Process Orientation

Process orientation places a priority on how things are done. It is a willingness to remain open and follow in new directions. It means setting aside mainstream ways of achieving results and instead following culturally respectful processes that also produce results. It is letting go of agendas or the need to control, and trusting that the appropriate outcome will emerge from a good journey together. It means accepting that both the use of process orientation and a good relationship are concrete results.

Demonstrates the Behaviour When

• Shows interest in new ways of doing business that work better for Indigenous peoples
• Accepts that ways of being and doing differ across cultures
• Challenges self to follow Indigenous leadership in determining and facilitating the process
• Demonstrates understanding focusing on the process builds relationships
• Adapts readily to a change in process
• Adapts to a range of different social and cultural situations
• Prepares for meetings and interactions by learning appropriate protocol (from others in the BC Public Service and Indigenous peoples), the intent and meaning behind the protocol and when it should be used in a particular setting
• Shares early, openly and honestly any time constraints that may influence the process
• Welcomes a meeting agenda that emerges from dialogue
• Acknowledges that other ways of doing business are valid and valuable
• Adapts business timelines and expectations to reflect flexibility
• Plans contingencies for when the process may take longer than expected
• Takes time to build relationship prior to doing business
• Presents gifts and honorariums that follow public service and Indigenous protocol
• Expresses appreciation of time and effort of Indigenous people in the process
• Prioritizes process orientation in work with Indigenous people
• Challenges one's tendency to value getting tasks completed over letting the process unfold
• Helps others adjust timelines and balance between process and task orientation
• Leads, champions and mentors in process orientation
• Provides resource support for process orientation in work with Indigenous people
• Formalizes process orientation—and the concept of "relationship" as a deliverable—as an integral part of achieving business results

Needs Development When

• Sticks rigidly to timelines and methods of operation
• Resists new ideas or ways of doing things
• Is slow to learn from Indigenous people or Indigenous relations specialists and adapt processes
• Has an agenda and follows it without consideration of what's needed for the situation
• Wants to be respectful so doesn't share time parameters or other factors that may impact the process
• Resists change without full consideration of what is proposed
• Becomes so oriented to process that deliverables are not met
• Displays frustration when following the process lead of Indigenous people
• Interrupts speakers, reminding them of the timeline or agenda
• Rushes the process
• Jumps into a silence to push ahead
• Consistently seeks to lead and control interactions
• Pushes to get to a result or deliverable when attention to the process would achieve results and serve the relationship
• Focuses exclusively on getting things done
• Unnecessarily uses the status of "urgent" and "high priority" to push to a result
• Allows cultural incompetence to put the relationship and the business at risk
• Indigenous people indicate frustration with the way employee conducts the process
• Misuses the concept of process orientation to justify underperformance