After writing my article titled 'Why your IT contracts need to be more like your favorite streaming service',1 I started hearing from people who felt seen. Turns out, I’m not the only one who thinks our working documents, whether they’re contracts or process guides, need a serious rethink.
That article explored how to make contracts more dynamic, engaging, and binge-worthy. But contracts are just one part of the picture. The same principle applies to processes, especially in IT, but also across procurement, operations, compliance... you name it.
Back when I worked at WorldCC, I was closely involved in both IT and operations, and I saw first-hand how confusing and complex processes can derail even the best intentions. I had endless conversations with members who were frustrated by the sheer complexity of procurement and contracting processes.
At my current work, as a Head of IT Development at Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE),2 I still run into those challenges regularly, where overly complicated workflows don’t just frustrate teams, they slow us down. We too often forget. These documents are critical for shaping how teams operate, how we deliver value, and how things (supposedly) run smoothly - to say nothing about the importance of clarity for less informed readers.
And here’s the truth: if we want people to follow processes, they need to be readable. Digestible. Maybe even mildly enjoyable.
Could storytelling be the solution? Or better yet, building processes like a choose-your-own-adventure experience.
Let’s change from dusty manuals to digital journeys
I've been thinking about how people experience processes. Not how we draw them in flowcharts, or explain them in meetings, but how they feel when you're knee-deep in real work and wondering, 'What do I do next?'
These documents are foundational. They’re supposed to guide behavior, reduce risk, and ensure consistency. But when they read like ancient scrolls, we’re setting everyone up to fail.
When you frame a process like a narrative, something magical happens. People don't just follow instructions – they understand the why. They see where they are in the bigger picture. They get context, not just steps. And when things go wrong (because, let's be honest, they will), they don't get stuck – they adapt because they know the story.
Pick a path, not a paragraph
Imagine IT processes that start with this…
You've just received a service request marked 'Urgent - CEO Issue.' What do you do?
A. Go straight to the service desk playbook
B. Message your team lead while grabbing caffeine
C. Check the escalation matrix for drama level: yes, it’s red!
Now imagine embedded links, visuals, real-life examples, and decisions that branch depending on role, urgency, or team capacity. You're not just reading a document - you're navigating it, like a character in the plot.
Characters, not cogs
Let's face it - we don't work with 'resources' or 'users.' We work with people. So why do our processes sound like they were written for robots?
Injecting storytelling into IT workflows means recognizing the human moments in our systems, like these:
- Frustration when something breaks
- Relief when a workaround saves the day
- Joy (yes, joy!) when something just works
Give your processes characters. Even if it's 'Sarah the Line Manager' or "Raj the Rogue Tester" - people connect with personas far more than policy points.
Use tools that support the story
This isn't about making everything cute and quirky. It's about clarity. Use tools that support the narrative like these:
- Interactive guides (think Power Apps)
- Conditional logic that shows only what's relevant to the person reading
- Dashboards that act like story checkpoints: 'You've completed User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sign-off. Next chapter: Deployment.'
- Even little animations or visuals to break up the beige
Why it matters
When you treat processes like content, they become something people engage with. When you treat them like stories, they become something people remember. That means fewer mistakes, fewer "Where's the link again?" messages, and more empowered teams who don't need to ask a million questions - because they've already read the next chapter.
And let's be honest, in a world where our teams juggle Jira boards, inbox avalanches, and Slack chaos, a little clarity and creativity go a long way.
So, what's your next move?
Again, let’s stop writing processes like instruction manuals for assembling IKEA furniture in the dark. Pick the adventure paths and redesign them for real humans trying to do great work.
END NOTE
1. Why your IT contracts need to be more like your favourite streaming service, published November 13, 2024, in the Contracting Excellence Journal (CEJ)
2. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is a leading youth charity founded in 1956 by HRH Prince Phillip. Every year, the DofE inspires hundreds of thousands of young people to develop skills, resilience and self-belief, take on their own challenges, follow their passions, make a difference to their communities and discover talents they never knew they had.
The DofE is open to any young person aged 14-24. Each one builds his or her own DofE program – selecting activities and choosing a cause to volunteer for – to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award. In 2023-24, more than 545,000 young people were doing their DofE, giving more than 4.7 million hours of volunteering across the UK. The DofE is delivered in schools, colleges, community organizations, prisons and young offender institutions and more, all over the UK. Find out more at DofE.org.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As the IT Development Head for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, it is my responsibility to ensure that our technology aligns with our business objectives. My vast experience in research, project management, strategic planning, and business strategy has given me an excellent understanding of IT governance frameworks, risk management, and compliance requirements. I gained much of my experience at WorldCC, where I worked for 15 years. Even though my focus is on IT, contracts still play a significant role in my life.
I am very enthusiastic about technology and enjoy working in a group. I have a hardworking personality, which enables me to resolve intricate challenges that may require advanced problem-solving skills. I love working in a team environment where I can collaborate closely with departmental teams to identify and overcome IT-related issues.
In addition, I bring a different perspective to discussions by balancing technical know-how with human factors such as communication and collaboration. After work, my hours are spent on family activities. We live in South England, which is beautiful, so we always explore the area during family time as we create memories together.