You can’t get where you’re going without a map

There's nothing quite as frustrating as driving in an unfamiliar city without a map. Even if you have a good sense of direction and know where you're going, sometimes the roads just don't lead where you think they will. If you know you need to go east, you may head in that direction. But the road may unexpectedly come to a dead end. You may end up going the wrong way on a one-way street. Or, you may take an interstate that veers off in a direction different than the one you want to go in. Dozens of things can go wrong if you don't have a map.
 

It's the same way in the business world. When I meet with leaders in the mortgage industry and consult with them on improving their business processes, it all eventually comes down to drawing out the map. You can know exactly where you want to go, but if you don't have a detailed, documented path on how you plan to get there, you will inevitably get lost. In the mortgage industry, there are many “dead ends” and “wrong turns” that you need to make a note of. Otherwise, you could end up in an entirely different place than you had intended.