Summary

Understanding the current situation with the “Process-in-Focus” is more important than many organizations realize. With their urgency to implement new systems and processes, these organizations often want to skip right past this phase. In doing so, however, they usually end up solving the wrong problem or eliminating the good things that go on today. Perhaps most importantly, they have no foundation for change, which is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. If you don’t know where you are, the journey cannot begin. If you cannot show those affected why change must happen based on a sure knowledge and proof, the human change journey also won’t start.

This Understand phase is important, however, in that it must not fall into analysis and modeling for its own sake. The key word is understand, and then move on.

Once you are ready to move, the steps in the next phase, Renew, can be initiated. The Renew phase can build on what you’ve learned in the Understand phase. It is the turning point from analysis to synthesis. It will build the blueprint for the future process and improved performance.