Brown Paper Excercise

In a world obsessed with digital dashboards, process automation, and AI-driven analytics, it’s easy to dismiss “old-school” methods as outdated. But sometimes, the most powerful insights come from the simplest tools. That’s exactly what the brown paper exercise delivers. Having facilitated dozens of these sessions across industries, I’ve seen leadership teams rediscover their processes, reconnect with their people, and reimagine how work actually gets done - not how they think it does. And every time, the same realization surfaces: brown paper mapping exposes the truth in a way no software ever can . What Is a Brown Paper Exercise - and Why It Still Matters A brown paper exercise (sometimes called brown paper mapping ) is a visual, collaborative process improvement tool. Large sheets of brown paper are literally rolled out on a wall, and team members map each step of a process from start to finish - using sticky notes, markers, and open discussion. Sounds simple? It is. But its p...

In today’s fast-paced business environment, teams can easily feel overwhelmed by complex processes and digital overload. That’s why I find the Brown Paper Exercise such a bracing, effective reset—stripping back to a tactile, visible, and highly collaborative method to understand how work actually gets done. At its simplest, a Brown Paper Exercise involves mapping processes on large sheets—often brown paper—using markers and sticky notes. This low-tech, hands-on approach forces teams to lay out workflows visually, revealing inefficiencies and opportunities that remain hidden via screens or static documents. Why It Works So Well First, it aligns with how most people learn best. Visual processing is far more effective than text—humans absorb graphical information much faster, and around 65% are visual learners. By giving teams a physical canvas, the exercise injects clarity, engagement, and creative energy into process mapping. Second, it’s deeply collaborative. A Brown Paper Exercise...