Process Thinking

Comparing Level 1 and Level 2

Level 1

Level 2

Description

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.

Description

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.

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Follows team processes for tasks, code review, deployment, etc.
  • •
    Asks questions to understand why steps exist
  • •
    Notes when something seems inefficient or unclear
  • •
    Uses checklists or templates as instructed
  • •
    Brings up issues with current workflows when prompted

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Flags inefficiencies or inconsistencies in team workflows
  • •
    Proposes small improvements to tools, docs, or handoffs
  • •
    Adapts existing processes thoughtfully when needed
  • •
    Updates personal or shared checklists based on experience
  • •
    Connects day-to-day tasks to upstream/downstream steps

Common Struggles

  • May treat processes as rigid or burdensome
  • Might skip steps due to lack of understanding
  • Can struggle to see how their part affects the larger workflow

Common Struggles

  • May optimize locally without seeing global impacts
  • Can skip collaboration when changing shared processes
  • Might get bogged down in process details at the expense of progress

Success Indicators

  • Follow team processes reliably and with care
  • Seek to understand the why behind the how
  • Begin to notice friction or bottlenecks in common workflows
  • Ask questions about how work moves through the team or system

Success Indicators

  • Work within existing processes while identifying and testing improvements
  • Bring up issues constructively and with ideas for resolution
  • Improve shared documentation or workflow tools
  • Understand how your changes impact others before implementing them

Mindset Shift

From:

"I do things the way I'm told."

To:

"I want to understand how our team works and why."

Mindset Shift

From:

"How can I work more efficiently?"

To:

"How can we work better together as a system?"

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What's the goal of this process?
  • Where does work tend to slow down?
  • How do other teammates interact with this workflow?

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Who is affected by this process—before and after me?
  • What's the real purpose of each step?
  • Is the process helping us meet our goals—or getting in the way?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Document your steps when trying something new
  • 2
    Reflect on what worked well or felt clunky
  • 3
    Watch how others navigate team processes

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Keep track of process friction you encounter repeatedly
  • 2
    Socialize small changes with others before rolling them out
  • 3
    Reflect on process pain points during retrospectives or 1:1s

Seek Feedback

  • "Is there a better way to approach this step?"
  • "What's the most common mistake people make here?"
  • "If something feels inefficient, what's the best way to bring it up?"

Seek Feedback

  • "Does this process still serve us well?"
  • "Have I made any workflow changes that surprised or confused others?"
  • "What's one habit I could improve to reduce friction for the team?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You ask thoughtful questions about how and why processes work
  • You complete tasks more smoothly by understanding the workflow
  • You begin seeing opportunities to improve—not just complete—your work

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • Teammates trust you to tune or clarify workflows
  • Your changes reduce confusion, errors, or wasted time
  • You help others understand and engage with shared processes

Focus Summary

  • Follow with care
  • Ask why
  • Observe the system

At Level 1, process thinking is about *paying attention*. The best way to get better is to notice more: how work flows, where it sticks, and what that might mean.

Focus Summary

  • Smooth the path
  • Tune the system
  • Improve the work

At Level 2, process thinking is about proactive improvement. You notice what isn't working—and you care enough to fix it, even when it's small.