During the last MapCamp, I experienced something that made me reevaluate my relationship with Wardley Mapping.
For those who have been part of the mapping community for a while, you're likely familiar with Simon's map of mapping and the "Rebel against consultants that enslave us" imperative.
At times, this imperative is expressed in more direct terms, like "rid the world of parasitic consultants."
There's some truth to this sentiment — many of us have heard stories of major consulting failures, and we've all encountered situations where consultants proposed solutions that worsened (for us) the situation, often without fully understanding its complexity.
Back to MapCamp—Simon posed the question, "And whose fault is it?" I fully expected the answer to be "management consultants." But then the wonderful Cat Sweetel refused to place blame on those who couldn’t defend themselves.
This was a turning point for me.
I've been part of this community for more than a decade, and in recent years, I've met many fantastic people—many of whom happen to be management consultants, whether in traditional or more modern roles. Even I have come to accept that using mapping to facilitate customer strategy inevitably involves some form of consulting.
I ran a small poll on Simon's Discord and received some intriguing (though small sample size) results:
In the middle, we see people—both consultants and team leaders—simply trying to get the job done. They can benefit from mapping, though some will have to work in environments that are hostile to them. Consultants might find introducing customers to "get rid of consultants" mantra taxing, and their customers might perceive them as incongruent.
However, the first option was the most interesting. While only three people voted for it, these are individuals who want to make decisions they currently can’t.
At worst, they may feel envious, using the mapping community to cope.
At best, they are ambitious and eager to grow.
Mapping alone isn't enough for them—knowing the right thing to do is very different from having the influence to make it happen. And people in that group must be aware that getting rid of consultants does not automatically improve their position.
To sum that up, my little poll indicates that the current mapping mission addresses only 30% of mapping adopters, so I might say that mapping grows despite it being misaligned.
Please help me build a better understanding of your thoughts, and vote in this poll.
Getting rid of consultants
resonates with me, I could do their job better
alienates me, I am a management consultant
resonates with me, I need to build my team capabilities
alienates me, I need management consultants support
Speaking of which, I have a few ideas for a new mission.
Which mission statement would resonate with you best?
Democratize Strategic Decison-Making
Bridge Knowledge and Influence
Navigate Uncertainty with Confidence
Surface Hidden Knowledge
Best,
Chris
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