Actionable Futures

AF - System Actors

Map your product or service ecosystem. Identify key actors, stakeholders, and system dependencies. Visualize relationships to reveal opportunities and risks.

Duration
30 mins
Group Size
4-10
Category
Actionable Futures
Difficulty
Easy
Map stakeholders, users, and system components. Understand interactions within a system.

  • Identified system actors.

  • Understood system participants.

  • Foundation for system design.

This exercise is best after defining the problem but before solution design. It helps visualize the complete picture. Teams often forget internal actors like finance or legal. Prompt with questions: 'Who pays? Who complains? Who fixes things? Who do we report to?' The relationship mapping reveals valuable insights. Give it time. Acknowledge when participants realize previously unknown interactions. For mature products, focus on a specific user journey. For new products, identify unknowns and risks. Remote teams can use Miro or FigJam with a template. I've seen teams get bogged down in ring placement; remind them it's about relative influence, not perfect categorization.

  1. Set the Stage (5 minutes): Gather the team around a whiteboard. Write the product or service name in the center as the anchor point.

  2. Brainstorm Actors (10 minutes): Distribute sticky notes. Have each person write down every person, system, or entity that interacts with the product (one per sticky). Include users, admins, regulators, competitors, and APIs.

  3. Categorize and Place (10 minutes): Create concentric circles:


  • Inner ring: Direct users and operators.

  • Middle ring: Stakeholders and decision-makers.

  • Outer ring: External systems and indirect influencers.

Place stickies in the appropriate ring. Discuss placement; insights often emerge during debate.

  1. Map Relationships (5 minutes): Draw lines between interacting actors. Use different colors for relationship types:


  • Solid lines: Direct data or service exchange.

  • Dashed lines: Indirect influence.

  • Red lines: Friction points or dependencies.


  1. Analyze: Look for clusters, isolated actors, and surprising connections.

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For Facilitators

  • Review participant profiles and expectations
  • Prepare all materials and supplies
  • Test technology and room setup

For Participants

  • Complete pre-session survey
  • Review background materials
  • Prepare examples or case studies

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  • Sticky notes

  • Markers

  • Large whiteboard or digital mapping tool

  • System documentation

  • Process flows

Unlock Materials Required

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Stakeholder Mapping Guide
Guide to mapping system actors and stakeholders.
Systems Thinking Resources
Introduction to systems thinking and mapping actors.

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Create a free account to access step-by-step instructions, agendas, and resources for all activities.

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