The interfaces, between people, processes, equipment and information are usually ignored. They are simply represented by lines on our organisation charts or process maps. This typically leads to functional silos, turf wars and organisational black holes that consume a disproportionate amount of resource without any benefit.

Challenge Mapping is a ‘Systems Thinking’ skill that allows managers to overcome these problems by focusing on optimising the relationships between the parts of the organisation. This enables them to build holistic solutions that maximise the overall synergy. As it is the relationships that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts, it is in this almost completely neglected area where it is easiest to make the greatest improvements in the overall performance of the organisation.