The Best TV Shows On Cable Are In Love With Maps And Models — Why Aren’t You?
From Westworld and Blacksails to Game of Thrones…
The map model of Westeros, the ivory miniatures from the golden age of pirates, the high-tech horses of Westworld are all popular openings to very popular series. If you watch these shows, you can likely see them in your mind even now. They are powerful tools for developing fantasy landscapes and drawing in an audience of viewers. Imagine what they could do to capture your business?
When you hire people, do you greet them with a map on their first day? Probably not, at best a map of the business campus or where to find parking — both important but not the point here. What is the point?
Your Business Deserves A Map, A Model That Draws People In, Too
So why don’t you have one? The answer likely comes down to one of three excuses. I didn’t think I needed one. I don’t think I can afford one. Or I don’t know how to build one. The latter two being closely related.
Maps And Models Strengthen Communication & Decision-Making
The openings of popular shows draw people in, especially the first few episodes and establish a common landscape for the story that follows. Simple views, maps, models replace pages of documentation. It is a technique that has been around in entertainment for ages. Fans of Lord of The Rings might note that what took Tolkien pages to describe — the City of Rivendell — was delivered to us onscreen by Peter Jackson in just moments.
Jackson would repeatedly utilize maps and landscapes, imagery and flyovers to deliver the same impact requiring mere moments of audience attention. He was facilitating communication. He was telling a story, but imagine the impact this could have on decision-making.
Indiana Jones utilized a map with some strong imagery to short cut the longer story. It was a clever way to bring the audience to the next rewarding section of the story while still recognizing the journey. Otherwise we may have taken it for granted or felt less engaged with the greater plot entirely. Both of these have applications for your business. The front office will quickly overlook what they can’t see, maps make it easy to understand the journey without bogging us down in the actual progress.
Maps Can Set The Stage For Culture
Intricacy, treasure, passion, a sense of fragility — the opening to Blacksails did not bring the audience an early understanding. Instead it delivered on the full promise of the story line. Yes — it was a series about pirates, but it delivered far more of the human element. It captured the struggle, the relationships, and the emotion of that historic age of colonization and piracy. The shows model reinforced that message. It delivered a message that this may be deeper and more intricate than I expect. It urged viewers to look deeper.
Every Team Needs A Map
It is the only way to assure that you are all part of the same story. It is the only way to share a common view of the landscape and the opportunity. A great map will draw your team in, it will facilitate decisions, it will enhance the story, and seed the culture. So how do you get a great map?
You need to hire a map maker, a model builder, someone who can translate your business and assist you in telling your story. But unlike Hollywood, a business map should also be about numbers. We live in a data-driven age after all. If that scares you, it shouldn’t. Numbers are cheaper than all of this digital imagery. You don’t have to invest hundreds of thousands into fancy technologies and production shops. You just need an analytic partner who gets it.
With the right consultation, the right questions, and the right help — you can develop a map for your business that directly impacts the bottom line, grows revenue, increases efficiency, and speeds your story (decision-making).
You are also free to try this yourself. Corsair’s Business regularly publishes article to help, but be careful you aren’t saving a few pennies at the cost of hundreds of dollars of opportunity. If you aren’t a map maker, you really should delegate to someone who is. Best of luck and thanks for reading!
