process change (was a long thread about task analysis)

["Bill Swallow" <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>]

On 10/17/07, Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC
<Darren -dot- Butler -dot- ctr -at- robins -dot- af -dot- mil> wrote:
> Have any of you successfully fostered process-change?

Yes, many times. And the trick (see, I can play nice) is using task
analysis coupled with root cause modeling. Why? Because once you've
done the hard work of walking actors through the process and plotting
the interrelationships to find the root cause(s), you can very easily
then zoom out of your elaborate detail-driven work to a simple process
flow diagram and root cause bubble diagram. Pictures work powerfully
well in persuading people to change processes, because more often than
not, process becomes habit and no one truly sees the whole picture
anymore. Having the pictures to prove it (to coin a phrase) turns all
those light bulbs on over everyone's heads in the room. They can see
the break, they can see the interrelationships, they can see the root
cause, and agree that change is in order.

I've done this with regard to software design (authenticating against
a system from various touch points), documentation process (fostering
allowance into the code for code-side documentation automation as well
as developer/writer co-authoring), and for corporate process
(communication flow of requirements in and out of marketing for
branded product graphics, and coordinated hand-off of those items to
those who need them), among other examples.

-- 
Bill Swallow
HATT List Owner
WWP-Users List Owner
Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter
STC Single-Sourcing SIG Manager
http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
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