Story Mapping Unlocks Doors

I was a writer, first. I found boxing at a young age, wove it in and out of my writing for years. Then came time to decide which direction had the most potential to support me, financially. I chose boxing, and promptly opened Cappy’s Boxing Gym, Seattle WA. in 1999
Instinctively, I knew to focus on the story. The complex story of a small business startup. I explored each job position in great depth. I was the maintenance guy, the janitor, the office manager and general manager; the head coach and only coach, the marketing team, program development department and HR. Each job had to be documented, a checklist established, and others had to be trained to fill them. Not surprisingly, the story got more complex.
Bringing a team together takes relationship skills. Which meant I had to hone my communication tactics. Boxing is all about dialogue between two people, and most importantly, with self. I understood the fundamentals of training a new communication style. But, then, each new layer I uncovered needed to be documented, passed on to others coming along. I couldn’t keep up.
I knew it was time to weave story deeper into the business. I felt the two parts of me, writer and business owner, were brewing for a big fight, possibly a feud. In one of those “light bulb” moments, I realized that checklists and To Do Lists and bullet points, all of which are essential business communication, could be seen as stories. The checklist is important, but more important is who shows up to follow the checklist.
Cappy’s trains all staff with a combination of boxing skill and story mapping. The story map provides the opportunity to cultivate each individual’s authentic emergence by mapping their personal story and providing options for telling the story differently.

There are thirteen mapping symbols. Checking in means you step onto the self awareness path. The past arrow is an opportunity to reflect on old patterns that no longer serve your best interests. The present triangle is a reminder that, no matter how much the past pulls on you, you are in the present. It’s time to prepare for your self awareness trek. The actual moment when you step on the path, look around for signs of patterns you might want to interrupt. Pause at the footprints and write down what you are feeling, doesn’t matter how obscure or seemingly irrelevant. Being on the self awareness path is different that automatic pilot. Cross the threshold, a symbol of energetic zones you enter and exit on a daily basis. For example, defensive, angry, self doubting, joyous. Every energetic zone you engage with evokes a different body shape. It’s important to know who shows up to handle day to day situations.
The big loop is where you declare your challenges. Big or small, they all have a story, and how you tell the story matters. The eight little loops are stations in the big challenge, a way of breaking the challenges down into steps to be taken on one at a time. Immediately following is the break in path. How are you are going to cross the gap between the old self and the emerging self.? Laying a strong foundation is an engineering skill. Take you time. Can’t rush a strong foundation. Be on the look out for all kinds of starbursts, a symbol of illumination. New perspective, different insight, changing viewpoint. Write down your notes as you go. Like Lewis and Clark, you are exploring new territory, the terrain of your own story. The little hut symbolizes feeling at home in your body. Knowing what you are feeling and how it affects your body is essential to authentic emergence. Above all else, add to your four arrows ways of keep going when you want to quit. Develop a relationship between your inner critic and inner coach. The big hut symbolizes all the physical zones you enter and exit on an average day. Home, work, gym, bus, grocery store; in each you will tend to play a different role. Get to know who shows up to handle daily interactions.
Finally you reach the pot of gold. What is your value at the end of each day? What did you invest in? Blaming others or letting go old hurts? What are the returns on each investment? Draw the actual map each time you go through it. Write up your notes. Reflect on the ways you are telling your story and explore different ways of telling it.
