Tone From the Top
Senior management plays a significant role in any process improvement effort and this very much includes Visible Ops. People need to understand that processes and controls are shaped by culture. Culture will either assist in the implementation of new processes or cause them to fail. Management helps shape the culture by sending forth a strong message that clearly sets the tone for the organization. This is what auditors and control theorists call “tone from the top”.
Project teams and lower echelons of management can spend weeks or even months trying to get new processes to work only to have them destroyed by senior management saying something to the effect of “I don’t care – just get it done.” All the time and effort was dealt a serious, if not lethal, blow when that happens.
Instead, senior management must support and champion the changes that are needed not just with words but with actions. Staff focusing on process improvement efforts can help enable this by understanding management goals and then clearly explaining how the proposed changes will enable the organization to attain its goals either through direct contribution or the mitigation of risks,
In the case of Visible Ops, there methodology helps organizations by providing a process improvement effort that is documented and proven. Senior Management can use the web based Visible Ops Assessment to understand the current state and then re-run it periodically to assess progress. Furthermore, working with senior management in advance to understand what they need to assess progress will further help clarify expectations by everyone involved. Certainly, tone from the top is important and to get it requires proper engagement and communication with senior management.