The Social Map

Great decisions die without social support. You're not just solving a problem — you're navigating people.

Map four groups: Approvers who can veto, Resisters who'll oppose, Executors who act, Affected who feel the impact.

Why map people? Because a decision without their buy-in isn't a decision — it's just a wish.

A product launch flopped not because the idea was wrong — but because the resister group was never identified or engaged.

Pitfall: only mapping approvers. Resisters and affected groups sink more decisions than vetoes ever do.

Your job is stakeholder design, not just solution design. Know your people before you move.

Four groups determine whether your decision lives or dies: Approvers, Resisters, Executors, Affected.

Today's practice: pick one decision you're planning. Draw your social map with all four groups.

Step 1: list every person or group in each quadrant. Don't skip resisters — they're the most important.

Step 2: for each person, answer two questions. What do they care about? How does your decision affect them?

Now commit: complete your social map today. One decision, four groups, two questions each.

Knowing your people makes your compass more reliable. Every relationship you map is a direction you can trust.