One problem with process management is that, although every organization needs it (processes produce results), many decision makers treat BPM as something only for quality or compliance teams—not as a tool to run the organization better. Many employees also lack basic process-management knowledge, so they don’t see how their work creates value and struggle with problems that could be solved by collaborating with other teams involved in the same end-to-end process.

So what can people who see the value of process thinking do to spark interest among bosses and colleagues? First: introducing lots of BPM theory up front is usually counterproductive. You want people to become curious and willing to learn, not feel like they’re drinking from a firehose.

Alongside conventional change tactics for “selling BPM” in an organization, try some non‑standard approaches. One effective option is using serious games that let people experience core BPM concepts. Many games exist (including digital ones); below I focus on two recent examples from people you know well from my blog. I’ll also recommend one bestselling book about processes.

Process Management Snakes & Ladders

Yes — Snakes & Ladders. Roger Tregear’s Process Management Snakes & Ladders is a simple, clever serious game that teaches process concepts through play. It’s designed to inform, educate and entertain, making abstract ideas tangible for people unfamiliar with BPM.

Learn more: https://tregearbpm.com/process-management-snakes-ladders/

Pizza Game 3.0

Pizza, games and BPM — what’s not to like? Mirko Kloppenburg’s Pizza Game 3.0 (Luigi’s Process Experience) is a hands‑on simulation of an end‑to‑end process: teams experience demand, handoffs, rework, and the benefits of cooperation and flow. It’s easy to run in workshops and works well for managers and frontline staff alike.

Learn more: https://www.mkburg.de/en/luigis-process-experience-pizza-game-english/

Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working

Is it possible to write a New York Times bestseller about processes? Dan Heath—author of several other excellent books that have helped me many times in consulting (see Switch and Upstream)—has written an outstanding book about how organizations can change the way they work. Reset is a practical, readable guide for getting organizations unstuck. Heath doesn’t use the term “business process management” often (Lean is referenced however), but his change framework maps well to process improvement: it helps leaders and teams spot bottlenecks, experiment with small changes, and scale what works. As a bestselling, non‑technical introduction, Reset is an excellent way to inspire both decision makers and employees to try process thinking.

Learn more: https://danheath.com/about-reset/ and https://heathbrothers.com/books/reset/