CREATE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
As always, strategy begins with defining top organizational objectives. By identifying the 3 key areas of focus, we were able to quickly align resources across all channels toward the things that mattered — in this organization’s case: Hiring Velocity, Diversity and Candidate Experience.
1
IDENTIFY TOLERABLE VS. INTOLERABLE REDUNDANCIES
A critical next step was understanding the historical and current workflows around the key areas of focus.
A systematic review classified all identified redundancies as either tolerable (wanted) or intolerable (unwanted). This was essential in assessing whether the workflow duplications enhanced progress toward organizational objectives or should be eliminated.
2
TOLERABLE REDUNDANCIES
Duplications in workflows or processes that, while present, do not significantly hinder or impede the overall performance or outcomes of the system. There must be awareness, insight or data cross-comparison at some point in the process between these workflows for the purposes of examination and progression.
Unlike intolerable redundancies, tolerable redundancies may actually be encouraged so that multiple parties explore the same challenge through different perspectives and approaches. (e.g., A/B Testing)
INTOLERABLE REDUNDANCIES
Duplications in workflows or processes that have a detrimental impact on efficiency, productivity, or resource utilization. This results in wasted time, effort or resources, leading to increased costs, delays or confusion within the system.
This may be due to engaging in work which has already been examined or implemented without the awareness of the party in question, or currently active efforts without the parties knowledge, awareness or data cross-comparison.
Intolerable redundancies hinder optimization efforts and need to be identified and addressed to enhance overall operational effectiveness.
USE INSIGHT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL REDESIGN
There was an opportunity to streamline value creation and drive contributing impact through merged employee efforts.
This started with organizing new digital channels of communication which provided oversight of all projects across teams.
Three main areas of opportunity were identified and prioritized by senior leadership, and strategic “quarterbacks” were appointed to coordinate efforts and catalog all historical and ongoing workflow activities related to these objectives. Appointing functional leaders over each of the three key areas gave senior leadership access and insight into real-time progress.
A secondary benefit of this strategy was the ability to create a deep bench of future leaders by understanding how individual contributors led scalable programs and executed on mission critical tasks.
Efforts were then combined or paired off for data comparison, fostering cross-collaboration and accelerating learning across workstreams.
3
CONDUCT OPERATIONAL REVIEW
Determining the level of access to work across channels was a difficult one. Weighing speed over real-time transparency, a monthly report of all active projects and their progress was implemented. This ensured employees at every level could check in on current efforts and contribute to various project teams, if desired.
This maintained coordinated efforts without slowing down the start of new projects. Balancing transparency with efficiency was important in the success of this new operational model.
Workflows meeting the necessary criteria were either combined, added to the catalog, or identified as intolerable redundancies. Over the 6-month period, dozens of workflows were created, combined or eliminated.