Blue Flavor

Concrete and Shadow by D. Keith Robinson

Process is about People

May 14th, 2007 at 2:25 p.m.

I’ve been having quite a few conversations about process lately. While I do find these conversations interesting I can’t help but think that if we spent more time working and less time talking about process and the debates as to what methodology works better, then the “problems” with process would just go away.

So, in true hypocrite fashion I thought I’d write up a quick post about my perspective.

Silly, I know. To keep it short and simple, I’ll keep it to a bulleted list! In essence:

  • The “problems” with almost any process start and end with people.
  • The goal of any process should be enabling success. It’s about doing good work, being productive and being fulfilled within a team. If it doesn’t do those things, it’s not working.
  • Any process that works for you and your team can be successful.
  • A good process provides structured flexibility.
  • A good process should be inclusive and use the talents and skills of everyone involved.
  • Communication, autonomy, responsibility, and accountability are keys to enabling people to succeed regardless of your process. Focus more on the people, not the process.
  • Agile vs. Waterfall is silly. Some projects benefit more from one or the other, or some combination of the two. Some people work better with one than the other. Trying to shoehorn every project into one or the other is a recipe for disaster.
  • You should never sell a fully canned process. It’s better to sell understanding of goals and vision and outline a structure to get you to success.
  • Agile is great, but it’s not the only way to bring customers and users in. User-Centered Design can apply to other processes as well.
  • Agile can be done within a more traditional, structured process. It doesn’t have to live at the opposite end of a very ridged waterfall process.
  • Speaking of which, the process that works best for me personally is made up of both waterfall and agile methodology. I tend to start waterfall and move to agile as I go. “Waterfagile.” ;0) Our project chain idea (which I realize might seem like a canned process, shame on us, is made up of multiple agile and/or iterative processes strung together.)
  • Every process should start with a clear vision, goals and ideas.
  • Empower and trust your people. Create open lines of communication, address feedback, and your process (regardless of what “flavor” you feel most comfortable with) becomes what it should be; a means to an end, a map to success. As opposed to a source of roadblocks and frustration.
Keith Robinson

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