Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen how championship, meaning world-class processes are built sustainably in many global teams.

In a world of instant gratification and short-term pressures, I’ll share steps I’ve seen teams take to get to these world-class levels over time. Just like sustainable championship-level teams, these systems take time to implement and result in world-class outcomes when done right.

I’ll break down the steps teams take to build these processes over time without wasting thousands of money and lots of time.

The problem is some leaders look for quick transformations that later fail because they focus on short-term results versus the processes underpinning the results.

Benchmarks and Targeted Improvements were the major unlocks. Let's Dive in!

Step 1: Define “What world-class outcomes look like?” for your team

Most teams miss this critical step. Here’s how to clinch this step

• Ask stakeholders (internal or external customers, employees, financial stakeholders) what specific world-class outcomes look like to them.

• Define Metrics that focus on the quality of the outcome, the timing of the outcome, and the cost to deliver those world-class outcomes. eg. defects, on-time delivery, cost per unit

• Specify what targets would be world-class in the eyes of your customers. eg. 99% On time delivery.

In short, begin with the specific end in mind.

Step 2: Break your processes into key steps

Mapping process steps can be done at all levels. Here’s how:

• List out activities to achieve the outcomes in the order they happen.

  • Include activities that may not be happening but should be.

• For each activity, define the trigger for each which tells us when to start that process.

• For each activity, define the deliverable for each which tells us when the step is completed.

So, outline activities, triggers, and deliverables

Step 3: Use a maturity scale to define what good looks like for each process step

Maturity scales help you get to world-class in a deliberate and targeted way.

• Use a simple scale from 0 - 3 as a starting point.

  • 0 would be a rating for a step not started or defined but not being followed.

  • 3 would be a rating for a step operating at a world-class level.

• Define what a world-class rating(4) looks like for each process step

• Define what a “not started” rating (0) looks like for each process step

• Define what the ratings for 1 and 2 look like for each process step.

• Pro-Tip: Ask customers, suppliers, or consulting companies for maturity assessments you can leverage

Building your maturity scales is like building your championship playbook for your team

Step 4: Assess your processes on a defined schedule

Assessment means scoring your processes to understand your current state

• Schedule time with your team.

• Share how this will help provide a roadmap for long-term success.

• Rate each process on the maturity scale you defined in Step 3.

• Look for evidence that supports your rating where possible.

• Default to the lower score if you’re struggling with 2 possible ratings.

Do not worry about being precise. Directionally correct is good enough.

Step 5: Create Process driven improvement tasks to improve processes in weekly chunks

Now you’re ready to make step changes. Here’s how:

• Decide what your next improvement period will be. 6 months is ideal

• Schedule time with your team to do Improvement Planning.

• Decide which process steps you will improve in that period.

• Pick only a few process steps at a time

• Decide what scores you want to achieve for those process steps.

• Brainstorm what tasks need to be accomplished to improve those process steps and achieve those scores in the 6 month period.

• Break those tasks into weekly buckets to drive progress on a regular basis.

• Assign those tasks to various team members.

In short, weekly improvement tasks keep complacency away.

Step 6: Provide training and tools along the way to support the transformation plan

Step 5 was about will. Step 6 is about the skill that we get from training.

• Determine what training you need to achieve the scores in step 5.

• Reach out to your management team for support getting this training.

• Find sources of training in this order:

  • Free Online training. eg. youtube.

    • there’s a lot of good training today online

  • Paid Online training.

  • Targeted in-person training.

• Schedule time to get training.

• Schedule time for your team to put it into practice

If you forget everything else, do not forget to put the training into practice as a task in your improvement plan

Step 7: Check in weekly on your improvement plans

Check-ins are a chance to ensure the improvement activities are going as planned. Here’s what I’ve seen work.

• Schedule weekly meetings after the assessment.

• Follow up on what was planned.

• Follow up on what actually was accomplished.

• Ask colleagues where they need help with missed tasks.

• Provide support for colleagues on missed tasks.

• Ensure new processes are documented and colleagues are trained.

• Schedule time for your team to put it into practice.

• Summarize progress and communicate to leadership on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.

When leaders don’t check in, improvement plans typically fail.

Step 8: Share successes(and failures) as you improve those processes

As your processes improve, build momentum by sharing those successes by:

• Sharing examples of completed improvement tasks.

• Listening for examples of new capabilities from newly improved process steps.

• Remind your team of the long-term goal to have world-class processes.

  • Most people want to be on a winning team so they’ll connect the improvements to the world-class vision.

• Sharing those with regular communications(emails, chats, etc).

• Listening for what did not go as well with a newly implemented process.

• Share lessons learned and what we may change the next time.

Communication builds momentum. Use it to your advantage.

Step 9: Promote leaders who embrace the transformation journey

In my experience, nothing speaks as loudly to your focus on transformation as the personnel moves you make on your team.

• Pay attention to those direct reports who are driving the transformations.

• Coach and help them achieve success in their existing roles.

• Give them exposure to your broader team.

• During succession planning keep them in mind and advocate for them if they are doing a good job.

Your personnel moves will largely dictate the pace of your transformation. Use them wisely

Step 10: Repeat steps 4-9

We want to repeat each 6 month cycle again which allows you to:

• Start from a higher assessment score

• Build more capable processes every 6 months.

• Build more confidence in your team from achieving that success

• Communication builds momentum. Use it to your advantage.

• Transform your organization one process at a time.

By repeating these steps, you’ll increase your chances of developing yourself, your teams(especially remote teams), and your business over the long term.

That’s all for now, I hope you found it useful