The scariest words in HR: “This is the way we’ve always done it”

Early in my Marine Corps career, a personnel file taught me to look more closely at the processes people take for granted.

I had just finished MOS school and joined a unit of a little over 350 personnel. Within my first few weeks, I opened a file in the unit’s filing system and found a disorganized set of records. I have always liked organization, but the problem went beyond untidy folders.

As I reviewed the applicable Marine Corps orders, I could see gaps between the documentation requirements and the records in front of me. Proper file maintenance was part of the standard and had been covered in my briefing on the unit’s onboarding procedures.

When I asked my corporal about the filing system, she shrugged and said:

“This is the way we’ve always done it.”

Look beyond the first file

One disorganized file could not tell me the condition of every record. It gave me a reason to keep looking.

I spent days reviewing the records and reorganizing the filing system to align with the requirements. As I worked through the cabinet, I found the same kinds of issues dating back more than five years.

The practice had become familiar. People were passing it along, even though it had drifted from the written standard.

Compare the standard with daily practice

That experience still shapes how I approach HR. A policy or checklist can describe a sound process while everyday practice tells a different story. People learn from the person before them, work around missing information, and carry those habits into the next handoff.

Understanding that gap takes curiosity. Before changing the document or asking people to follow it more closely, find out how the work is happening and what makes the current approach difficult to maintain.

For a process that keeps causing problems, start with three questions:

• What is the process supposed to accomplish?
• Where does actual practice differ from the written expectations?
• Who is responsible for keeping the process useful and current?

Start with one process

Choose a process your team uses regularly and follow it from beginning to end. Look at the instructions, the information people need, and the points where responsibility changes hands. Ask the people doing the work what helps and what gets in the way.

You may find a practice worth keeping or a gap that needs attention. Either finding gives you a better starting point than accepting a familiar answer. “We’ve always done it this way” is a reason to ask the next question.