Impact Mapping in practice: Part 3
The last article about Impact Mapping. Please check out part 1 and part 2 to dive deep into this practice.
FAQ
- How to persuade a client to use Impact Mapping? I recommend to begin with a client problem and then ask the client to recall projects with a lot of delivered features but with no business value. Why did this happen? How to avoid this situation in the future? The answers is Impact Mapping.
- How to persuade a client to pay for Impact Mapping? Because Impact Mapping brings business value to the client, the client is responsible to pay for it.
- What if a client refuses to do Impact Mapping? As a professional you should show risks and problems in this case. If you explain this to your client but he leaves it aside, then he takes all responsibilities for the result.
Alternatives
When I was conducting a master class on Impact Mapping at AgileClub, the participants pointed out other ways to understand project objectives and goals. For instance, we can interview stakeholders, use Lean Canvas or try OKR etc. In fact, Impact Mapping can be used alongside other practices. I prefer Impact Mapping because of the following reasons:
- It is a simple practice without bureaucracy and it motivates a team and stakeholders to collaborate.
- Clients with no IT-background can understand Impact Mapping without extra efforts.
- Everybody knows what Mind Map is.