Most organisations plan strategy with the outside world in mind, then implement it using unchanged internal structures. The result? Good teams with clear intentions still end up working at cross purposes.

In this episode, Rich Allen, author of User Needs Mapping, shows us how to shift from "inside out" to "outside in" thinking—anchoring change on what users actually need, then designing teams to deliver value with less friction and greater flow.

We explore why strategy so often stays trapped in slide decks, never translating into sustainable change. Rich introduces User Needs Mapping as a practical, visual technique that helps organisations identify users, define their needs, map capabilities, and align team boundaries accordingly. Drawing on principles from Wardley Mapping and Team Topologies, the approach makes visible what's usually hidden: unclear ownership, excessive handovers, duplicated effort, and cognitive overload.

Rich shares a compelling case study from Blue Lagoon, where co-created maps revealed that what seemed like a single "booking" need actually concealed multiple distinct user journeys. By refactoring team boundaries around actual value streams, they improved both clarity and trust whilst reducing dependencies.

We also examine AI through a sobering lens: AI amplifies whatever organisational design you currently have. Clear team boundaries and value flows mean AI can reduce toil and boost outcomes. Confusion and misalignment? AI magnifies that too. User Needs Mapping provides a grounded way to decide where AI belongs and how to govern it properly.

Key takeaways:

• Why most teams don't suffer from lack of effort—they suffer from lack of alignment
• The critical difference between wants, needs, and jobs to be done
• How to use visual mapping to surface gaps and create shared understanding
• Practical first steps: start with users and needs, not systems and structure
• Why getting alignment right matters more than ever in the age of AI

If your organisation struggles with handovers, unclear ownership, or "agile" that moves tickets but not outcomes, this conversation offers practical tools you can use.

Read more on: https://arkaro.com/user-needs-mapping-team-alignment/

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