This uniquely cutting edge tool is now on the market!
Metaphor Mapping
for Process, Culture, Strategy
After developing it and helping scores of organizations in dozens of countries solve high-value, complex problems since the 1980s, I’ve long since retired and finally decided to sell the IP and materials. Anyone interested in acquiring it or helping me place it should use the “To Reach Us” tab to make initial contact.
Metaphor Mapping uses sticker images within four metaphors:
- Two villages, one for today’s operation and one for the ideal future
- Wildlife, where the attitudes and energy of process participants are made clear
- A river flowing through time, around waterfalls, avoiding swamps, uncovering gold
- Playing cards, showing unmistakable responsibility for actions
Customers like Metaphor Mapping workshops
- They deal with reality and leave no room for positioning and theatrics
- The allow process participants describe the true cost of process friction
- An informal atmosphere and peer-peer discussions promote creativity and pragmatism
- The strategy is owned by all. Each task is clearly owned by a King
Metaphor Mapping can generate immediate new consulting revenue:
- It efficiently addresses departmental or organization-wide issues
- The open dialog in workshops show further opportunities to help
- Enthusiastic participants “sell” workshops to the wider organization
That’s the end of the elevator ride. But, further information is below if you want to learn more.
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Some of the principles Metaphor Mapping tools draw on:
Metaphor Mapping provides
- An open/inclusive atmosphere: for authenticity and dialog
- Serious-fun: that lightens the work and makes it safe to address charged issues
- Visual symbols: for big-picture, systems thinking, intuition as well as reasoning
“When you produce something with another person that is truly creative, its one of the most powerful forms of bonding there is.” Stephen Covey
A quick history of Mapping
This tool has been around for over 30 years but is new to most because it was invented for U.N. groups where lives could be at risk if teams couldn’t bridge cultural divides, align objectives, think collaboratively and commit to joint action. It worked for the U.N. because its universally familiar metaphors, symbol language and engaging process make meaning crystal clear and give it forceful, visual impact.
Next, European divisions of US companies used its discipline and speed to help their in-house professionals replace expensive consultants to sales, supply chain and other disciplines– happily avoiding tedious piles of Post-it notes.
Its universal visual language led Metaphor Mapping into global transformation programs, supply chains, TQM, mergers, re-orgs and IT projects. As it became more known, parent companies and other leaders found it overcomes cross-function gaps, helps avoid flawed strategies and improves execution quality.
It has become the master facilitator’s tool for team alignment– compressing into a single day the type of team learning that led geese to fly in a “V” formation to achieve greater speed with less effort.
Metaphor Mapping
delivers solid thinking and commitment
- It’s easy to be authentic, raise or challenge ideas when building a Map
- Stakeholders frame and fill the end-to-end picture: It’s symbolic, collective mind-mapping
- Metaphors promote lateral, fast-slow and systems thinking
- Vision and strategy are built together, aligning and committing all team members
Our encouragement to you
Try this U.N.-inspired tool. You’ll see resistance to change disappear when your team originates or details the goal and strategy. You’ll avoid boring workshops and get the results you need.
The moment you start, your team will thank you.
