Quickly create a process map in a team meeting

Process maps are a great way for teams to see the work they are doing and find bottlenecks to remove or areas to improve. Teams can use the colored tokens or the Post-It-Notes method to create a simple step-by-step description of how to do their process. Using a pen or marker, they can also use the steps below to develop a high-level process flow diagram or a more detailed workflow.

Start by writing each step that team members can think of in the process on an index card or sticky note rotated wide or wide (also known as landscape style).

After members can no longer think of any new steps, begin to organize the steps so that they flow through the process in a horizontal path. Processes with less than 10 steps can be arranged in a vertical path if desired. With chips, arrange them on a table. If you use post-it notes, it helps to stick them to a dry-erase marker board so arrows can be drawn between them using the correct type of markers.

Once the steps are in order, check to see if a step is missing before the first or after the last written. Add cards or notes for the missing steps. Then look at all the other steps in sequence and determine if any steps are missing between any of the steps to add them as well.

Determine if there are any decisions to be made during the process. If there are, add them as a decision point on a card or note. If you are using index cards, select another color for decisions and/or rotate the card where it is taller and thinner than the others (also known as portrait style). If you use post-it notes, select another color for decisions and/or rotate the note where it is diamond-shaped or taller. Decision points should be written as short Yes/No questions (preferably less than 6 words). Have the Yes steps proceed from the top of the card or diamond and the No steps from the bottom if using a horizontal path. If you are using a vertical process path, have the Yes continue down and the No come out one side of the diamond.

Once all the steps and decision points are in place, the process map can be made into a better looking document using software for the purpose or a plastic stencil to draw the process map. Connect the steps and decisions using arrows to indicate the directional flow of the steps. If the team needs to take the cards out of the room to turn them into a single document, write a number on each to indicate the sequence in which they should appear as steps in the final document.

Teams can use the steps above to create a process flow diagram or detailed workflow. This method can be used by any team and only requires index cards or Post-it notes and something to write with to create a step-by-step chart of how to do anything related to that specific team.