Process Thinking

At Level 1, process thinking starts with observation and participation. You follow established team processes and begin to notice how things work (or don't). You may not design workflows yet, but you're gaining awareness of how tasks move from start to finish and how your role fits into the broader system. You're learning not just *what* to do, but *how* work gets done—and why that matters.

At Level 2, you're starting to actively work with processes, not just follow them. You adapt workflows to fit the task, notice friction points, and suggest small changes that make the team's life easier. You see how your work connects to others and begin to think about efficiency, clarity, and consistency. You don't need to overhaul the system—but you're learning how to improve your corner of it.

At Level 3, you're not just improving workflows—you're shaping them. You help design, coordinate, and evolve team processes so they scale with clarity and consistency. You think in terms of end-to-end flow and collaborate with teammates to reduce friction, duplication, or ambiguity. You recognize when the current system is limiting your team's impact and work with others to make meaningful improvements.

At Level 4, you elevate process thinking to the organizational level. You identify systemic inefficiencies, bridge process gaps between teams, and design workflows that support growth, quality, and cross-functional alignment. You balance long-term clarity with the flexibility to adapt as the org evolves. You don't just respond to broken workflows—you anticipate them and design with intention.

At Level 5, process thinking becomes institutional. You shape the organization's ability to scale, adapt, and thrive by building processes that reflect and reinforce its values. You steward the meta-processes: how decisions are made, how change happens, and how systems evolve sustainably over time. You help others become systems thinkers—ensuring that clarity, flexibility, and continuous improvement become cultural norms.