I first learned this mantra years ago, when our department was heavily into Total Quality Management. It is one thing that has really stuck with me. If there is a problem, addressing the process issues first very often solves the problem.
When a complaint comes in, it can often be difficult to determine what really happened and who is at fault. Often, what is at fault is a process issue, but the blame frequently falls on the person or people involved in the process. For example, suppose a customer asks for assistance and gets the answer, "I don't know how to help you with this." On the face of it, there is nothing really wrong about this response. The service provider is telling the truth. Would we rather have a lie?
The problem is with the process. If we don't have a good process to tell the service provider what to do next, then the customer goes away unsatisfied, the issue is not resolved, and we get a black eye. Even worse, the customer spreads the word: "Don't go for help there. They don't know any answers."
In this case, what we need is a good escalation process, so that the service provider knows what steps to take next in order to get the customer to someone who can solve the problem. Solve the process issue, and the problems go away.
Of course, this approach does not solve all problems. Occasionally someone really is at fault. Sometimes people don't do the right thing. But having good processes in place, or adjusting the process when something is going wrong, solves lots of problems. Let's start with process improvement and see where it gets us.
Remember: It's Not the Person, It's the Process
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