Process Orientation — Why the Resistance?

Who benefits from process orientation?

Typically, three groups have a vested interest in greater process orientation:

• The customer
• Anyone focused on the organization’s value creation
• Those whose personal challenges are addressed by better processes

The customer’s silent voice

We all know the slogan: “The customer is king.” But in internal discussions, the customer’s perspective is often left out — and only becomes visible when they quietly choose a competitor. By then, it’s usually too late. Once lost to process failures, winning customers back is far harder than keeping them in the first place.

Understanding and optimizing value creation

Put simply: Value creation = realized willingness to pay – internal process costs

To sustainably improve value creation, organizations must look at both sides of the equation. That requires a deep understanding of their processes:

• You can only optimize costs holistically by looking at the entire value chain — from initial inquiry to delivery.
• Your offering, and thus customers' willingness to pay, is shaped by the quality and design of your internal processes.

In an ideal world, everyone in the organization would care about this. But especially in larger companies, many employees don’t see how value creation relates to their personal work life.

Why employees resist process orientation

Here’s the real issue: Most employees don’t clearly see what’s in it for them. So if you want to embed process orientation in your organization, you need to ask a different kind of question: What personal challenges could we solve by improving our processes?

Only when the individual benefit becomes clear — less stress, fewer conflicts, clearer expectations — does process orientation start to gain traction.

Ask the right questions:

• What specific employee frustrations could better processes solve?
• How can we connect process orientation to individual goals like success, satisfaction, or simply a smoother workday?

A more human approach to process orientation

Process orientation isn’t just an abstract management concept. When done right, it creates real, personal value — for customers, for the organization, and for employees.

If you can answer these questions concretely, you're on the right track. If not, your efforts will face resistance. But by actively exploring individual needs, you can bridge the gap between process optimization and everyday fulfillment.

The most convincing answers often lie in:

• Fewer mistakes through standardization — “We can’t get it wrong.”
• Clearer responsibilities — “I know exactly what I’m responsible for.”
• Less friction at interfaces — “Everyone knows what’s needed and when.”

Process and quality managers would be wise to ask themselves — and their teams: How can we ensure process management is not just a formal requirement, but a personal win for everyone involved?