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The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo is one of the most famous works of modern art. Located in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel inside the Vatican Museums, the fresco is one of the most complex paintings – it took sixteen days to complete. The most recognizable detail in the image is represented by the almost-touching fingers of God and Adam. The Creator’s index finger (on the right) points authoritatively, while Adam’s hand (on the left) is limp, waiting to receive the surge of life. Looking at it, we can imagine the spark that will occur upon contact.
Now Michelangelo was a Renaissance man, endowed with the ability to inspire awe in viewers of his art. In his case, the outcome surpasses the creative process. But the rest of us need to work on the process before we get marvelous, or close to perfect results. Fortunately for us, there is a way to ensure that outcomes are commensurate with our plans and vision.
Process thinking is a formidable force in the pursuit of excellence and rightly so!
What is Process Thinking?
The pressure to win sometimes leads to a fixation on the results, and the steps required to get there are often ignored. Successful outcomes are as dependent on the how as they are on the what. Process thinking has its roots in the systems theory which likens any endeavor to a set of interconnected components working in tandem to form the whole. The philosophy emphasizes preparation and hard work over consideration of outcomes and is a popular notion in professional sports. The mindset stresses that the process's efficiency and effectiveness determine the system's overall success.
Here's an example of process thinking in action, where it led to a culture of sustainable winning.
The Golden State Warriors under coach Steve Kerr have won four NBA championships in eight years. Their success can be attributed to undeniable talent plus their process-oriented approach.
So, what is the right mix that makes winning easy for them?
Mastery over the basics. The Warriors spend time perfecting the execution of basic skills like passing, shooting, and footwork, which includes daily drills and film sessions.
Analytics as the guiding force. Strategic choices like playcalling and rotations are made after leveraging extensive data analytics.
Culture of collaboration. Players are given active participation in game planning and adjustments. Establishing a sense of ownership, the responsibility for success is shared by the entire team.
Order in chaos. The Warriors’ offense is built on flexible principles, allowing them to read defenses and react in real-time, adjusting with fluidity.
Winning means more work. The relentless pursuit of excellence means that even after winning championships, the Warriors remain focused on learning, refining their skills, and evolving their system.
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Why Process Thinking Matters?
Simply put, it adds value. Teams and organizations that embrace process thinking can replicate the standardized practices across functions, ensure successful outcomes, and build their people. This helps companies manage growth to a desired outcome regardless of the pace at which the company grows. Also, the processes work the same for each person, and that won't change as new team members are added.
Moreover, process thinking means that the core processes are kept as stable and predictable as possible while other components are allowed to grow around them. Gaps in success can be identified and quick adjustments made to determine where scalability can be improved.
A Gallup survey found that organizations that prioritize process thinking experience a 21% higher employee engagement. In fast-paced work environments, employees frequently work in matrixed teams and assignments require cross-functional access. It can become daunting trying to determine what to do each day, and how to do it. Process thinking brings structure, enabling the use of common tools and templates, and making sure that people remain motivated. (Gallup, "Re-Engineering Performance Management" (2017)).
Similarly, the impact of this structured approach can be witnessed in companies that apply process thinking in innovation practices. The focus on design thinking in IBM ensures understanding user needs, prototyping, and iterating on solutions. Amazon is known for its relentless focus on improving processes to enhance customer satisfaction. The company's use of data analytics and automation in its supply chain is indicative of a strong process-oriented approach.
Additionally, process thinking ensures that the system is strengthened, communication errors are minimized. Companies can activate effective communication to achieve their goals. 72% of business leaders believe that effective communication has increased their team’s productivity. (The State of Business Communication, 2023).
Process thinking is evolving beyond traditional business applications, and the great aspects of the concept lead to a fundamental question.
This systematic approach to implement process thinking in organizations can cut across silos, and establish roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities. How should it begin the implementation?
Identify and document processes. Determine the end-to-end key processes within the organization that contribute to its overall objectives.
Define process objectives and metrics. Keep quantifiable objectives, such as reducing time by 15% to bring clarity to decision-making.
Map the existing processes. Use process mapping tools (Visio, Lucidchart) to assist in visualizing the current state of the identified processes, highlighting bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Analyze and identify improvement opportunities. Analyze data to identify areas for improvement, such as reducing unnecessary steps and introducing automation.
Redesign processes for efficiency. Reorganize workstations to minimize movement and optimize workflow.
Implement technology. Integrate new software systems to automate manual data entry and streamline information flow.
Train and engage employees. Provide complete training sessions to employees on the new processes and encourage their involvement in process improvement initiatives.
Monitor and measure performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical to monitor ongoing process performance and identify any non-compliances.
Establish a culture of continuous improvement. Encourage employees to suggest and implement improvements regularly.
Use feedback for iterative improvement. Gather feedback from employees and customers and use it to iteratively improve processes.
Document and standardize processes. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each process to ensure consistency and ease of training.
Implementing process thinking leads to improved efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced performance across the organization. It is an ongoing effort to create a system that requires commitment, collaboration, and a willingness to adapt and evolve as the organization's needs change.
What’s more, the world of tech also benefits from the concept.
Process thinking provides a systematic framework for data analytics, ensuring a streamlined workflow from data collection to analysis to interpretation. The method helps in minimizing redundancies and optimizing the overall data processing pipeline. The significance of data quality and accuracy is also kept at the forefront by defining and adhering to robust data collection and cleaning processes, which just makes data insights clearer. Process thinking also facilitates cross-functional collaboration among data scientists, analysts, and domain experts. Better communication ensures that insights align with the organization’s strategic objectives. Data analytics capabilities are also enhanced over time through continuous feedback loops and iterative improvements. This leads to more robust and accurate models, as shown by a report from McKinsey & Company, which stated that using an iterative process approach in deep learning projects increased model accuracy by 15-20% compared to traditional linear models.
Process thinking also plays a significant role in implementing ethical considerations within the AI development process. Organizations can mitigate biases, enhance transparency, and build trust in AI systems. From ideation to deployment and maintenance, the entire lifecycle of AI projects can be monitored, ensuring that models remain relevant, accurate and compliant with evolving regulations. Through process thinking, organizations can identify opportunities for automation and scalability in AI implementation. This is particularly important as organizations aim to deploy AI solutions across diverse applications and scale their impact.
Wisdom denotes the pursuing of the best ends by the best means. ------- Francis Hutcheson (Philosopher, 1694 – 1746)
From the creation of magnificent art to winning championships to innovations in AI solutions, the tangible benefits of process thinking are evident: higher efficiency and seamless collaboration. But the intangible benefits are far greater, because the methodology enables change at the core of any system. Building the processes automatically warrants that good practices and competent people are rewarded, and that the pursuit is for excellence in the techniques rather than outcomes.
By Tooba Shah.
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