When is the last time you questioned how or why you do something in a particular way?  Is it still necessary to follow a 16-step process in order to get a package mailed when you can now buy one-price boxes from the post office?  Does it make sense to file documents by date when eventually you’re going to pull them all back together and combine data into a single summary report?

At Align we like to use the story about cutting off the ends of the ham to illustrate the need to take a fresh look at tried-and-true procedures.  A young girl is learning how to cook from her mother.  She says, “Mom, why do you always cut off the ends of the ham before you bake it?” Mom says, “I’ve always done it that way.  It’s how your grandmother taught me.”  So the young girl asks, “Grandma, why do you always cut off the ends of the ham before you put it in the oven?”  Grandma says, “Because the ham is too big for my roaster.  I cut off the ends so that it will fit in the pan.”

As you are training someone new to your organization, it’s the perfect time to listen to his or her questions and be thinking about the allegory of the ham.  She may ask you a direct “why” question, but even if she doesn’t, looking at the process through her fresh eyes can have the same effect and get you started identifying and implementing process improvements.  Involve your staff when you can, and share with them the story so they can look for more ways to stop “cutting off the ends of the ham.”