Red Clouds & Quick Wins: Mapping Your Way Out of Chaos
Most companies grow by accident instead of design, and this episode reveals how intentional process mapping transforms chaos into predictable value creation through true operational excellence.
Maartje van Krieken and Joe Bockerstette, the managing partner of Business Enterprise Mapping, explore why even strong teams struggle when the underlying system works against them. Joe explains how process mapping uncovers the hidden structures that drive performance and why misaligned workflows, unclear deliverables, and outdated habits quietly erode value as a business grows. His examples challenge leaders to ask themselves whether they truly understand how their organization produces its results.
This conversation shows how clarity and intentional design create the foundation for operational excellence and offers a reminder that value creation comes from improving the system, not pushing people harder.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Automating Chaos and the Need for Process Foundations
00:53 Why Structures and Systems Shape Business Value
02:24 How Process Mapping Identifies Root Causes
06:18 When Growing Companies Hit the Wall
10:14 Case Study A Bank Overrun by Manual Work
12:13 How Redesigning Processes Increased Valuation
16:21 Red Clouds and Quick-Win Improvements
22:23 Why Leadership Commitment Drives Operational Excellence
24:06 Aligning Processes With True Value Creation
Connect with Joe Bockerstette:
Joe Bockerstette is the Managing Partner of Business Enterprise Mapping in Phoenix, a firm focused on transformative workflow improvement. He brings more than 30 years of experience as a CEO, business consultant, and private equity and angel investor. Joe previously served as a Consulting Partner at PwC, co-founded Equity Management Group, and was the first Managing Partner of Indiana’s Main Street Venture Fund. He holds an engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Xavier University, has served on multiple public, private, and nonprofit boards, and is the co-author of three books on entrepreneurship, process management, and strategic advantage.
Connect with Maartje van Krieken:
Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn
Visit The Chaos Games Consulting website
Visit The Business Emergency Room website
Subscribe to The Business Emergency Room on YouTube
Subscribe to Maartje’s Substack
Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
