Improving Business Processes

Continually seeking new ways to enhance performance, improve results and/ or transform the business and the industry in which it operates.

Level 1 Learns and executes improvements to business processes, identifying opportunities for improvements.

BEHAVIORS

• Identifies inefficiencies within current business practices or processes.

• Raises questions that challenge current business practices or processes.

• Documents inefficiencies within their own area of responsibility.

• Shares inefficiencies within business practices or processes with the appropriate party or process owner.

• Learns new processes under guidance.

QUESTIONS

• Can you tell me about an experience when you looked for new ways to improve your performance in your work?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* Why did you improve your performance in this area?

* Describe how you improved your performance.

* What was the impact of your actions?

• Could you describe a time when you offered suggestions to improve processes at work?

Probing Questions

* What was the situation?

* Why did you offer suggestions?

* How did you voice your suggestions?

* How did others receive your ideas?

* What were the results?

Level 2 Manages the implementation of process improvements.

BEHAVIORS

• Aligns resources to enable the implementation of process improvements.

• Guides others in learning and using improved processes.

• Monitors the effects of process improvements, providing feedback to management or process owners.

• Makes suggestions to further enhance process efficiency.

• Capitalizes on an imminent opportunity for the improvement of business processes.

QUESTIONS

• Could you give an example of a time when you were responsible to help others learn new improvements in work processes?

Probing Questions

* Who were you helping?

* How did you help them? Describe your actions.

* Why were you responsible to help others learn new work processes?

* Describe the outcome.

* What were the results?

• Could you give an example of a time when you were responsible for the implementation of process improvements?

Probing Questions

* Tell me about the situation.

* How did you implement process improvements?

* Why did you these process improvements?

* Were your efforts successful?

Level 3 Analyzes, design, and plan process improvements.

BEHAVIORS

• Modifies current approaches to better meet business needs.

• Identifies ways to achieve better results or add value beyond the current situation.

• Examines processes using a variety of analytical tools to identify causes for problems and inefficiencies.

• Plans the communication and implementation of process improvements.

• Collects feedback from process stakeholders to bring continuous improvement.

QUESTIONS

• Can you tell me about an experience when you designed new process improvements at work?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* What was the need for new process improvements?

* Describe the actions you took to design these new process improvements.

* What were the results?

• Could you describe a situation where you changed processes in order to solve a problem?

Probing Questions

* What was the problem?

* How did you analyze the problem? Describe your steps.

* What actions did you take to solve the problem?

* Was the problem resolved? What was the outcome?

Level 4 Designs and coordinates improvements in complex systems.

BEHAVIORS

• Solves complex problems through developing new explanations or applications.

• Leads initiatives that improve processes involving multiple teams.

• Seeks opportunities to improve business processes across the organization or outside of their own area of responsibility.

• Considers the full effects of ideas for improvement before deciding which idea to implement.

QUESTIONS

• Can you give me an example of a time when you improved a business process that impacted multiple business areas?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* What business processes did you improve?

* Describe how you improved the business processes in multiple areas.

* Did the business benefit from your actions?

• Can you tell me about a time when you improved the process in a complex system?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* Describe how you improved the process. What were your actions?

* How did this improvement affect the complex system?

* What was the outcome of the situation?

Level 5 Cultivates a culture for continuously improving business processes.

BEHAVIORS

• Provides expert insight into problems to assist others in researching and creating new approaches.

• Sponsors experimentation to maximize the potential for improving business processes.

• Supports others in generating new and innovative approaches (e.g., by providing funding, building on new ideas, recognizing innovation).

• Creates new concepts, models, innovations, or theories that have wide-ranging impacts on a field, policy area or program.

• Creates opportunities to undertake initiatives that will benefit the organization in the long term.

• Communicates the organization’s objectives so that process improvements support them.

QUESTIONS

• Can you tell me about something that you did to encourage the whole organization to continuously improve business processes?

Probing Questions

* In what ways did you encourage the organization?

* Describe your actions that encouraged the organization.

* How was your encouragement received by the organization?

* How did your efforts in this situation affect the organization’s business processes?

• Could you give an example of a time when you helped others develop a new approach or improve a process?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation. Who were you helping?

* Describe how you helped others in this situation.

* What were the results of the people you were helping?

* What was the outcome of the situation?