Writing is not something I find comfortable. Lately I've been consumed with putting together a book on mapping. It's getting there. Slowly.
Chapter 1 — On being lost
An introduction into the concept of situational awareness and the strategy cycle.
Chapter 2 — Finding a path
How I built my first map of business.
Chapter 3 — Exploring the map
The shock of discovering common economic patterns.
Chapter 4 — Doctrine
The even bigger shock of discovering that some patterns are universal whilst others are context specific.
Chapter 5 — The play and a decision to act
Using maps to make a choice including some basic strategic play such as ecosystem models.
Chapter 6 — Getting started yourself
How to start mapping and some useful books to read.
Chapter 7—Finding a new purpose
Using mapping on itself and discovering a new purpose. The underlying work on evolution.
Chapter 8—Keeping the wolves at bay
The dangers of simplicity and the concept of flow.
Chapter 9 — Charting the future
The use of weak signals and economic cycles.
Chapter 10 — I wasn’t expecting that!
The evolution of organisations and different forms of disruption
Chapter 11 — A smorgasbord of the slightly useful
A collection of useful mapping topics that by pure coincidence might be needed for the following scenario.
Chapter 12 — The scenario
Something for you to get your teeth into.
Chapter 13 — Something wicked this way comes
Analysis of that something from chapter 12.
Chapter 14 — To thine own self be true
The path you probably should have taken in chapter 12.
Chapter 15 — On the practice of scenario planning
On scenario planning and the concept of roles. Diving a little more deeply into financial modelling.
Chapter 16 — Super Looper
A walk through of severals loops of the strategy cycle.
I've around 4-5 more chapters to go and then this first pass, this introduction into mapping, should finally be finished. Except of course for the rewriting, editing, rejigging, frustration, burying in soft peat for 6 months in triplicate, tearing up, cursing etc etc.
