[Language help] What do you say when you want to retire or revise a team process?

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

Prompt: sometimes, the rituals or ways teams work together become outdated and you want to suggest a different way to run a process or otherwise work together.

Please share the language you use in these situations. Or, upvote the responses you like.

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Series note: communication is the foundation of connection with teammates. The more options we have at our disposal, the better chance we have of communicating our needs. What better place to crowdsource ideas than from the Atlassian Community?

[Darryl Lee · Accepted solution]

If it's a process documented somewhere and not a major change, I will leave a comment with my reflections and suggestions there inviting feedback and brainstorming.

If it requires a massive change or deprecation, I will approach both the team manager and the process owner for offering my feedback and demand a brainstorming meeting with the associates.

In the feedback, I will try to stay genuine and neutral, focusing on retaining the positive takeaway from the current process, and discussing the adjustment to adapt to the status quo. 

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

I like the idea of commenting on where things are already documented (in the first part of your note) because that's starting from what's currently happening. Acknowledging that gets everyone starting from the same place. Which is a great strategy!

[Mel Policicchio · Accepted solution]

When approaching any kind of change to how work gets done, I like to talk to everyone involved before thinking too hard about a solution. I've made the mistake before of realizing there was a gap in how work got done and then trying to update the workflow without talking to enough people about their experience and ideas. It can be easy to assume that because you're the one suggesting the change, you're the only one who wants the change, but that's rarely the case. 

As far as language itself goes, questions are the best way to start a conversation! "I noticed that we review our editorial calendar quarterly, has it always been that way? Have we ever done it monthly?" From there, sharing your idea for a new process can be pretty organic. 

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

I've thought about how a "curious" approach helps with relationship-building, iteration, and general innovation. Which really aligns with your approach of asking questions to open the door to the conversation. I like it, @Mel Policicchio!

[Dan Breyen]

Process improvement is always a good thing.  BUT changing process for the sake of changing the process can be detrimental.  My challenge is when starting at a new organization, you can't just barge right in and change everything.  So the gradual 'curious' approach certainly has its merits.  Asking all sorts of questions regarding the current process also gets people thinking about it.

[Carlos Garcia Navarro · Accepted solution]

Hi @Christine P. Dela Rosa ,

First I explain why, and then propose an improvement or a replacement while listing the benefits. I normally offer it as an experiment or something to try before it may become an approved change.  E.g. "I've observed that when we follow process A, security reviews happen too late, after development has started. I believe that we should get security involved earlier in the process so they can start the reviews earlier. This would save time and help with collaboration. I'd like to propose the change with the next project that starts next week."

[Christine P. Dela Rosa]

When I was in grade school, I trained in peer mediation. One of the things they asked us to encourage was to anchor the beginning of each message with a fact (as opposed to a feeling...with exception to an observation of when X happens, the person felt Y). So this seems like a very neutral, take-the-emotions-out-of-it approach. And I think that's disarming. Great suggestion, @Carlos Garcia Navarro !