Maps help us find our way but have to reflect our world

Published December 10, 2022, Herald Forum

There are so many symbols for the season: The star that represents the one that appeared on the night of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas tree, evergreen and rising upward while holding countless family memories. Doves are the symbol of peace. We kiss under the mistletoe. Snowflakes highlight our individualism. And those stockings, hung in hopes for the visit from Santa Claus!

I return to that star. The one that guided the wise men from the east. Today when we are seeking guidance, we often say that we are following our North Star or what some call Polaris. About 14,000 years ago, due to the Earth’s spinning, the celestial pole was then Vega and in 12,000 more years, the Earth’s rotation will return to have the celestial pole pointed toward Vega. Polaris will no longer be the true north star.

As we look into a new year, we so often seek guidance. Reflecting back on our year, our life. Looking ahead in an effort to not make hollow resolutions, but to truly seek betterment through meaningful goals. When individuals are lost, they often do not recognize that. Looking somewhere outside of themselves for direction may not be a consideration. We tend to use the same maps. Over and over.

I recall when we once had a 1996 Ford Escape Hybrid. It came with a series of discs for each geographic location with maps that you could put into the CD unit and have access to maps. It was awesome and cutting-edge at the time. Until new buildings were built. Malls, developments, Parks and City structures added to the region. The map would take us down a road that all of a sudden was not a road anymore.

I suggest that some maps we are using no longer serve us well. Maps for how we work, how we treat one another and how we navigate our paths in this world. For many, we don’t even recognize when we are lost. That the old ways, maps and directions will not get us where we want to go. The world has changed a lot. Perhaps those maps could be part of a great art project. A historical tribute to a time that has passed.

When we look down at our feet and see where we are now. We are not lost. The terrain is different. As individuals and a world, we have just come to the other side of the collective trauma that is the pandemic. There will continue to be residual effects. The landscape is different. Financial and economic systems have been impacted. Healthcare and education systems are reeling.

In 1999, The Cynefin (pronounced “ku-nev-in”) framework was developed by David J. Snowden. It aims to help leaders understand that every situation is different and requires a unique approach to decision-making. The word Cynefin is a Welsh word that translates to “habitat.” It has a root intention to weave sense-making into our world. The framework outlines five situational domains that are defined by cause-and-effect relationships.

I will avoid a crash course in this complex yet simple tool, but it truly seems like a map that showed up before its time and is completely relevant in today’s topography. Its five domains are Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic and Disorder. Each domain has a decision-making process that helps the individual make sense of what is before them and choose the most appropriate way forward. This way of breaking down and understanding complexity is a tool to create the habitats we want to live and work in.

That is one map. For individuals, many create a life map that is much like a vision board, building their visions for the future. Some maps are a trail, a tree or a triangle. There is no right way. They create a visual timeline and affirmation of what you want to accomplish. Some look like an art project and others resemble a scientific study. What matters is that you take the time to reflect on where you want to spend your time and what aligns with your values. That map is a tool to realize and manifest the goals that you want to be part of how you show up in the world and how you spend your time.

Be it your company, your non-profit, your government office or your life, a new map is likely in order. As the world spins, there has been impact. To do things the way any of us did them last year or the year before or for the last 10 years is likely not going to yield the best results. Incremental steps are the best way to incorporate change. I always like to say that if systems change was easy, someone would have done it by now. The same is true for your goals and aspirations.

Create that time. Look at the varied maps in all the facets of your life. Bring in others who can see things objectively. Honor your personal star for guidance and direction. Mine tends to be my gut feeling and intuition after I ask for others’ perspectives. Listen. Allow time to reflect. Pray or meditate. Then, move forward and create the future you want to live and work in. Then be patient.