As business owners, one of the challenges we face is how to communicate how we do things effectively. This becomes even more crucial as we make the shift from solopreneur to building a team, and need to delegate efficiently. What seems obvious or also instinctive at our level of expertise may not make sense to a more junior hire, and consistency in a process is crucial to reducing unnecessary steps and avoiding the increasing cost.

What will you learn in this course?

• You will learn the fundamentals of process storytelling,
• A framework for effectively understanding, visualizing, and communicating business processes in a way that enables anyone to understand and execute the process effectively.
• Why it is necessary to start from a physical frame of reference when documenting a process;
• How to use the 5 ‘W’ framework (an approach also used by journalists in crafting news articles) to identify the information you need to include; and
• How to visualize process steps in a simple, easy-to-understand way using just three shapes. 
• How to identify and document the key processes and process steps in your business (things like onboarding clients, invoicing and bookkeeping, scoping projects, etc) in a way that will enable you to both delegate work more successfully and better understand how your business works.

Who should take this course?

This class is most relevant to business owners, particularly solopreneurs looking to scale up. However, it would be helpful to anyone whose role requires them to understand and document business processes.

No specific software is required, however for the project access to a tool which allows you to create free-form charts is helpful (i.e., Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, etc.).

Project Assignment

Using the examples in the class and the attached template for reference, capture and visualize one of your business processes using the ‘5 W’s’ and the Cavi Mapping Language.

1. Download the Process Storytelling worksheets.
2. In the Comments section of the class, tell us a little about your business and what process you are planning to map out.
3. Start by gathering the information needed and interviewing the person or people who currently perform(s) the process (if this person is you, start by writing out your answers to the 5 Ws, or you can record yourself describing the process in terms of the 5 Ws and use that as the ‘interview’ notes).
4. Using your interview notes, visualize the full process on a single page using the Cavi Mapping Language. If there is too much information to fit on a single page, you may need to add “detail layers”. How much detail you include is up to you, but the goal should be that someone else can look at your process map and understand how to complete the process.
5. When you’ve created your map, share it with the group for feedback and discussion! And if you’re stuck at any point, reach out to the community, and we’ll make sure you have what you need to complete your project.