#023 - Anticipating Market Change with Wardley Mapping

We discuss Wardley Mapping as a strategic framework for understanding and navigating market and organisational change, particularly within the public sector. We explain that traditional strategic approaches often fail due to reliance on simplistic narratives or overly complex, unusable analyses, leading to a state of strategic paralysis.

In contrast, Wardley Mapping provides a visual, shared language by anchoring strategy to user needs, positioning components in a value chain, and depicting their evolution from novel 'Genesis' to industrialised 'Utility'. The sources highlight predictable climatic patterns like 'Everything Evolves', 'Characteristics Change', 'No Choice on Evolution' (the Red Queen effect), 'Past Success Breeds Inertia', 'Punctuated Equilibrium', and 'Efficiency Enables Innovation', which drive this evolution.

By understanding these patterns, organisations can anticipate disruptions, identify opportunities, adapt management practices, and make informed strategic choices, fostering a continuous cycle of learning and action rather than relying on static plans or being victims of unforeseen change.