<\/span><\/h2>\nWhile process policies can\u2019t control human behavior, they can help guide our choices and actions. Making the \u201crules of the road\u201d visible serves as a constant reminder of these decisions and expectations.<\/p>\n
Process policies in the workplace serve a similar purpose to the road signs that control our traffic systems: If a speed limit is meant to be followed \u2014 but there\u2019s no sign to remind us \u2014 the probability of violating the policy increases significantly.<\/p>\n
Similarly, if you\u2019re not supposed to start new work until you\u2019ve finished your current task \u2014 but there\u2019s no visual reminder of this policy \u2014 it\u2019s all too easy to succumb to the temptation of having too much work in process.<\/p>\n
In Kanban, process policies aren\u2019t supposed to be static, meaningless documents that gather dust somewhere and have no impact on the way people really work. They\u2019re a living, breathing representation of the team\u2019s decisions on how to work together more effectively.<\/p>\n
In short,\u00a0defining your process policies and making them visible are symbiotic components of effective teams.<\/strong>\u00a0This two-pronged approach can keep your team on track when questions arise.<\/p>\nScenarios for Process Policies<\/h3>\n
To help you figure out where process policies may be beneficial for your team, consider these scenarios from a software development team:<\/p>\n
\n- You\u2019ve finished coding a new feature. What do you need to do to make it ready for QA and minimize the possibility of rework?<\/li>\n
- You run into an impediment. Who needs to know? How are you going to seek resolution? While you\u2019re waiting, do you start new work or not?<\/li>\n
- Someone in sales comes rushing over with a \u201ccritical\u201d new feature request from a customer. What\u2019s your policy for prioritizing new work?<\/li>\n
- Unplanned work is filling up your backlog. Who gets to add new work to your board? How do you protect your team\u2019s process from outside stakeholders? How do you make sure that bug fixes, etc., are prioritized within their SLA requirements?<\/li>\n
- You\u2019re working on a feature, and have an awesome idea to make it even better. How do you avoid scope creep and keep to the definition of done?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Making process policies out of the answers to these and other questions requires a common effort from the whole team. One person can\u2019t know everything about how everyone works, and if you want the whole team to buy into the policy, it needs to be agreed upon during open discussion. It also helps a team be more self-managed, minimizing the need to continuously check in with management for what to do next or how to handle a situation.<\/p>\n
With explicit and visible process policies, people who are new to the team or not on the team can quickly get up to speed with your processes. Your stakeholders can easily discern not only the objectives, but also how to achieve those objectives. For management, explicit and visible process policies offer transparency and an extra layer of communication.<\/p>\n
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