VISIBLE THINKING (Unlocking causal mapping for practical business results)
By John M Bryson, Fran Ackermann, Colin Eden, Charles B.Finn
Published by: Wiley
Paperback, 373 Pages
We live in a complex world. We are constantly challenged by issues that seem at first to be simple, but on reflection turn out to have complicated causes and consequences that can dramatically affect our lives. Often, getting a handle on what the issues are is half the battle. Imagine a tool that can help you unravel the complexity of the decision-making labyrinth, a process that would allow you to:
· Make sense of challenging situations
· Tackle a large number of ideas and their interconnections
· Evaluate and explore values, goals, strategies and actions
· Link strategic thinking to action
· Develop effective action plans in response to the issues
· Create shared meaning and agreement
· Communicate strategies in ways that can be easily understood and acted upon
· Make people understand why a an action is important and how they can help
· Help you move from ‘winging it’ creating integrated strategies that are robust, both today and in the future, for your firm
Causal mapping is that process. A causal map links your ideas using a few simple rules to reflect causality and so reveal strategic options and goals. Visible Thinking shows you how to create causal maps for individuals an groups, and thereby to capture the power and broad applicability of causal mapping in a business, as well as a personal, context, Visible Thinking will revolutionize the way you approach complex situations and help you decide what you should do, how you should do it and why.
The causal mapping process is illustrated through a series of real cases – from tackling personal problems to strategy-change issues in business, public and not-for-profit organizations. The cases are used to present a comprehensive set of process guidelines designed to help you create your own action-oriented causal maps.