the map is not the territory - a concept that explains why communication can be so incredibly difficult in teams

Things that kept me up at night as a service business owner

Disharmony with a team member, or within my team was recently one of the biggest stresses in my life as a business owner and I know I am not alone, I hear it often in conversations business leaders and managers.

Have you ever been in the presence of someone who thinks that their way of thinking is the ONLY way of thinking? Unwilling to look at themselves, the role they play, the intention they bring to the space.  The result is often disharmony and when this happens, not only can it poison the whole environment, like a piece of rotting fruit in a fruit bowl, it can often be felt by clients through language and energy.

This disharmony can be best understood by considering a finely tuned orchestra.  All of the musicians understand that although the instruments are independent of one another, each with unique talents and diverse backgrounds, they come together to make beautiful music, guided by the conductor.  Team cultures are the same.  We are all unique, we all think differently,  however unless we understand this and come together regardless, tensions can arise, disrupting the harmonious flow of the music.  

In my 10 years as a leader of my service business, I had never really experienced it because I have always taught my team about the concept of “the map is not the territory”.  This refers to the idea of knowing and understanding how our world view impacts us and those around us.

However recently our orchestra was impacted, there was a strings section, led by the disciplined violinist we will call Sarah who seemed to clash with the brass section under the leadership of the spirited trumpeter we will call Amy.  Their differing approaches to music clashed like conflicting notes in a cacophony.  This is not unusual in a team, I get that.  But when the disciplined violinist is not willing to embrace the diversity of the instruments, appreciate the other talents or view points, or release the grip on tradition, allowing room for creativity or spontaneity and the trumpeter is not willing to look at the importance of structure and discipline in achieving harmony, it can all be so much more difficult than it needs to be.

I think back to my school years, where we are all young, egocentric, trying to find our identities, strong in our convictions, having not yet worked out that our world view is just that, it is ours – based on our own upbringing, experiences, influences.  As an adult however, to allow us to work harmoniously in a team, it’s an important concept to understand and embrace. 

We got through it, we regrouped, the outcome was not what we had hoped, but the result was that we doubled down on the concept of the  ‘Map of the Territory’.  The concept that our world view, is different and to learn to accept and embrace each other’s differences can transform team cultures and interpersonal relationships.

As a leader I feel a huge responsibility to everyone that works in our environment to teach this concept, so that our team can come to work, be part of a harmonious orchestra, play beautiful music together and impact people’s lives through their music.

Here’s what my Coach says:

Our current mindset is determined more by our internal environment than by our external environment. It is called the ‘Map is not the Territory. Meaning the words we use are not he even or the item they represent.  

The way we communicate to ourselves, and others is influenced by our Map of the Territory.

And so is everyone else’s.  To understand this concept is to understand why communication can be so complicated.

When you know that you operate from your Map of the Territory you can begin to understand yourself, your mindset and connect with yourself more compassionately and resourcefully.

When you know that people operate from their Map of the Territory you can begin to understand and work to connect with people more compassionately and resourcefully.

Some questions to consider - This week what did I notice when I was operating only in my current Map of the Territory and not considering expanding my Map of the Territory (mindset):

With my self-talk?
With my leadership?
When I communicate with other people?

My experience is that life is truly lived and grown in review. When you take the time to review how your Map of the Territory is influencing your current mindset you can then make decisions for you to expand your Map, your mindset and all of the experiences that life offers.

Ask yourself: When will I begin to facilitate growing my Map of the Territory to grow my mindset?