This past Saturday was my sixth time participating in the Ride for the Breath of Life in Edmonton, in support of cystic fibrosis. It’s a cause I care about deeply, and a rewarding event to participate in. Thanks to all who sponsored me.
Embracing The Maturity Monster
Maturity models as a concept have become incredibly popular. We use them as cover to justify any number of improvement efforts. But how we use them is often misguided, dangerous and downright wrong. Maturity as a concept can be useful, but we need to understand what it means and how it should be applied.
Embracing “It Depends”
Process needs to work. To work, it needs to be relevant. That means that what we implement needs to be contextually appropriate, relevant and accepted. Cookie-cutter solutions don’t work here. What works depends. But the real question is, “what does it depend on?”
The Myth of Best Practices
I’m a process geek. You might safely assume, then, that I would be a fan of “best practices.” You would be very wrong. Best practices generally aren’t. Unlike the promised intent, there is usually more than one best way to proceed in a given situation. We ignore that at our peril.
I Am A Process Geek
A personal confession: my professional career has been dedicated to process. While I appreciate the value of process, I am also challenged by how it is often implemented. It’s easy to ask for everything. It’s a lot harder to focus on what is essential and valuable.
Developing Skills & Making Changes
Organizations invest significant resources in training. Evaluating and assessing the impact of that investment is of more than theoretical importance. Part of assessing impact involves considering whether participants are able to successfully take on board and apply the principles being taught. Of far greater importance is whether or not they feel that they are allowed to.