I am a process person. I can create processes and implement them effectively and efficiently with the right resources most of the time. However, I’m about sick of them right now.
We’ve always tried to improve our development process on a day to day basis. If a small group doesn’t like something…we get together and change it and move forward. We monitor and adjust as need be and keep improving the output.
However, we were selected to do a “lean process improvement” effort for fiscal year 2008. Grand. You select the group that thinks the most lean and make them become leaner. If this was about weight loss, I would be thrilled. However, it is not.
Anyway, after months of wasted time (and, I really do mean wasted time), we are no being pulled into changing more processes with an outside consultant. First, our boss never told us this was coming. Secondly, this adds to the list of “surprise meetings” that I so desperately hate (or dislike greatly) and third – must I have a third? OK, third, talking about processes and process improvement all day detracts us from something – our job!
I feel like I’m living the Groundhog Day movie (that I hate – dislike greatly) everyday because I have to keep explaining our process to people that don’t know it and they keep coming up with solutions that don’t work and I keep getting pulled away from getting the job done. Whew!
This would be an example of taking a self-driven, motivated, self-propelling employee and rendering them completely mentally useless.
Am I in a mood? Why yes, I am.
