Exempt Individual Contributor: Career

Organizations exist to provide products and services to customers. Even internal functions ultimately impact customer service. So it makes sense to improve processes starting with the customer perspective. Collect data to analyze the internal or external customer experience. Where are the most complaints coming from? What do they like best? What needs to change to serve them better? Set up a process that provides service and support that your customers didn’t even know they needed.

You like your job. The works gets done and customers seem satisfied. And then something happens to change all of that. Change is essential to growth. Ask questions. Be curious not only about what is happening, but why. Look for ways to influence—not block—changes. Accept that change is unsettling, but it’s the new constant.

When it comes to creating and using process, human beings are wired differently. Some are organized, scheduled, and methodical. Others jump in at the middle and push forward until they find a solution. If you struggle with laying out a process, mapping can help. A process map provides a visual depiction of workflow. It can show who is involved, what happens, what needs to happen, and in what order. It creates clarity and context from seemingly disjointed information. It literally draws a picture.