Every team has one. That one process that somehow — still — falls apart.

Maybe it’s onboarding.

Maybe it’s publishing a blog post.

Maybe it’s how expense approvals still need three Slack pings, two reminders, and a nudge from finance.

Everyone’s got that process.

Even though it should be smooth by now.

You’ve done it a hundred times.

You’ve explained it twice as many.

But it still requires reminders, check-ins, and forehead slaps.

Sound familiar?

It’s not broken. It’s just undocumented.

And when something slips (again), you’re stuck asking:

“Didn’t we already solve this?”

That’s your signal to start process mapping.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to build a process map (we’ll use onboarding as the example) — and show you why it’s one of the most underrated tools your team isn’t using enough. Let’s get into it.

What is process mapping (in plain English)?

Process mapping is drawing out how something works — so anyone can understand it, fast.

It turns “We usually do it like this…” into “Here’s the exact step-by-step we follow every time.”

It take a messy, complex process and lay it out visually.

• Step-by-step.
• Start to finish.
• Who does what.
• Where things get stuck.

You can do it on paper, in Miro(online white board), with sticky notes on a wall — doesn’t matter.

The goal? Clarity.

When you map it out, you’ll instantly spot:

• Bottlenecks
• Gaps
• Duplicate work
• Unnecessary meetings (bye 👋)

And stop things from falling through the cracks — like “Wait, did anyone set up their Notion access?”

You can use process maps to:

• Train new hires
• Delegate with confidence
• Fix broken workflows
• Reduce repeated questions (and Slack chaos)

Why process mapping works

Let’s stick with onboarding.

It’s high-stakes. It’s the first real experience someone has with your company.

It sets the tone for everything that follows.

And yet… it’s often a hot mess.

People forget steps.

No one owns the full process.

Everyone’s too busy.

And the new hire is left wondering: “Am I supposed to be doing something right now?”

Now imagine instead:

• Every step is clearly mapped visually
• Each step is assigned to someone specific
• Everyone knows what’s next
• The new hire gets what they need — without confusion

That’s the power of a good process map.

How to create a process map (without making it boring)

Let’s walk through how to build a process map, using onboarding as our example.

Step 1: Identify the process to map

Zoom in on a specific part of the onboarding.

First day?

First week?

Full onboarding up to 90 days?

Pick one. Don't try to do it all at once.

You can always expand later.

For this example let’s take week 1.

Step 2: Brain-dump the steps

Get messy. Write down everything that needs to happen:

• Send welcome email
• Add to Slack
• Create email and Notion accounts
• Announce the new hire
• Book intro calls with team
• Assign an onboarding buddy
• Share role-specific docs and goals
• Schedule a 1-on-1 with their manager

Include who’s responsible for each one.

“Someone” doesn’t count. If a task needs a human, write down who does it.

(HR? Manager? IT? You?)

Step 3: Organize the chaos into a sequence of steps

Take your list and arrange it in the order it should happen.

• What happens first?
• What’s dependent on something else?
• Where do people usually drop the ball?

This is where most teams realize:

“Oh… we’ve been skipping Step 3 for months.”

That’s a good thing — now you know what to fix.

Step 4: Make it visual, create a flow chart

Time to map it out.

Use whatever tool works for your team:

Miro, Lucidchart, Whimsical, sticky notes, a whiteboard — it doesn’t matter.

Use simple shapes:

• Rectangles = steps
• Arrows = flow
• Diamonds = decision points
• Swimlanes = who's doing what (HR, IT, manager, new hire)

Keep it clean. Keep it clear.

This should be usable by someone who just joined your company yesterday.

Step 5: Share and poke holes in it

Review the map with people who actually run the process. Don’t make this a solo mission.

Ask:

• “What’s missing?”
• “What always gets skipped?”
• “What’s always late?”
• “What’s unclear?”
• “What’s repetitive?”
• “What do people complain about?”

You’ll uncover gold here — undocumented steps, silent bottlenecks, repeated delays.

Fix those. And probably a few “we’ve always done it this way” moments (challenge those).

Step 6: Make it better, improve as you go

Now that your onboarding process is visual and clear, you’ll start spotting easy wins:

• Automate emails
• Turn docs into templates
• Set calendar invites in advance
• Add async video intros
• Pre-record a “Welcome to the team” Loom

A process map isn’t static. It’s a living thing. Treat it like a product. Revisit it regularly and update as your team or tools change.Your onboarding process in Month 1 shouldn’t look the same in Month 12. That’s a good thing.

Wait — what kind of process map should you use?

By now, you’ve got your first process map — or at least a rough version of it.

But here’s the thing: not all maps are created equal.

Some are great for getting started. Others are better for presenting to leadership, spotting inefficiencies, or aligning cross-functional teams.

Let’s break down the most common types — and where they make the most sense.

Basic Flowchart

A simple, step-by-step diagram that shows how something works — start to finish. You use shapes like rectangles (for tasks), arrows (for flow), and diamonds (for decisions).

Why it’s useful:

It’s dead simple. You can whip one up in 10 minutes. It helps get everyone on the same page — especially if you're mapping a process that already lives in someone’s head.

Best for:

• Clear, linear processes like onboarding, publishing a blog post, or an approval workflow.
• Teams who are new to process mapping and want to get quick clarity.

Tool tip: Use Miro, Whimsical, or Lucidchart. But honestly? A whiteboard works fine too.

High-Level Process Map

A zoomed-out view of a process. Think of it like a roadmap — it shows the major stages, but not the streets and alleys in between.

Why it’s useful:

Perfect for when you need to explain a process to stakeholders who don’t need to see the nitty-gritty. This map shows how things flow across departments without overwhelming anyone with the details.

Best for:

• Executive reviews, leadership decks, or pitching a new workflow idea.
• Early-stage planning or when you're still figuring out the details.

Pro tip: Use this as the starting point before diving into more detailed mapping later.

Detailed Process Map

Your full-on, zoomed-in, every-task-every-decision kind of map. It includes what happens, when, who’s involved, tools used, inputs, outputs — the works.

Why it’s useful:

When things get complex (think onboarding with multiple systems, finance approvals, compliance steps), this map gives you the precision needed to identify friction, handoff issues, or automation opportunities.

Best for:

• Optimizing complex or cross-tool workflows (e.g., HR + IT + security onboarding)
• Teams in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, or government.

Heads up: This one takes more time. But it’ll pay off when you're looking to scale or tighten up inefficiencies.

Swimlane Diagram

A visual layout that organizes process steps into "lanes" — each lane belongs to a person, team, or role. You see who does what, and when, all in one view.

Why it’s useful:

This is super useful for cross-functional teams. No more "wait, I thought you were doing that." You can clearly see roles, responsibilities, and where handoffs happen (or break down).

Best for:

• Onboarding processes (HR, IT, hiring manager, new hire)
• Projects involving multiple departments or teams.

Pro move: Color-code each lane for visibility. Bonus points if you add timing to highlight idle gaps.

Value Stream Map

This one doesn’t just show the steps — it shows where time and value are gained or lost. It includes cycle times, wait times, and value-add vs. non-value-add activities.

Why it’s useful:

When you're optimizing for speed, this is your go-to. It helps identify where things slow down, where tasks sit idle, and where you’re losing momentum.

Best for:

• Continuous improvement teams
• Any team asking “Why does this take so long?”

If you're thinking: “We don’t need this level of detail,” try tracking time-on-task for just one week. You might be surprised.

SIPOC Diagram

SIPOC = Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers. It’s a pre-mapping tool to define the scope of a process before you map anything.

Why it’s useful:

When a process is messy, ambiguous, or involves a lot of people shouting over each other — this helps get alignment before anyone starts drawing boxes.

Best for:

• Getting everyone aligned before building a process map.
• Workshops where you need to define roles, responsibilities, and outcomes upfront.

Real talk: If your workflow feels like a bowl of spaghetti — start here.

So… which one do you choose?

Start simple.

If your goal is to get clarity and fix a common workflow (like onboarding), a basic flowchart or swimlane diagram will do the job.

Then, as your needs grow — or the process gets more complex — you can layer on detail with a value stream map or a detailed process map.

But remember:

The tool you use doesn’t matter as much as the clarity you create.

Your goal isn’t to impress with visuals — it’s to reduce confusion, remove friction, and help your team move faster.

Published on NotionFlows.com