Process Management And the Importance of Inner Wisdom And Creativity

W. Edwards Deming is respected worldwide for his contributions to the improvement of management methods. He strongly believed that without a theory you’re just messing around. A theory can be considered as a plan for “How” to achieve a purpose. To gain support for achieving a plan it needs to have a clear purpose describing “What”, the organization is trying to achieve and “Why” that purpose is sufficiently important to inspire leaders and employees to execute the plan. To successfully execute the plan the organization requires a proven methodology for accomplishing each of the activities in the plan.

Although Deming used the word theory for defining the “How” there are many other descriptions of the process for achieving a purpose including terms such as procedure, recipe, methodology and plan.

The majority of business organizations are challenged to keep things going and although they may have an insight into what they wish to do to improve and why that is important, they are challenged in establishing and implementing the most effective methodology for achieving the desired change.

Management does not involve performing the specific work tasks that produce products and services, but rather enables these tasks to be undertaken in an optimum fashion. Management can be viewed as the process of planning, organizing and controlling activities. I.e., Process Management.

Process Management applies to the management of processes at all levels in the organization, which includes management (planning, organizing and controlling) of the processes used by all employees. An important factor W. Edwards Deming emphasized is that, often, employees are criticized for poor performance, when, in fact, individuals are actually performing extremely well and the underlying cause of the poor performance is the process established by management that the workers are required to follow and not permitted to change.

In a partnership organization it is important for employees to have the opportunity to contribute to establishing and improvement purpose in their areas of responsibility. In establishing the shared improvement purpose, it is important to draw on the full potential of those responsible for establishing it. Working with others in a partnership organization requires not only the use of participants professional skills but also their inner wisdom and creativity in making decisions in the best way to perform their daily work and plan and in undertaking improvement projects.

Key Thoughts

  • W Edwards Deming believed that if you do not have a theory for a purpose you wish to achieve you are just messing around. There are many other names in addition to a theory for achieving a purpose. These include terms such as procedure, recipe, methodology and plan.
  • A management challenge is in understanding the most effective methodology both for defining a purpose and achieving a desired change.
  • Management enables work tasks to be undertaken in an optimum fashion. Management can be viewed as management of the processes for enabling work to be optimally performed.
  • Process management involves the management of all organizational processes at all levels in the organization, including the management of processes used by front-line workers.
  • In a partnership organization it is important for employees to have the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of an improvement project in their area of responsibility.
  • It is important for employees to use their inner wisdom and creativity in working together to achieve their organization’s goals.
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    2. The Challenge of Embracing a Fundamentally Different Management Paradigm

    3. Process Management And the Importance of Inner Wisdom And Creativity

    4. The Living Organization

    5. Organizational Evolution Theory

    6. Understanding the Challenge of Developing a Partnership Culture

    7. Conclusion Comments and Final Thought

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    9. Evolution of Human Context

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