How To Know When It Is Time for v2 Of An Internal Process

How To Know When It's Time To Move Onto Version 2 Of An Internal Process

There comes a point when it’s time to scrap your v1 of whatever process(s) you have in place. Whether you’re building a piece of software or trying to improve your marketing strategy, at some point you have to stop what you’re doing and go back to the drawing board and come up with something new that can improve upon the old version. At first glance, scrapping an existing process can seem like an admission of failure, but in reality it’s the opposite; creating v2 of anything means taking the existing knowledge gained from v1 and creating something better than what currently exists.

Warning Signs That It Is Time For A New Strategy

If you are underwhelmed by your results, and if you're still putting in a lot of effort without seeing appreciable improvement, it may be time to rethink things. Here are some common warning signs that it is time for a new strategy. 

You are getting resistance from employees to try new ideas, team seems stuck in their ways, you are starting to see increased turnover in top performers, your company is generally stagnating, you find yourself less excited about work every day, it may be time for a new strategy.

When is the right time for a new strategy? - There is no hard and fast rule that determines when it is time for v2 of your particular process. Large or small, don't get complacent and accept a v.1 as "that's just the way things are". Here are a few ideas for what you can do and how to approach it.

Reevaluate Current Opportunities

There comes a point when a process within the organization isn’t delivering on its promise and you need to take stock of where you are. Departments within organizations can be set up for failure because they don't take responsibility for making their ideas better and constantly trying to evolve their process over time. As a business leader, reevaluating your ideas and current opportunities is an essential skill to have in your arsenal. The best leaders know when it is time to stop and assess.

Take Stock Of Where You Are Right Now

You can’t make the move until you know the full problem. Before you can truly say it’s time to scrap v1, first you need to clearly recognize and define what that version was supposed to be doing in the first place. Take stock of where you are right now, then figure out what your vision is for moving forward. What do you want your new process to achieve? 

 Figure out exactly what’s causing your current process to flounder, and get a clear idea of what it is you’re aiming for. Start by defining where your v1 left off and its final results. Then list all of the problems that prevented it from achieving those results. These may be reasons why you decided to scrap v1 in favor of something new. If you keep these reasons in mind as you move forward, they can act as road markers that tell you if your current plans are on track or not. 

Identify what you need from the new process. Whether you know exactly what needs fixing or just a general sense of unease, identify specific parts of your process that will help fix any issues identified above.

Factor In The Market Climate

Before making any big changes to your process, you’ll want to gather facts and make assumptions about why your current model isn’t working. Use statistics, surveys, and employee feedback to build a rock-solid case for change. If done properly, it will feel less like moving onto v2 and more like improving on what you already have in place. 

As you gather your data, look at both facts and opinions. What are employees saying about why things aren’t working? Are there any trends in what they’re saying? How do your numbers compare to industry standards or to competitors? How are others in similar industries or departments handling the same process? Are there any components of another department that could be implemented to make the current process work smother?

Use Data

You can’t make a decision without data. Establish clear criteria and then develop possible process solutions based on those criteria. If your numbers are lousy, you probably need to make changes but keep in mind that not all ideas will be winners at first so don’t give up too soon. If a solution is working, keep it and build on it. Even if you find success early on, look for ways to make improvements to create more value for yourself and others. 

Good criteria will lead to better solutions. One way to improve your decision-making is to separate yourself from short-term thinking and make decisions based on long-term goals and outcomes. Focus on what you want to achieve and not just how you’ll get there. A common pitfall for business leaders is being so preoccupied with a solution that we fail to consider whether it is actually desirable in real life for the employees or the target market of your product. Ask yourself: Does my solution make sense for others? If not, find another path. Remember, even if you like a particular solution, other people may not think it makes sense or be willing to use it at all. Once you’ve established your criteria, apply them consistently when evaluating new ideas to reduce innate prejudice.

Determine If Your Strategy Has Run Its Course

Determining whether it’s time to move on from your current process requires that you step back and analyze. Specifically, you should compare the benefits of continuing with v1 to those of starting over with v2. If your strategy isn’t providing you with value or results, then it may be time to consider making a change. Ask yourself these questions: Are there changes to my environment that have rendered my existing strategy ineffective? Am I not seeing the anticipated results? Does the core concept behind my strategy still resonate or is it outdated? Is my implementation flawed in some way? How do others perceive my approach and/or am I willing to listen and adjust accordingly?

Getting Started With Version 2

Once you’ve realized that it’s time to start work on v2, try to make a clean break from your current process. While it may be tempting to continue using parts of your v1 for as long as possible, resist. It will only hurt you in the long run. Instead, invest some time into making sure that your new version is up and running quickly (even if it is just an outline). This will help you get over any initial stages of resistance and set yourself up for success in moving onto v2 of your new process.