Story Mapping: A Powerful Tool for (Agile) Product Development

 

Jira is a trap. When a less experienced real product owner is working with Jira, there is a high chance that the PO is creating an epic, out of the epic some storys or requirements and starts the discussion about that. At this time, you already lost as product owner the momentum of the power of a story map.

What is Story Mapping?

Story mapping, created by agile pioneer Jeff Patton (see https://jpattonassociates.com/story-mapping/), is a visual exercise to help product teams understand the customer’s journey and define what the product needs to do. It's a method that organizes and prioritizes user stories by mapping them along two dimensions: activities over time (typically from top to bottom) and goals/features from high-priority to low-priority (left to right).

This approach not only clarifies how each part of the product contributes to the overall experience but also helps teams identify gaps, prioritize the backlog, and deliver in stages.

Benefits of Story Mapping

1. User-Centric Focus: Ensures features align with real user needs.
2. Effective Prioritization: Helps focus on what's most important.
3. Team Alignment: Brings teams together to build a shared understanding.
4. Roadmap Planning: Clearly defines what goes in each release, helping to avoid scope creep.

How to Create a Story Map

Bring in specialists which have a connection to the story map. 

1. Identify the User’s Journey

Start by defining high-level user goals or activities (in a webshop this could be “make a purchase”). Place these activities in sequence, representing the stages a user goes through when interacting with the product.

2. Break Down Activities into Tasks

For each high-level goal, break it down into specific tasks or steps that the user needs to accomplish. This breakdown will highlight what the product must enable the user to do, giving your team a detailed view of required functionality.

3. Organize Tasks by Priority

Sort tasks vertically by priority. The most critical tasks go to the top, defining the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Subsequent rows represent less essential features or those that can be added later.

4. Define Releases or Sprints

Story mapping also help organize releases. Group tasks horizontally into what will be included in the next release or sprint, ensuring that each release delivers value by enabling a full user journey through one or more stages of the map.

5. Regularly Review and Update the Map

Story maps are dynamic tools. As the team learns more about the user’s needs, the map should evolve. This flexibility allows teams to pivot based on user feedback without losing sight of the big picture.

It is really a powerful tool to focus on the user perspective and creates more understanding for delivering value to a customer. Using personas can make the user story mapping even better.

Satisfaction in a change process

Have you ever been angry or at least annoyed about something at home today? In the morning? In traffic? At work or school? How many times have you heard or read about war news this week? Is the end near and everything was better before?

Really?

It's simply time to say thank you.

Thank you that I have great people.

Thank you for a wonderful family.

Thank you that I can live in a beautiful region.

Thank you that I have something to eat and drink every day and a home.

Photographers know it - sometimes it's necessary to take a step back to get a better overview. It's similar in life. Gaining an overview requires breaking out of the hammock and sometimes asking for opposing opinions, listening and asking yourself whether you are actually right, whether the information you are consuming is correct or whether you are trapped in a bubble.

After a long period of stability and security, you start to be cosy in your comfort zone. Every change appears to be an intervention or even an attack.

The same behaviour can be observed in an agile transformation in a company. Processes that have been lived for years or decades require much more energy, even if the process is of little value in a modern environment. Change is associated with fear and this is an essential aspect to consider as an agile coach. The bigger a change is and therefore the more people are affected, the more likely it is that there will be dissatisfied people. - That's ok. Building consensus with 100 people, for example, leads to sluggish change behaviour. Here, the departmental or company management is required to demand responsibility from the employees, but to bear the accountability themselves. If you hand over both to those involved in the change process even though you have made the decision yourself, there is a high chance that the change will fail.

Another important aspect is to clearly define and communicate the goal. Is it okay that old schemes no longer work in the new process. The question is, how do you deal with this? Does it require employees to adapt? Uncertainties such as these must be addressed. In this way, momentum can be used to increase motivation. Use this momentum which you can get by changes to level up the company over staying at the same motivation and satisfaction level.