From Chaos to Clarity: Why Teams Need Process Maps

Can mapping out processes help you stop chasing your tail?

Every organization has to take care of tasks that require multiple steps. Hiring and onboarding, purchasing, payables and receivables, getting approvals, going live: each requires taking steps, completing tasks and moving things along. Much of the time, they are repetitive tasks. Done more or less the same way seemingly all the time. 

But here’s the catch: often, these steps exist in isolation—notes, emails, or even in our heads—but aren’t mapped out in a clear, actionable way. Even worse, you can ask two people involved in the process to describe it and get three (or more) different answers! 

You don’t have steps in a process.  You just have steps leading people all over the place..   

This is where process mapping comes in. Instead of a disjointed collection of tasks, process mapping creates a visual representation of how tasks flow, where decisions are made, and who’s responsible for each part. Think of it as a blueprint for better task management. And everyone involved can look at it, follow it, understand it. 

We use process mapping when we’re helping clients create or improve workflows and manage projects that involve multiple steps and stakeholders. 

What is Process Mapping?

Simply put, process mapping is the act of creating a diagram or chart that shows the steps, decisions, and connections in a process. It’s an end-to-end roadmap. More than a list of tasks, process maps show how the tasks interconnect, where handoffs occur, and where delays or issues might arise. In short, process mapping = workflow management.  

Why Process Mapping Matters

But why waste time mapping out a process instead of just doing the process. Here's why:

• Clear Roles and Responsibilities
  Everyone knows exactly what to do and when.

• Fewer Unpleasant Surprises
  Maps alert you in advance of where the road diverges, when a stop sign is ahead, when there’s obstacles that will slow you down. Better to know these things before they disrupt the flow. 

• Anticipatable Outcomes
  A mapped process helps you allocate resources better, and avoid surprises. You’ll know how long things should take and fully understand the potential impacts of setbacks as you iterate solutions on the fly.

• Less Time Wasted
  No more duplicated efforts. There’s less back-and-forth. Knowing who does what makes it clear how tasks intersect, which improves coordination among team members. Communication is better. The team is happier. The quality of the results keep getting better.   

Where to Begin 

Here’s one way to create a process map::

1. List the Steps
   Write down all the tasks involved in your process.  In any order. They’ll be rearranged as you insert more relevant details.

2. Break it Down
   Document the details. Who is responsible? Are there decision points? What happens next?

3. Map the Flow
   Arrange the steps in order, using shapes and arrows to show how tasks flow from one to the next.  If you’re a stickler about it, you can follow the Unified Modeling Language precepts. But no need to get hung up on those details. Just make a map that everyone can understand. 

4. Let it Roll
   The map is ready to roll out once every person involved in the process can use the map as a tool to explain every step of the process to anyone who asks. 

Ready to turn your scattered steps into a straight path?

Take the time to make the map. It’s worth it.  Remember, our brain devotes nearly two-thirds of its neurons to processing visual information. So stop getting vexed when people aren’t doing what you’re telling them to do.  Show them instead.  

A process map isn’t a diagram. It’s a shortcut to simplicity, a conduit to clarity, a guide to the goal.