How to run the mapping conversation

The mapping conversation gives you a shared account of today's work before you assess maturity or compare opportunities. Put the grid where everyone can see it and record plain observations in the relevant cells. Begin broadly enough to notice different possibilities, then spend more time where the consequences appear to matter.

For each cell, work through the questions that help you understand it, one at a time:

• What happens here today?
• Who owns the result?
• Who actually performs the work?
• What information enters and leaves?
• Where does work wait, repeat, or fail?
• What workaround have people created?
• What number would reveal improvement?

Let the answer guide the next question. If nobody knows, record what needs observing and who could help. You don't need to manufacture an answer to finish the grid. When someone proposes software, capture the idea and return to describing the current situation. Afterward, look across the cells for candidate improvements and the evidence needed to assess them.