design or Default
Processes are the “how” teams go about achieving the “what” in their purpose. They are a sequence of step-by-step actions designed to produce a desired outcome.
Often teams have too little “design” in their processes. We are quick to assume that any activity is a process, with little thought about which might be the best activities and what might be the best sequence. The result is often a lot of activity but little accomplishment.
Further, even initially effective processes become unproductive over time as circumstances change. When our processes cease to fit current realities, roles drift out of alignment, relationships become strained, miscommunication occurs, and inevitably business results suffer.
High Performance Teams are Process Fanatics
High performance teams are clear about the processes they need to achieve their goals and they expend the necessary time and energy to design and apply them consistently.
In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the concept of “Transaction Flow Analysis,” a tool that allows the team to map the flow of thinking in its basic processes while at the same time making team member roles clear.
Transaction flow analysis enables the team to see gaps and overlaps that impact the efficiency and effectiveness of key team processes. During the workshop, the team will select a number of their more important processes and apply this diagnostic procedure to them, developing an action plan for improving the quality of their core processes. They not only master the technique for designing, mapping, and strengthening team processes, but they leave the workshop having applied it to their specific situation.
In this workshop, participants will:
Working Together – Thinking Together
Because synergy occurs in both the work and wisdom of the team, we encourage teams to divide their processes into two categories: implementation and thinking.
Implementation processes drive business results. Examples might be manufacturing amplifier components, selling products, and underwriting insurance policies. Thinking processes are frameworks that allow a team to raise, discuss, and decide about issues. In today’s environment of cross-functional teams, teams must be able to think together with the same degree of skill with which they hope to work together. Thinking processes include planning, decision-making, problem solving, conflict resolution, and meeting management. Thinking together effectively enables teams to leverage the diverse functional expertise available to the team to higher levels of creativity and effectiveness.