What do the three perspectives offer?
A person considering how they work, colleagues discussing a shared task and leaders thinking about culture are asking related questions at different levels. Each needs a view that suits the decision in front of them.
I use mirror, map and compass as ways of explaining those perspectives. The mirror invites personal reflection. The map helps people compare approaches. The compass supports a conversation about direction. The language is useful when it leads to a clearer question about the work.
The mirror: what do I recognise?
An individual map gives someone an opportunity to consider their work preferences. What feels familiar? When does the context change their approach? What would they like a colleague or manager to understand?
Reflection becomes more useful with examples. A person may prefer preparation but enjoy an unplanned discussion when they know the subject well. Their account helps make sense of the information. A report should create room for that contribution.
The map: what can we discuss together?
When people choose to compare their approaches, they can explore similarities and differences in relation to a shared task. One may want the main outcome first; another may want enough detail to understand how to proceed.
A teamMAP can support that conversation. It can prompt questions about how the team plans and makes decisions. What people prefer, what the task requires and what the team actually does are distinct sources of information to consider together.
The compass: where do we want to go?
At organisational level, cultureMAP provides an aggregated perspective on participating people’s work preferences. That can help a group explore patterns and variation as it considers its strategy and ways of working.
Aggregation needs care. Participation, group size and the possibility of identifying individuals affect what can responsibly be shared. An organisational pattern also cannot tell us what every member thinks, or prove why a business outcome occurred. Bring it together with observed practices, conversations and operational evidence.
How do the perspectives connect?
Choose the question first. An individual coaching conversation may stay with the mirror. A working relationship may benefit from a shared map. A leadership team considering culture may need organisational evidence as well as direct participation from the groups affected.
The aim is a decision people can explain and review. What would help this person contribute? What arrangement can these colleagues try? Which working practice supports the organisation’s direction? The appropriate perspective is the one that helps the people involved address their actual work.
Sources and further reading
What would you like to explore?
If this relates to work in your organisation, we can begin with a conversation about your situation and what you want to achieve.
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