Many writers, including me, have claimed that a lot of our business headaches and hurdles can be solved by simply unifying people within the organization and generating contribution. The catch is that this may be the single most difficult obstacle for business leaders and managers to overcome. In this article, we will explore how visually mapping your business system, articulating manageable short-term goals, and breaking some of your old routines, can assist you in unleashing the innovative human potential in your firm.

Understanding your business as a system of processes and mapping it visually provides the aerial view that people in your organization need to clarify their roles with respect to the business as a whole. Without this clarification, people are unable to gain mental traction and are left with a feeling of helplessness or inability to make a difference. Think about your management team meetings. How many times have people on the team used their own terminology to describe the same process or activity? How many people on the team share the same mental model of the business, know where process ownership resides, and where metrics apply?

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