Words and categories matter in process management

A friendly discussion, not a polemic

My guess is that you have heard the axiom: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

If there were a process management equivalent, it would go something like this: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words used without proper definitions will derail my process management implementation.”

Ok, so maybe this version does not exactly roll off the tongue, but I promise you there is a point.

What are we doing, exactly?

Imagine you are working to embed process management as a discipline into your business. What are you, primarily at least, seeking to manage by doing this? Is it fair to say you are primarily seeking to manage processes? If so, then the primary scope of the implementation effort must be centered on managing processes – not on managing other types of business information (ie: policy, guides, forms, training, etc.).

This means the technology you use, methods you employ, and stakeholders you engage must be focused primarily on managing the organization’s process information. Therefore, minimally, a clear definition of what a process is should be created and used to identify and properly categorize your process information.

But wait, there is more

However, because process information by nature interacts with so many other information types, ideally those other forms of information would also be identified, and definitions established so that proper categories are available. Those additional categories being used to detect and organize other information types, making them available for reference when mapping and managing the organization’s process information. 

In my line of work, it is not uncommon to encounter organizations just starting their process management journey and struggling to gain a critical mass of support. Oftentimes, this struggle is exacerbated by the lack of clear information categories. What starts out as an effort to document, manage, and optimize business processes can grow unintentionally (and exponentially) into an initiative to transform all organizational data, if the entire team is not using consistent terminology.

As another proverb states: “If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one.” Clearly defining information categories will allow leaders to identify and articulate to the masses what is and what is not included in the process management implementation effort and properly position resources for success.

Defining categories

So, what are some common information categories that will intersect with your process management initiative? To help get you thinking about this, I have crafted a non-exhaustive list of some possible categories and definitions below.

Process – obviously, the core information category to any process management effort. A process is a sequence of business activities that takes an input(s) and transforms it into an output(s). It often takes the visual form of a process map.

Procedure – a component of a process made up of instructions for completing each activity in the process. Think of your process a description of what is happening and your procedure as how to make it happen.

Policy – a set of rules, regulations, and/or guidelines intended to reduce the risk of running the business. Policies do not instruct how a process is to be performed, but instead, define what must be done and what must not be done while performing a process. It is very common for organizations just getting started with process management to confuse policies and processes.

Guide – a transactional level work instruction resource intended to inform a decision or guide action. Assets such as checklists often fall into this category. Guides are great supplements to procedure information as they allow for communication of more granular details.

Form – a workable document that collects data inside a template for use within a process. Forms can be either paper based or electronic. Forms live at the procedure level of a process.

Training – a mechanism for teaching a worker a skill or behavior with the specific goal of improving one’s capability, capacity, productivity, and/or performance. It can be of benefit to process doers to have relevant training information embedded within the process procedure.

Photo/ Video – visual supplements to process procedure information. Using photos or videos can be a great way to communicate complex transactional instructions to a process doer quickly and accurately.

Apples and oranges, not tomayto or tamahto

The difference between a process and other information listed above may seem insignificant. One may argue that this discussion is optional at most. However, drawing a distinction between each information category should not be reduced to a secondary or preferential matter. Gaining clarity around process management terminology is a highly practical and beneficial exercise.

So, where are you seeing confusion in your business between processes, procedures, policies, etc.? Use the list above as a starting point for a solution. Modify the definitions so they connect with your audience. Provide real-life example of each category. Produce a single page reference sheet that can be incorporated into your process management guiding documents and shared with the business.

Above all, remember that words have meaning and will lose their usefulness when that meaning is abandoned or ignored.