Do you remember Ridley Scott’s 1984 advert for the release of the Apple Macintosh in… 1984? A blonde woman dressed in red and white runs through a totalitarian (see George Orwell’s 1984), gray, oppressive world; Henchmen pursue her; She finally throws her hammer at a screen, which shatters, waking up the hypnotized spectators. In this article, in a more modest way, I’m proposing that you become aware of our company’s routines and business processes. And yes, we’re not here for laughs.
P.-S. I promise I’ll keep it short.
Table of contents
- Business process: do, do again, then forget what you’re doing
- It’s the same in business
- This is how it is, but this is hardly the reason for it.
- Seize every opportunity
Business process: do, do again, then forget what you’re doing
When I saw the images of Charles the Third’s coronation, I wondered what his daily routine was like. Basically, there’s no reason why his habits should be very different from mine. Sure, he’s older than me, but not that much. We live a few hundred kilometers apart. I imagine he loves rugby, as I do. And I love the UK and its people. And yet, in a sudden flash of lucidity, I realize that his rituals and mine must differ somewhat…
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,”
Albert Einstein
We always seem to do things the same way. It’s only human. But that way is different for everyone. Next time you’re washing up, think about it. Try not to use the same hand to wipe yourself, for example, do things in a different order, and so on. Was it easy? Yes, over time we’ve built up automatisms that enable us to do things without consuming energy, without questioning. As soon as the machine seizes up, oh dear, how complicated it is!
It’s the same in business
I often compare companies to living organisms. And from certain angles, like living organisms with characteristics similar to those of our own, human beings. After all, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?
As a company, we are also trying to streamline business processes. The aim here is to make these processes more fluid, more secure, and less costly for the company. Sound familiar? Well, every day, I too try to streamline a process.
And just like with my toilet, if I suddenly change something in the protocol, I’m stuck.
This is how it is, but this is hardly the reason for it.
Whether we’re talking about ourselves or our companies, these ways of working don’t in themselves pose any problems. It’s the way we work. It’s a fact of life. The problem comes when we forget how we work, and take it all for granted.
All human beings and all companies are interconnected in a constantly evolving world. So I think it’s important to keep an open mind, to give ourselves a chance to make these business processes evolve more easily.
Seize every opportunity
If you’ve done the shower exercise, you’re having a good laugh. You’re thinking that it’s a real hassle for companies to change a few things in the bathroom.
And that’s true.
But for the company that has decided to implement Simple Workspace, it’s a great opportunity to get down to work and challenge its operating methods with new tools and an external team to support you.
Now you know what you have to do.
P.-S. I told you I’d keep this short (but if you still have a little time, please read my previous article, Dealing with business flow obsolescence using Simple Workspace ).
Would you like to find out more? Contact us : we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Jean-Yves Jourdain
Cofounder of J2S
