Just Enough Structure

One of the biggest challenges with opportunity mapping is that it looks deceptively simple. However, it does require quite a bit of critical thinking. You’ll want to examine each opportunity to ensure it is properly framed, that you know what it means, and that it has the potential to drive your desired outcome. If you do your first tree in 30 minutes and think you are done, you are probably not thinking hard enough. However, I also see teams make the opposite mistake. They churn for hours trying to create the perfect tree. We don’t want to do that, either.

The key is to find the sweet spot between giving you enough structure to see the big picture, but not so much that you are overwhelmed with detail. Unfortunately, it will take some experience to get this right, as it’s a “You’ll know it when you see it” type of situation.

But here’s what I’ll leave you with as you embark on mapping your first opportunity space. This isn’t a one-and-done exercise. As Barbara Tversky says in the opening quote, “Structure is done, undone, and redone.” You should be revisiting your opportunity solution tree often. You’ll continue to reframe opportunities as you learn more about what they really mean. Seemingly simple opportunities will subdivide into myriad sub-opportunities as you start exploring them in your interviews. This is normal. You don’t have to do all of this work in your first draft. Do just enough to capture what you currently know, and trust that it will continue to grow and evolve over time.