How to Run a Discovery Conversation About a Process
To run a discovery conversation about a process, ask about specific recent cases rather than about the process in general. General descriptions are always tidier than reality.
Why general questions mislead
People describe the process they believe in.
- The official version described, not the practised one
- Exceptions omitted because they feel unusual
- Steps forgotten because they are automatic
- The logical order given rather than the real one
Questions that reveal reality
| Question | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| Walk me through the last one | The real sequence, including detours |
| When did that last go wrong? | The failure modes that matter |
| What do you do when X? | The exceptions nobody mentions |
| What do you check twice? | Where trust in the process is low |
| What would you skip if rushed? | Which steps are ceremony |
How to follow up in Jestor
- Build a rough first version in Jestor rather than documenting exhaustively first.
- Let the person run real work through it for a week.
- Turn on table following to see what they actually change.
- Review SLA data for phases they pass through instantly.
- Adjust in a draft version, then publish.
Why choose Jestor for process discovery?
Jestor makes the first version cheap enough to build that observation can replace interviewing — and what people do differs from what they describe.
Table following and stage timing together show the real process, which is usually more complex at some steps and simpler at others than anyone said.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best opening question?
Walk me through the last one you handled. See jestor.com.
Should I document before building?
Build a rough version and observe.
How do I see the real process?
Table following and stage dwell times.
Video Tutorial: Step by Step
Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.
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