Process Barnacles

Just in case you aren't a seafarer, let me tell you a little about barnacles. Barnacles are small sea creatures which attach (cement) themselves to (among many things) ships' hulls. Attached is a picture of what they look like.

Barnacles are a big nuisance for the shipping industry. Here's why.

"It has been known for some time that barnacles, mussels and algae cause up to a 15 percent increase in the drag resistance of ships, which drives up fuel bills and hampers a ship's performance." You can read the entire article here.

Barnacles attach to hulls below the waterline. After all, they're sea creatures and they live below the surface of the water. Hundreds or thousands of barnacles can attach themselves to the hull of your ship, and you'd never know it, standing on deck.

But you'd feel the effect. You'd use more energy just to keep the ship moving forward. Your ship would be more difficult to steer.

So why are we talking about barnacles?

Well, think of your company as "a ship". With sleek, well engineered processes, your "ship" has a clean hull, (no drag) and uses a minimum amount of energy to get you where you want to go. You're maneuverable and can react to changing market conditions.

But over time, processes tend to evolve, change, out of view of senior management - below the waterline. An extra report here. Another form there. More approvals required for this task, additional reporting on that task, more meetings, less decision making, after the fact quality checks, inspection departments are formed, safety departments spring up...

One by one, these process "barnacles" begin to attach themselves to your hull. And before you know it, "your ship" is in trouble. Lethargic, not maneuverable, expending energy without desired results.

So what's the lesson in all this? Think about every proposed change in "end to end" process terms. When faced with a process or task breakdown, companies like Toyota, ask WHY? five times. They feel that this is the only way to really understand the underlying cause of an issue. They seek to solve the source of the problem, rather than to quickly address a symptom.

Dive into resolving the real problem - personal performance, lack of training, poor execution. If your processes need work, explore the root cause and fix the process. You likely don't need that extra form or the extra report or the extra approval.

And your ship will stay barnacle free.