Why I love Ecosystem Maps

I love ecosystem maps. Love them. To understand the current state of your company or organization, or to learn or explore a new organization, there’s no better way than to map the ecosystem.

An ecosystem map is a tool you use to map components or actors (individuals or groups) and their relationship to each other. What you create is a complete picture of how your organization works, how it lives and breathes, how it executes, and how the individual components contribute to the overall whole.

Here is why I love them:

You can see everything. REALLY see it.

In an ecosystem map, each component or actor is represented, there are lines that show connections, gaps where connections are missing or don’t exist. It’s a mixture of straight lines and circle lines, groups and individuals, dotted lines and missing lines, all on one page, a one-page visual representation of your organization.

Drawing makes you think differently

Ecosystem maps are created by drawing- whether it’s whiteboard markers, pen and paper or using digital tools, you turn on different mental muscles to think about how you work and then to draw it out. (For more on the value of drawing, check out Dan Roam’s book, Draw to Win)

It shows how things really work — inputs, outputs, connections, “dotted line” connections, missing connections

Unlike a traditional org chart, an ecosystem map shows how things work- inputs (who gets what and from whom), outputs (who gives what and to whom), how are teams or individuals connected (via meetings, work process dependencies, etc), and which are real connections, which are dotted line connections, which are informal, unacknowledged but perhaps key connections, and what connections are missing (ex. Why isn’t this team/person working with this other team/person?).

It facilitates conversation. REAL conversation.

Because an ecosystem map shows things work, there’s no hiding. For example, that gap or missing connection between teams or individuals? It’s there, very blank, on the map. So let’s talk about it — Why should those teams be connected? What should they share or exchange? How might they work better? What do we need to facilitate making and supporting that connection?

Similarly, if your map shows one or two people or groups in which the rest of the system is totally dependent, perhaps you need a plan for that — either help de-risk them as linchpins, essential to your organization, or give them a raise and make sure that they never leave! But seeing it visually mapped out in an ecosystem map allows you to see how your organization (system) is working and have those real conversations.

When you can see it in one-page, have thought about it while you are drawing it and now have the map to discuss, you can have a much more honest and informed conversation about how you reach your goals and be successful.

They can evolve

Ecosystem maps can evolve– and should! Revisiting them on a semi-frequent (quarterly is usually enough) basis allows you to see how things are changing — what is the impact of changes you’ve made? What changes need to be made? How is your organization working today? Once you’ve done it once, it’s easy to do it again and compare the two maps.

They can be easily updated

Ecosystem maps are fun(!) and easy(!) Once you’ve done them for the first time, they’re a fast and easy thing to update or redo. If it’s hard the first time, put in the effort to do it, to really figure it out because you should know how your organization really works– and once it’ done, you’ll be better poised for success in the future.

Leave a few claps if you liked this post, or reach out if you’d like to learn more about my work.

If you’d like to learn more about ecosystem maps and how to create your own, check out this webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBjMMAxozfQ