http://homepage.mac.com/julianblom/blom.org.uk/my_blog/ en Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:36:06 +0100 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sandvox Pro 1.6.6 (12244) http://homepage.mac.com/julianblom/blom.org.uk/my_blog/process_process_process.html <div><p>It seems that this is one of those holy grail things. Virtually every place I have ever worked, process is either needed or wanted but somehow never arrives. Lots of talk is put into how it might be achieved, lots of time is wasted looking at process diagrams but uniformly the target is missed. So what is the target? </p> <p>Simply put, start small with something which will make a big difference to people like for example task scheduling, then (trumpets sound, drums roll) stick to the process and make sure everyone has bought into it! </p> <p>The truth about change management - for implementing processes is a change management task - is that you have to have buy-in from everyone at every level of your company, that means from the coal face workers to the senior management, and everyone has to start on the same day working with the new process. It's tricky for the first few weeks - hence why it is good to start small - but you *do* have to start somewhere. If  you start with something which will reduce confusion, make someones life easier and provide them with clearer boundaries to their work, it makes the whole thing much more simple and enjoyable. Once you've started with one useful process, then others tend to follow and evolve - much like questions leading to more questions...</p> <p>The BIG NO NO is for anyone to circumvent the process thinking that they are somehow exempt...this is the kiss of death and the quickest way to undermine a process and really annoy everyone who is trying to work with it for the common good. Collective peer pressure and clear honest communication techniques i.e. telling the guilty party that they're not to do it, are the best solution to fixing this. </p> <p>Okay, so those are my words of wisdom on the subject of process implementation, strangely in my entire career, no-one has ever managed to achieve this simple aim without it going entirely pearshaped...let me know if you manage to do it at your company!!</p> </div> Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:47:28 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/julianblom/blom.org.uk/my_blog/process_process_process.html http://homepage.mac.com/julianblom/blom.org.uk/my_blog/angry_white_pyjamas.html <div><p>One of my abiding interests is in the martial arts and their relationship with philosophies like Zen and Taoism. I've just read this great (and funny) book called Angry White Pyjamas which is a look at one persons experience of intensively learning Aikido in Japan over the course of a year. It refers to the brutality of the training regime and the ascetic nature of the discipline and how this gets interpreted by the various teachers dependent on their level of experience. It's a fantastic insight into just how far people will go to learn something like self-defence and then how they learn not to use it...a thoroughly good read!</p> </div> Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:13:37 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/julianblom/blom.org.uk/my_blog/angry_white_pyjamas.html