What is a process?

You hear the word "process" almost every day, but do we have a workable definition so that we are all talking in the same language?

Here's a definition of process from Clayton Christensen:

" . . . patterns of interaction, coordination, and decision making that transform resources into products.(2003, p. 183)

These processes can be formal or informal. As you can imagine, it is the informal processes that cause the most headaches for the innovator because they are very difficult to change. These informal processes are often "set in stone" despite what the firm's boss says.

So why's all this important? It's important because there are times when a new -- or separate -- process must be established. When are these times? The times when a disruptive or a radical innovation looms on the horizon. In times like these, the old processes end up being a real disability.

So when somebody (probably a customer or front line employee) comes along and tells a middle manager at Blockbuster that movie downloads are going to be commonplace in future, it is an almost certainty that nothing will be done until it's too late.