Whenever you are discussing an idea with other people, it is important to realize that each individual has their own point of view or map of reality. Our “Maps of Reality” are the views of ideas, concepts, systems, etc. The notion of a map of reality conveys the principle that we often are not speaking from a common, shared reality but rather our own personal map of a common reality.
The map analogy is used to convey the following possibilities:
- Are the maps of reality the same? You need to have the same map to move forward.
- Assuming you ARE both looking at maps of the same reality:
- a. Your map or their map might be “wrong”.
- b. Your maps may be of different “types”.
- It can take a while to realize that we ARE looking at different maps of the same or different realities. Consider this very famous picture:
Depending on how you look at it, it appears to be either a pretty woman (looking away) or a old woman (looking down). If two guys are discussing whether or not they might want to date someone like this, they might strongly disagree with each other – if they don’t realize they are each looking at the same picture from different aspects.
In our domain, software application development, we need standard ways to model the various aspects of a software system. In fact, we already have these standard models. They are UML diagrams like: summary use case diagrams, component diagrams, activity diagrams, and design models like wireframes.
Only certain roles may be able to create certain diagrams but everyone on the team should be able to view and understand the other diagrams as the creator takes them an explanation of the diagram.
- Engagement Managers should be able to create a summary use case diagram and associate them with written use cases
- Engagement Manager should be able to create outlines for UI functionality and data models.
- UX Designers should be able to create Wire Frames annotated with User Stories.
- Engineers should be able to create any of the other UML diagrams.
These models are the “Maps of Reality” for a software project. Using them insures that all members of the cross functional team are looking at the same map during the discussion. This is nothing more than the bottom-up approach from the Ladder of Inference:
You are looking at “data”, your “reality”. Actually, you are looking at “selected data”, your “map of reality” – which fits the point or question you wish to discuss with one or more members of the team. You must first sync with them by sharing the map you are looking at before they will understand the point you are trying to make of the question you are trying to ask!
Keep this in mind when conversing with your friends and colleagues. It may save you time and frustration.
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