Don't just map
the system. Change it.
This is the digital companion to the Beyond the Map strategy toolkit — a 7-step process to move from sketch to action through the people and relationships that actually carry your work forward.
Most strategies don't fail because the idea is bad. They fail because the people and relationships that carry the idea forward are invisible. The 7 steps ahead make those dynamics visible — and usable.
Define your strategic aim.
Before you pick up a marker or open a tool, decide what you actually want to change. A map without a purpose is just a picture.
- Ask "why" twice. If your first answer is "to see who's connected," ask again: "why does that matter?" Keep going until you hit a real outcome.
- Start with the end in mind. Picture yourself 90 days from now — what would you be proud to say you achieved?
- Match your aim to your bandwidth. If you have 10 hours a month, set an aim that fits.
- Mistaking the map for the goal — a diagram won't change anything by itself.
- Aims that are missions, not goals ("influence policy" is too big).
- Ignoring limits — if you don't have time or resources, you'll stall.
Build a quick map.
Sketch the system around your aim. This doesn't need to be pretty — it just needs to show the players and flows that matter. Your aim is anchored at the center; add 5–10 key players around it.
- Move fast. Spend 10–15 minutes max — momentum matters more than precision.
- Use real names, not just organizations. It's people who connect and influence.
- Three flows are enough: 📄 Information, 🤝 Trust, 🗝 Decisions.
Label roles & flows.
Now look at what each person does in the network — not their job title. Click any player on the map and assign one or more broker roles. This is where hidden brokers start to show up.
- 🔗 Connector — Brings people together across boundaries.
- 🗝 Gatekeeper — Controls access to people, groups, or resources.
- 🔄 Information Broker — Moves knowledge between groups.
- 🌉 Boundary Spanner — Links networks that don't usually talk.
- 🌐 Hub — Central with many ties, but not always a bridge.
- Confusing titles with influence — the person with the biggest job title isn't always who people listen to.
- Assuming flows are equal — one "yes" may matter more than ten "maybes."
- Trying to label everyone. It's fine to leave some unlabeled.
Spot the brokers & bridges.
This is the turning point. Up to now you've been drawing the map. Now you're looking for the people who can actually unlock movement. Pick 3–7 priority players you'll design moves around.
- Look for links across clusters — if only one person connects two groups, that person is a broker.
- Check for multi-role players — a connector who's also a gatekeeper, or a boundary spanner who carries trust, is especially powerful.
- Watch for lack of redundancy — if one person disappears and the connection collapses, you've found both a risk and an opportunity.
Players on Your Map
Mark 3–7 as priority influence points. These are the people you'll design moves around in Step 6.
- Mistaking hubs for brokers — hubs connect many within one group, but don't always bridge groups.
- Assuming brokers are allies — check if their goals align with yours.
- Overlooking trust — a broker respected in one circle but distrusted in another won't be effective.
Layer in context.
A map without context is just lines and dots. Once you add timing, history, or lived experience, patterns start to mean something.
- Timing — a map in January may tell a different story than in July.
- History — past trust, past failures, past wins.
- Power dynamics — who feels safe to speak, and who doesn't?
- Missing topics — silences in the system can reveal gaps as important as the loud voices.
- Treating a static map like a final answer.
- Ignoring power dynamics — who feels safe to speak, and who doesn't?
- Assuming the loudest voices carry the most weight.
Design your influence moves.
By now you've got a map with players, roles, flows, and context. The next step is to design the moves that can shift the system toward your aim. Focus on 2–3 — too many and you'll lose clarity.
- Activate a connector — ask them to bring two groups together.
- Strengthen trust — invest time in the person everyone relies on but no one has supported.
- Bypass a bottleneck — work through a different broker when a gatekeeper is slowing progress.
- Amplify a missing voice — give visibility to someone outside the echo chamber.
- Sequence influence — move an idea through a broker, then to a hub, then to a decision-maker.
- Treating influence like a one-time transaction — it's a process, not a pitch.
- Overloading your brokers — the quiet bridge may burn out if you ask too much too soon.
- Ignoring alignment — if a broker doesn't share your aim, they won't carry your message faithfully.
Set metrics & feedback loops.
A map helps you see the system. Moves help you shift it. But without feedback, you won't know if anything's actually changing. Track 1–2 metrics in each category. Keep it lean.
- Use simple tools. A spreadsheet or shared doc is enough. Don't over-engineer.
- Listen as much as you count. Tone of emails, who's looping you in — that's data too.
- Review quarterly. Enough time for patterns to shift, not so much that you drift off course.
Relationship Health
Are key connectors more engaged? Is trust building, holding, or eroding?
Flow Shifts
Is information moving faster or reaching new groups? Are decision-makers hearing your message sooner?
Outcomes
Did your moves lead to tangible changes — partnerships, policies, funding, projects launched?
Your influence strategy
on one page.
This is the deliverable from Part IV of the toolkit, auto-populated from your work. A strategy is alive when it fits on one page. Print it, save as PDF, or export the whole project as a file.