Two Simple Questions To Avoid Value-Free Change
Often times we’re tempted to add new processes, new templates or tools, modify existing procedures, re-organize – you name it. Sometimes such changes are called for, but other times they’re performed for the sake of performing them. Change for its own sake is never good. It can be a drain on time, resources and on morale.
When confronted with such ideas – whether your own or from others – try asking these two simple questions:
- What Business Problem Will This Solve?: Is the proposed change in response to something that is having an identifiable impact on business operations? If so, how will this change help?
- What Will This Change Allow Us To Do Tomorrow That We Cannot Do Today?: Little more than a restatement of the above, this simply asks the question from another angle. It’s important to understand how things will change as a result of any new processes, tools, etc. Then….ask yourself, “So what?”
While you can apply these questions to process or organizational changes, you can also use them when determining whether to send an email, schedule a meeting or conference call, etc. The idea is to simply be mindful of what you are about to do. Think of it as an internal CBA on the fly or, to borrow a quote from my friend, John Kennedy, “Break it down, think it through, execute!”
© 2011, Mark E. Calabrese
mec. musings 
September 19, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Nice musing, Mark. One thing that I would add is that you need to measure to see if the change is accomplishing what you thought it would. I suggest Goal -> Question -> Metric. Goal is what you want to accomplish. Question is what questions do you need to ask to know if you are achieving your goal. Metric is what does one need to measure to answer the question.