Sustainable Process Optimization in Organizations Inspired by 'Future Workshop', Participatory Action Research, and Storytelling

In this article, we aim to elucidate how to work with workflow process mapping and process
optimization in organizations through the application of methods inspired by Participatory Action Research (PAR) and storytelling. Inspired by The Future Workshop (Sparre & Boje, 2020), we have adapted the method for working with organizational workflow optimization. The method comprises three primary phases (Critique, Utopia & Realization) that organizational members navigate, supported by relevant interventions facilitated by the organizers. Beyond the focus on workflow process optimization, the overarching purpose of the workshop is to undergo a process conducive to organizational learning and strengthen relationships among organizational members. It is noteworthy that even in cases perceived as a "failed" process by participants, subsequent reflection, and dialogue on the reasons for failure can yield insights or actions tantamount to organizational learning (Nielsen, 1984).

The methodological foundation of the workshop derives from critical-utopian action research,
aiming to enhance the everyday lives of organizational members through a democratically inclusive process. The distinctive characteristic of this approach lies in its democratic element and the rejection of assuming an expert role in the process (Greenwood & Levin, 2007; Nielsen & Nielsen, 2016). The purpose of support interventions is to inspire participants with data that may engender new insights and assist in the upcoming workshop processes they will undergo, rather than researchers acting as experts with answers to the participant’s questions. Support interventions are particularly influenced by process literature such as Sharp & McDermott (2009) and Imar (1992).

Fundamentally differentiating this method from previous approaches to process mapping and
optimization is the emphasis on participants, in the three phases, narratively sharing their everyday lives through storytelling. This fosters meaning-creation about their processes through interpersonal influence on their subjective horizons of understanding (Gadamer, 2007). This departure contrasts with an earlier, more functionalist approach where the facilitator acts as an expert, guiding participants to depict an "objective" reality of the process.