“Mapping the Invisible” – Lessons from Process Interviews During Change
When organizations go through change—whether restructuring, service transfer, or just trying to get a clearer grip on what their teams actually do—one task always surfaces: process mapping or role mapping.
But while the goal may be simple (“show me who does what”), the reality can get tangled very quickly. Here’s what I’ve learned from doing this in practice, and what might help others avoid the common pitfalls.
1. Be Clear on the Purpose—For Everyone
One of the biggest early risks is misalignment of intent. If one manager wants a high-level overview (“just the essentials”) and another expects forensic-level documentation (“I want every step”), that ambiguity will show up in your interviews—and cause frustration.
Top Tip: Agree a shared purpose and level of detail before you begin. If needed, produce a core summary with detailed appendices for those who want to dig deeper.
2. You’re Not the Expert—You’re the Interpreter
When you’re tasked with documenting roles or processes you don’t perform yourself, you’re entirely dependent on the people doing the work. That means clarity, honesty, and completeness from them are essential—but not always guaranteed.
People may skip steps they think are “obvious” or unintentionally gloss over pain points. This is where structured interviews are essential.
Top Tip: Always include a review loop. Have the person or their line manager validate what you’ve written. It builds trust and improves accuracy.
3. Structure the Conversation to Reduce Ambiguity
A good structure does three things:
It ensures consistency between interviews
It keeps the conversation focused and efficient
It gives participants confidence—they know what to expect
But structure shouldn’t mean rigidity. Ask broad questions like: “What do you do that no one else sees?” or “If someone else did your job tomorrow, what would they need to know?”
Top Tip: Share your questions in advance to reduce anxiety and allow people to prepare.
4. Remember the Emotional Context
Role mapping isn’t neutral. For some, it feels like being scrutinized. For others, it’s a cue that change (or redundancy) is coming. Approach interviews with empathy. Reinforce that the goal is clarity and continuity, not judgment.
Top Tip: Position the exercise as a celebration of what works, not a forensic inquest.
5. It’s Not Just “What” People Do—It’s “Why” and “When”
Good process mapping includes not only tasks, but also triggers, handover points, and dependencies. You want to know not just what’s done, but what starts it, who else is involved, and what happens if that person isn’t there.
Top Tip: Use prompts like “what do you do when X happens?” or “what slows this down?”
Summary: Top Tips for Process & Role Mapping
1. Clarify intent and scope upfront
2. Use structured questions, but leave room for nuance
3. Validate everything with the people doing the work
4. Map roles and context: triggers, systems, dependencies
5. Be empathetic—change creates uncertainty
6. Distil insights into summaries with optional detail appendices
7. Document who covers the role during absence—often missed
8. Capture not just what works, but what breaks
9. Ask: “If someone took over tomorrow, what would they need?”
10. Don’t do it to people—do it with them