The Context Map
A simple tool to finally see how work actually happens
How to see how work really happens (so everything else becomes easier)
Every organization struggles with the same basic problem:
People don’t share a clear picture of how work actually happens.
Not the official version.
Not the process diagram.
Not the tool-defined steps.
The real version:
the exceptions
the tacit knowledge
the dependencies
the hidden labor
the constraints
the “if this, then that”
the parts that live in people’s heads
When this real context is invisible, you get:
misalignment
unnecessary meetings
tool friction
rework
bad handoffs
stalled AI projects
constant “checking in”
Not because people are incompetent — but because context is scattered.
The fastest way to fix this is simple:
Create a Context Map.
What a Context Map Is
A Context Map is a one-page snapshot of the real conditions of a workflow:
what triggers the work
what it is trying to achieve
what constraints shape it
what knowledge people rely on
what exceptions appear
what information matters
where things break
and where AI can help
It doesn’t capture the steps.
It captures the conditions that make the steps make sense.
Why You Need One
Tools record artifacts, not context.
Meetings attempt to recover context the tools didn’t capture.
A Context Map reveals:
what actually drives decisions
why work breaks down
where friction really comes from
who depends on whom
why teams interpret the same work differently
what AI would need to be useful
It’s the simplest diagnostic you can do in an hour.
The 10 Questions
Ask these to the people who actually do the work:
What is the actual goal of this work?
What triggers it?
What constraints shape it?
What dependencies matter?
What tacit knowledge is required?
What exceptions happen frequently?
What hidden labor keeps it together?
Who communicates with whom?
What typically goes wrong?
Where could AI help, once context is clear?
That’s the whole method.
Honesty > perfection.
What Happens When You Use It
A Context Map instantly reveals:
bottlenecks
contradictions
gaps in understanding
missing information
unnecessary complexity
where judgment matters most
Once people see the real work, every other improvement becomes obvious.