How can you train teams for process compliance? A client recently shared with me a problem they’d experienced that challenged their process journey: one of their team members was responsible for capturing and recording data as part of their role in the business operations.
We all know that those kinds of tasks can be mind-numbingly dull and are usually great targets for process improvement. This particular employee discovered that they were recording one set of data that didn’t connect to the rest of the operational flow and wasn’t being utilized anywhere they could see.
So, they just stopped recording it. Efficiency achieved!
Unfortunately, that ‘unnecessary’ data was part of a significant compliance process that was just less frequent than the operations they were part of. By the time the team responsible for completing those compliance requirements was aware that the data was missing, there were months of operational figures to catch up on. What seemed like a reasonable improvement at one level was a disaster at another.
The importance of process accountability
It made me think about process accountability. How can we possibly achieve it at the task level so things like that don’t happen, but not let our processes get bogged down in micro-management? I think the key is something deeper than a system overhaul.
We all love the ever-growing digital toolsets we have for process management, but most processes still need people. There’s no system that can effectively bring greater accountability for process execution at the task level without introducing massive inefficiencies alongside. It’s just too cumbersome to add checklists and signoffs for every little action. Unfortunately, that means even the best-written process can be subverted by someone who doesn’t follow the steps.
I suspect that usually happens because people don’t understand the reason why those steps are there. Quite simply, process breakdowns at the task level aren’t a system problem, but a cultural one.
People drive processes with a purpose, but they can only have as much purpose as we give them. That begins at training and induction. When new hires are shown the ropes, we have the opportunity to either equip them with a sense of purpose or just give them a list of things to do.
When we train people by rote, giving them a sequence of activities with little sense of their purpose, we aren’t empowering them to understand their part in the business operations. As they mature in their role, they might pick some of that up, but it’s also very possible they’ll never get to see those connections. They may start to see some of the tasks they handle as unimportant or inefficient. They could very well think they’re improving the process by shaving off unnecessary activities, when in fact they’re throwing a spanner in the works, as my client discovered.
Rote learning gives us a clear outline of the ‘what’ of processes, but very little of the ‘why’ – m and as Simon Sinek tells us, it’s usually the ‘why’ that inspires us for what we do.
The ‘why’ of process management
In process terms, the ‘why’ is the awareness of outcomes. It’s helping our teams understand how the processes, and therefore their parts in them, fit together. Tools like Nintex Process Manager make this possible by giving staff visibility over how processes interlink. Teams have access to clear frameworks that show not just the task at hand, but how it connects upstream and downstream to wider business outcomes.
When this visibility is embedded from induction, people understand that their role isn’t just operational, but part of creating success for the whole business. Every process has inputs and outputs, and those all connect to other processes. Understanding those connections and their importance for the business helps your teams put value on the tasks that are required of them and ensures greater compliance with each element. That’s not something you put in a system; it’s something you encourage and enable through training.
From the very first day, new hires should be given a sense of how they fit into the wider operations of the business and how their responsibilities work together with others. It becomes part of the culture; they’re not filling in a form, they’re enabling another team to achieve their goals and contributing to the overall business outcomes.
When staff have been trained to understand not just the ‘what’ but the ‘why,’ they are able to be much more intentional with process improvement too. Training that’s opaque to the underlying purpose and value of process actions doesn’t promote innovation. Teams will either comply without question or skip over elements they think can be ignored.
Training teams for process compliance
Intentional training that invites staff into the ‘why’ of the process allows them to understand the business requirements and how they’re contributing to key customer outcomes. It gives them a frame of reference that empowers creative thinking, allowing them to examine their work critically with an understanding of the factors that drive and shape their responsibilities. That builds a foundation from which they can apply automation tools and process principles to create efficiencies that don’t shortcut compliance or quality.
Process compliance at the task level needs to start at induction and weave into every aspect of training your teams. It’s not a dedication to checklists and granular oversight, but a culture of cooperation that emphasizes the part everyone plays in meeting your customers’ needs.
Training teams to understand how their processes contribute to those outcomes encourages greater fidelity to the procedures and empowers them to find real, effective improvements that don’t shortcut operational excellence (OPEX). All the systems and tools in the world won’t make up for a culture of compliance that’s built on teams understanding their ‘why.’ The right systems can reinforce that culture, providing the visibility over structure and connectivity that empowers teams to contribute meaningfully and improve their processes with confidence.