The importance of effective leadership and communication in BPM / BPR projects By

Gihad Radi Hamdan Bin Mohammed University Dubai UAE May - 2012

Introduction
During the implementation of Business Process management (BPM) / Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project there will be many new challenges which required good change management to ensure the best practices in this implementation. This paper will introduce the importance of good leadership and effective communications in the implementation of good change management which will result to successful implementations of (BPM/BPR) project and how this successful implementation will result to successful project toward the organizations goals. Leadership is when a person will have the capability to influence the others through enlisting the knowledge, experience and resources to direct them, lead them and support them to perform Specific tasks in specific period of time. Thats why leadership has to be effective and capable to lead the others safely to the target or the organization because its one critical success factors for a BPM / BPR project. Communications is also one of the most important elements in successful organization between all different levels in order to have clear understanding, performing and delivering of the knowledge in an effort to teem the organization target. From here its raise the importance of having effective leadership with excellent communications between all levels of the organization to insure best practices, performances and result in BPM/BPR project to achieve the organization targets.

1|Page

The importance of change management when implementing BPM/BPR

Change management will require big efforts and support from all departments in the organization. Its not only applied new knowledge or technique but its change the behavior. That will be including the change in mentality of people and that will be by improve their knowledge and capabilities to perform the new tasks which will be required from them which is will be through good competence training for benefit from this implementations by great potential for increasing productivity through reduced process time and cost, improved quality, and greater customer satisfaction (Zairi, 1999) Its also will require good leaders to lead this changes in proper way and 2 ways effective communications to ensure best channels of knowledge transfer which will result good implementations of good change management (Freek Hermkens, 2007). While organization implementing the BPM/BPR many organizations fail to achieve their targets because of failure in the implemented properly or fail to benefit the BPM/BPR. There are successful factors which organization should consider supporting them in good change managements which will result of successful implementation of the BPM/BPR projects. Good Leadership and effective communication two important of these successful factors. Can we imagine organization with weak leadership and bad communication between deferent levels within the organization? How the organizations performance will look like toward change management and implementations of BPM/BPR projects? The answer will be that it will be big mis and the organizations will never achieve their target out of this effort they do and it will be just waste of time and resources. An organization seeking good change management and best practices toward successful implementation of BPM/BPR project has to ensure that they have strong leadership because its the main pillar of the process. Leadership consider as the most important factors of successful in BPM/BPR projects. Thats why leadership it has to be effective, strange, visible, and creative in thinking and understanding to ensure his ability to lead, create the future vision for the organization to be facing the challenges in the race of excellence. (Zairi, 1999) This vision should be compliance with the organizations mission and guiding principles. This vision has to be clear and comprehensive and to be delivered and clearly communicated to all organizations levels of employees who are going to be directly involved in the process and that will motivate them, provide them with all support needed during the cycle of project and make them more loyal to the organization when they know that the organization consider them which create better work environment and avoid risk of any employees resistance.

2|Page

Leadership should also ensure proper communications channels to ensure that all the information, knowledge were delivering clearly and efficiency through all levels of organization during the implementations of BPR project because thats really make big change and completely different if the information and knowledge not been communicated properly. Management ideas and vision should be translated and communicated clearly into attitudes and behavior of these people has direct impact on the process. (Sturdy, 2010) Lack of proper communication will give each person the chance to interpret the information according to his understanding and for should it will vary from person to other. So the process will go in wrong direction which will result to create big hazard on the process and even on the entire organization. Other big problem will arise when information been translated wrongly because of bad communication which is that people might resist the changes because they will not feel secure in their workplace and they will lose their interest and motivations and will be worried to loss their job which will create unhealthy work environment which will risk the whole process. Inadequate communication between BPR teams and other personnel relating to the need for change and the hiding of uncertainties in communication can result in a lack of motivation and reward. (Davenport, 1993), Talwar also stated that; organizational resistance can result from inadequate communication between BPR teams and other personnel relating to the need for change (Talwar, 1993), (Sturdy, 2010)

Human factor playing also important role in the BPM/BPR projects. Thats why the good leadership will always consider the human factor in each part of the process because one of the common mistakes happened during the implementations that the leader or manageress will be fully engaged in the technical hype of the process of BPM/BPR and they will forgot to manage their people, communicate with them, support them which will make them feel that they have no value in the organization which might drive them to resistance and sabotage. (Evans, 1994). To avoid this and ensure that the process going in the right track and nothing might cause interruption for this process, senior managers should spend most of their times to have 2 ways communication with their people to explain for them the benefit of change management for them and what its really mean for them and will give them chance to ask all what roam in their minds and between them to clarify all their doubts and worries. Managers have to be open and direct to discuss all aspect and impacts will occur as a result of this change with their employees. And give them chance to express their thoughts and get their feedback and value this for them as they are important part of the organization. Thats will really make big changes in the psychic the employees and that will motivate them and make them feel more secure which will reflect in their behavior towards the changes. (Evans, 1994)

Conclusion
3|Page

Strong and good Leadership and communications are very important factors which every organization should consider during change management toward successful implementations of BPM/BPR projects. Its certainly that in absent of one of them the process will go in wrong direction and the organization, management, employees and even the process will suffer. So leadership has to have the capabilities to draw good road map for the process and translate it in common language to be easy to communicated efficiency and understood by all relevant departments and people which will create healthy work environment and give them the confidante and secure which will enhance their performance and will reflect positive in the entire process.

References:
http://www.managementstart.nl/artikelen/s68.html http://search.proquest.com/docview/220296986/abstract?source=fedsrch&accountid=33317 http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/978-1-4438-2509-2-sample.pdf http://search.proquest.com/docview/225228005/abstract?source=fedsrch&accountid=33317

4|Page