Dot Chart

Open Dot Chart right before a stand-up or client call. Click New Map, add people or teams as lanes, and type the steps they take in plain language. Hit Enter to keep adding, drag to reorder, and draw a connector to show a handoff to the next role. Group related work into phases, add short labels for outcomes, and color-tag key points like approvals or risks. The result is a clear, shared view of who does what and when, created while the conversation is still fresh, without pausing the meeting or switching tools.

For daily operations, turn these quick sketches into working procedures. Start from a template, define the trigger for the process and what “done” means, mark owners and due-by rules, and place checkpoints where quality or compliance matters. Use colors to flag waiting states and time sinks, and filter the map by role to see each person’s workload. Export a read-only copy for SOPs or embed the live version in your wiki so updates reach everyone. When something changes in the business, duplicate the map, try a new sequence, and compare the two to decide how to improve cycle time or reduce handoffs.

Run workshops and planning sessions with less friction. Share an edit link, invite stakeholders, and capture decisions as they are made. Split complex flows into swimlanes for departments or vendors, and highlight external touchpoints like customers or auditors. Save a snapshot before and after the meeting to document agreements. Attach quick notes to steps for links, definitions, or owner reminders, then convert the final map into a checklist for rollout. Use the same approach for onboarding, support escalation, content production, or a product release train: start with roles, list concrete actions, connect the transitions, and publish the map so every participant understands the path from request to result.