Who matters?

By systems I mean the interlinked networks of forces that influence everything we do: economic, psychological, technological, social, political – the list goes on.

We have little control over these systems, but we can pay attention to them, even map them, so that we can respond and not just be passive and surprised subjects of their impact.

System forces reach us through people, so the thing to pay attention to is relationships, starting in our little zone of control and moving outward.

Who matters? What do they care about? To whom and what are they beholden?

Map this.

I did this with a team working on a very big, fraught project, just brainstorming and moving post-it notes around. It became very complex, and it was revealing.

“No wonder we can’t get anything done around here,” they said.

They saw that progress depended not on doing everything harder, faster and meaner so much as on addressing the relevant relationships.

This is crucial for successful delegation.