Run a 60‑Minute Process Discovery Workshop

Overview

• TL;DR: In one hour, align on scope, roles, and the happy path; capture 1–2 key exceptions; and exit with a lightweight BPMN draft plus owners and next steps. Keep the session tightly time‑boxed and focused on outcomes over tooling.
• Why this matters: Process mapping clarifies how work actually flows so teams can improve it and reduce delays and errors (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Flowchart guide, https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/flowchart). Short, well‑structured workshops reduce cognitive load and decision fatigue (Nielsen Norman Group on chunking and working memory, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/chunking/).
• What you’ll get: an agenda, scripts, and a starter template that consistently produces a review‑ready diagram and concrete follow‑ups.

Agenda (60 Minutes)

0–5 min — Welcome, scope, and outcomes

• Script: “In 60 minutes we will agree on the scope, map the main flow, capture 1–2 common exceptions, and assign owners for next steps.”
• Frame the scope with a one‑sentence process statement: “From [trigger] to [end state] for [audience/channel].” Timeboxing improves focus and throughput (Scrum Guide on time‑boxing principles, https://scrumguides.org/).

5–15 min — Map participants and hand‑offs

• Identify roles/teams/systems; these become BPMN lanes/pools (Camunda BPMN 2.0 reference on Participants, https://docs.camunda.org/manual/latest/reference/bpmn20/).
• Capture known hand‑offs; prefer role names (e.g., “Customer Support”) over individuals for reuse.

15–40 min — Capture the happy path

• Narrate the primary scenario from trigger to outcome. Keep it to 7–10 key activities on the first pass to avoid over‑detailing (Nielsen Norman Group on chunking, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/chunking/).
• Place steps into lanes as you go to make responsibilities explicit. Use plain‑language, verb‑first labels (Digital.gov Plain Language, https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language).

40–50 min — Add the essential exceptions

• Add 1–2 common branches (e.g., “Missing info,” “Out of policy”) using exclusive gateways. If more emerge, log them for a follow‑up session to keep this workshop productive.
• If external parties are involved (customer, vendor), model them as separate pools to clarify boundaries (Camunda reference, Participants).

50–60 min — Review, decisions, and next steps

• Read the flow aloud end‑to‑end; confirm each decision has labeled branches and destinations.
• Decide owners for open questions and data needs; capture due dates. Summarize decisions and share immediately. Clear roles/ownership reduce rework (Atlassian Team Playbook on Roles & Responsibilities/RACI, https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/roles-and-responsibilities).

Starter Template (Copy/Paste)

• Process name: [e.g., “Customer Refund — Online Orders”]
• Scope: From [trigger] to [end state] for [audience/channel]
• Lanes (roles/teams): [Role A], [Role B], [System]
• Main path: Start → [1] … → [2] … → [3] … → End
• Decision: [condition?] → Yes: … / No: …
• Outputs: [artifacts, notifications, updates]
• Open questions: [who owns], [due date]

Facilitation Tips (That Keep It Moving)

• Time‑box visibly: keep a timer on screen and announce halfway points; time‑boxing helps maintain momentum (Scrum Guide, https://scrumguides.org/).
• Diagram last, discuss first: capture steps in bullets before arranging shapes; this prevents tool friction from derailing content (IHI Flowchart guidance, https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/flowchart).
• Enforce plain language: prefer “Verify customer identity” over “Handle verification.” It improves comprehension and speeds consensus (Digital.gov Plain Language, https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language).
• Limit concurrency: one editor, one narrator. Rotate if needed to keep engagement high (Nielsen Norman Group on workshop facilitation, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/workshop-facilitation/).
• Park edge cases: note them in a “parking lot” doc; deep dives become follow‑ups, not derailers.

Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

• Scope creep: unrelated subprocesses appear mid‑discussion. Fix: restate the scope sentence; log spin‑off processes for later.
• Role ambiguity: steps bounce between lanes. Fix: rename lanes by role/team; confirm ownership as you place activities (Camunda Participants, https://docs.camunda.org/manual/latest/reference/bpmn20/).
• Vague labels: “Handle request.” Fix: use verb + object (“Validate request data”) and keep labels concise (Digital.gov Plain Language).
• Tool‑first mapping: teams start dragging shapes immediately. Fix: capture in bullets first; layout after content.

Outputs You Should Leave With

• A legible BPMN draft showing the happy path plus 1–2 common exceptions.
• A list of open questions with owners and due dates (RACI style responsibilities assist clarity; Atlassian Team Playbook, https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/roles-and-responsibilities).
• A brief summary email or page with decisions, the diagram link, and the next workshop (if needed).

Follow‑Up (Next 48 Hours)

• Share the diagram and notes; request asynchronous comments with a 72‑hour deadline.
• Apply minor edits for clarity (spacing, labels, lanes) and tag owners for final confirmation.
• Schedule a 30‑minute exceptions session only if needed.

References

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): Flowchart (https://www.ihi.org/library/tools/flowchart)
• Scrum Guide: Time‑boxing (https://scrumguides.org/)
• Camunda: BPMN 2.0 Reference — Participants (Pools/Lanes) (https://docs.camunda.org/manual/latest/reference/bpmn20/)
• Digital.gov: Plain Language (https://digital.gov/guides/plain-language)
• Nielsen Norman Group: Chunking Content for Comprehension (https://www.nngroup.com/articles/chunking/)
• Nielsen Norman Group: Workshop Facilitation (https://www.nngroup.com/articles/workshop-facilitation/)
• Atlassian Team Playbook: Roles & Responsibilities (RACI) (https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/roles-and-responsibilities)