Change is occurring at dramatic speed, and customer expectations are accelerating. As a result, it’s more important than ever to “challenge the process.” But this isn’t about reckless disruption. It’s all about learning-driven change and leading smarter.
The idea of challenging the process isn’t new. In fact, it was one of the “five practices of exemplary leadership” that Barry Posner and James Kouzes talked about in their 1987 book, The Leadership Challenge. They asked leaders to challenge how things are done, to meet adversity head-on and to take opportunities to lead their organizations to new places.
Today, more than ever, keeping this idea top of mind can help leaders and teams stay relevant. At its core, this practice is about learning and willingness to change the status quo—for the better.
All companies fall prey to the “we’ve always done it that way” risk. It’s human nature to want to stay the course, because it’s comfortable, safe and feels easier to keep things the way they are. But as leaders, we must push boundaries and stop assuming that current practices are the best practices.
Consider any manual process you have at the bank. It’s reasonable to believe manual processes are safer because they are subject to human vigilance. Data shows that isn’t necessarily true for everything. As a leader, it’s incumbent upon you to identify error-prone or inefficient areas (such as manual spreadsheets, re-keying or version control issues) and explore new ways of achieving the same goal. It is important to note that challenging the process doesn’t just mean embracing a new technology to make it happen; reimagining a process to add value, improve efficiency or solve problems is also innovation.
So, how can you build the concept of challenging the process into your bank’s culture?
- Treat mistakes as opportunities to learn, rather than moments to blame.
- Ask “why” a process is the way it is. If your team doesn’t have a good answer, push them toward new exploration.
- Create space during team meetings to poke holes in existing processes. Again, this is not about blame but instead invites the team to question, suggest and experiment. Talk about when the process has worked and when it hasn’t. Let the team get granular. Look for patterns or themes.
- Ask “what if?” This phrase helps to identify flaws or opportunities in a process by asking hypothetical questions.
- Look at other industries as examples of innovation. Host a meeting and ask every team member to bring an example of a satisfying product or service they have experienced recently. Talk about why it worked for them.
Finally, be open to exploring new learning and diving into the process at your bank. For expanded learning, check out ICBA Education’s new Innovation Workshop.