Process Governance is not the Antithesis of Autonomy

When talking with clients about “process governance,” we sometimes feel like we are reliving the same discussion over and over:

Us: “Let’s see where we can standardize some processes and put norms in place.”

Them: “Well, one of things we don’t want to lose is our autonomy, so I don’t want to require people to operate in a certain way.”

Autonomy and empowerment are excellent tenets of your company culture. However, they are not the converse of process governance, despite this common misconception. Both elements can and should exist.

Have you ever been in a situation where you are logging the same data in a few different places? Or perhaps attending a regular meeting thinking “this is not an efficient use of our time?” Or maybe downstream of receiving a report that colleagues have all done in their own way?

These are all signs that your processes could benefit from governance and optimization. Let’s continue on that thought experiment…

• Would you be upset if your process for logging that data was more efficient?

• Would you be sad if meetings required an agenda or structure that optimized your time and perhaps even made a couple meetings become emails instead?

• Would it bother you that suddenly there is consistency in your colleagues’ report structure, so you no longer have to learn each of their methods in order to interpret the information you receive?

Most of you would say, of course not to all of the above. Many would even consider the time savings to be an asset. That’s process governance! 

At Process First Consulting, we define “process governance” as the oversight, creation, and maintenance of norms that align with your business objectives, optimize time, create consistency, and decrease errors. It supports creating standards that help your business’s efficiency. It frees up the space so that you can use your autonomy and creativity on things that matter most - e.g. brainstorming ideas for new service offerings or bringing your unique personality to your client engagements.

"Standards create the energy in which the best companies and best people produce results.” - Michael Gerber, Business Coach and Author of E-Myth

Let’s escape this “Groundhog Day,” cyclical response that standardizing processes is going to be an affront to creativity and autonomy. Let’s instead begin recognizing that process governance done well can free up time to be autonomous in areas that give you energy and result in business returns. Spend your time and energy where it matters.

Need help getting started on this process-centric path? We’re here to help. 

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