Over the last while
I have been asking a lot of questions to my business partner. I have
been doing an analysis for a client and of course I have come up with
a number of questions through this analysis. Of course some of my
questions were gaining an understanding about the software and also
the client environment. Some of the other questions were the basic
why don't people do such and such and why do they do things this way.
As someone who deals
with policies and procedures, not having a procedure documented
really does bother me. In so many cases companies do something the
same way as they have always done it without really having a method
written down, it's done like this just because it's always been done
that way. I have also found that the method is written down and it
is entirely different than how something is being done. I know that
I have heard that quite a few times when I am been talking to various
individuals. The biggest challenge is the time to go through the
procedures and see what has changed and what needs to change.
Another good answer
to why something isn't document is because, “If I document it, they
can replace me”. This answer was the one that got me the most
because if you are the type of person that documents and improves the
procedures you are showing your value. If you just do because that's
the way it is, you are showing that you are replaceable by someone
else.
For my the “why”
can help show that there is a need to change a process or even in
some cases set up a process because there isn't one. The idea of
having things documented is very important because if you aren't
available to do a specific task someone else can look at the document
and do most of it. It may take them a lot longer to do because they
aren't familiar with all the steps but at least they can assist in
getting a specific task done.
Ask yourself “why”
when you are doing a process and see how you answer it. Do you just
“that's just the way it's done” or can you actually say “it's
the process that is followed and here is the document to show it”.
When you even look at the document for the process do you see ways in
which it can be improved to make it easier to accomplish.
Why seems such a
simple question and being able to ask it and see the answers you get
can be very interesting.