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Processes are the official rules defined in this manual which we all commit to work by.
Have a small set of official processes to produce better, more meaningful work faster, achieve our missiong, and have more fun doing it. Processes have a cost, so we want the minimum set to accomplish this.
Most processes will start out as conventions. As you work, experiment and try things. When you can demonstrate something is working really well, we should consider making it an official process.
The first step for an official process is to write it up in this manual as a draft. The purpose of this is to make it clear and let team mates test whether it's useful.
The proposed process should:
- Have a clear benefit that outweighs its cost substantially. When in doubt, eliminate the process.
- Be as simple with the minimum number of steps necessary.
- Be informed by our own experiences and evidence first, consultation with colleagues second, best practices third (processes well known and contained in multiple industry standards), and specific literature from a single author a distant fourth.
- Be aligned with our mission.
Don't rush a new process. Trial it first:
- Document the process in this operations manual as a draft. Be clear about when the process applies, what the roles are and why it's worth having in concise simple language.
- Explain the process to team members, and get feedback. Testing a process is a consultative decision.
- Lead by example, and update your process document as you learn.
- Review the process with the team and decide if you want to propose it company-wide.
- The process must be approved by the company's Director.
- Remove the draft status from the ops manual page. It's now official.