This is our core System Map™ that shows the current state of an organization, department or group. It can be used for several different needs and has increasing levels of detail. Its uses include:

• Helping the individuals in a department or team understand where they are relative to each other. The map shows the perceptions each person in the group has about a certain issue or about their organization as a whole. This is the first step in aligning a group in order to make informed decisions.
• Helping a group understand the current state of their department, team, or entire organization. It shows, “where we are now” as a starting point for action planning.
• Understanding how an issue is affecting two or three demographic groups, or to test if an organizational initiative has been successfully cascaded to the entire organization. The Snapshot System Map™ shows “slices” of data from several target demographic groups.
• Integrating two departments. The map shows possible areas of conflict during an integration so that steps can be taken to address problems and ensure a smooth transition. This is crucial in developing a sustainable 90-day integration plan.

This System Map™ allows consultants to:

• See the impacts of an issue on the entire organization
• Trace the actual root cause of a problem
• Brainstorm actions to deal with a problem
• Test actions before implementation to ensure that all actions taken have the desired effect and do not cause problems in other areas of the organization
• Develop a targeted “in-time” action plan that can be created and implemented within days, not months

Understanding the actual impact of an issue is important because organizations often underestimate or overestimate the importance of a problem. This shifts an unwarranted amount of time and energy to the wrong problem when there are bigger, more pressing issues that require immediate attention. The Action Planning System Map™ clearly shows how much impact an issue is having on the organization and helps you prioritize the issues for your client.

When attempting to correct a problem, an organization often makes assumptions about what is causing it, then takes the wrong steps to correct the wrong problem, often exacerbating the situation. The Action Planning System Map™ allows the consultant to correctly identify the actual root cause of the problem.

This System Map™ creates an action plan very quickly, and the process and outcomes are very different than with traditional methods. You can actually test the action before you include it in your action plan to ensure that it is both viable and sustainable. The action plan can be completed via a facilitated session with the client or in a consultant-only “closed door” session. By identifying and pre-testing the correct actions before any of the client’s money or time is invested, you ensure that your client will make sustainable, targeted changes on day one of the action plan implementation.

This specialized, comprehensive map is used before merging two departments to identify potential issues and develop a go/no-go strategy. Research indicates that many post-merger problems can be avoided by more clearly understanding both the “soft” factors in such mergers (culture, people, communication, etc.) as well as the “hard” factors (operations, structure, measurements, etc.). The Mergers & Acquisition System Map™ addresses both. This System Map™ can also be used for multi-company M&A considerations.