One thing I've learned in my years of making custom Social System Maps for clients is this:

We need to be generating more real sensemaking with our projects.

Our intention to help networks make a bigger difference depends on developing greater sensemaking capacity in networks, and getting network strategists to embed their maps into their ongoing decision-making activities.

The challenge is two-fold:

1) Clients (network leaders) don't understand (they have no reason to understand, if we don't help them to) that a Social System Map isn't a silver bullet. They don't take into account how much support they'll need to build the sensemaking capacity. So they don't plan for that. They don't include in agendas, they don't set aside special sessions devoted to sensemaking & training.

2) This new language that is emerging - it's a whole new way of thinking. It's going to take exposure and thought-provoking activities and - deep, active, sense-making together to have the kind of impact it could.

And this phase of mapping, more than any other, is still wide open - full of questions, almost no 'known's. This is where we're most in need of dialog & shared exploration.

This is where we most need you to engage!

Please share your thoughts!