Step Three: Put Processes at the Center

NOTE: We return to our conversation with Skip Kapur about the Six Steps to High Performance. Mr. Kapur's methodology transforms a business to utilize his proven high-performance model. Step three concentrates on process.

—M. A. “Ryan” Yuhas, Process Effectiveness Consultant

“Processes—define them, design them, document them, train people on them, measure them, and improve them. Make them part of your culture.”

—Skip Kapur

RY: What does it mean for an organization to be “process-centric”?

SK: To be process-centric is to put definition, design, support, execution and measurement of your processes and their results at the center of what you do.

RY: What are “core processes”?

SK: They are the repetitive activities that enable you to meet your customers' needs. They are what you do best, and are probably the reason customers keep coming back to you. They are proven, repeatable, and you support them as an organization.

RY: Why is process-centricity so crucial to your Six Steps methodology?

SK: Not only do processes support consistent delivery of services, but without them it's difficult to tell why you're performing well or not. It's like driving a car with gauges that aren't hooked up to anything. You can tell you're moving, but you don't know how far, how fast, or how healthy the vehicle is.

RY: So process is also central to getting results out of your methodology?

SK: Yes. Being process centric minimizes reorganizations. People focus on the work and the customer, rather than upwards. It leads to high business performance, reduces line organization conflict, and increases customer and employee satisfaction. It will make management's job easier.

RY: You're advertising a lot of benefits! How can processes make such a difference?

SK: So many companies employ a slew of people who go to the office every day and throw themselves at the work. They toil until they can work no more and go home exhausted. Neither they, nor their managers, ever take time to set the priorities of the work that has to be done. Are the right things getting taken care of first? Are we doing them in the most effective manner? Are we measuring our effectiveness in any way so we can make improvements?
Well designed processes help you set the priorities and approach the work more thoughtfully and effectively. Then they ensure the work is done consistently.

RY: Can you give an example?

SK: An example would be the most chaotic situation that I can think of: a hospital emergency room. Yet with all of that chaos, processes are absolutely at the core-starting with triage. Triage is the thoughtful consideration of the work that lies ahead of the surgical team. Before anything else, they answer the question “Who goes first?” After executing that process-setting their priorities-all of the other medical processes and procedures kick in. Everything is modularized and procedural-ized to orchestrate what happens, and the results are usually pretty good.

RY: You say that process-centricity should be part of your culture. What do you mean?

SK: The organization should talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. Not only do you have processes, but you track the results. Then you reward based on the results, further reinforcing the processes. In the next two interviews, we'll talk about just how this kind of reinforcement impacts customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction.

© 2002 Sunil “Skip” Kapur and M. A. “Ryan” Yuhas
InterDimension Strategies Inc.