Powermapping
Summary: A technique, part of Paul’s “Practice Leaders Toolkit,” for building an influence diagram that maps trust and influence relationships among a key decision-maker and their advisors, to guide relationship-building strategy over time.
Sources: Handwritten.md (original content, authored by Paul)
Last updated: 2026-07-07
Trust building and trust maintenance are described as the most fundamental activities in bringing AI solutions into a business where they get adopted and become business-as-usual — asking a leader to adopt AI and risk the disruption, change management, and job-description rewrite that comes with it is a real test of confidence (source: Handwritten.md).
A Powermap is an influence diagram Paul was introduced to years ago, showing both direct and indirect influencers around a decision-maker. Each node represents an individual whose recommendations can influence the decision-maker, either directly or through a trusted intermediary; each node is labeled with the individual’s sentiment and depth of knowledge; each connecting arc represents the strength of influence between two people (source: Handwritten.md).
The value isn’t the diagram itself but the strategic planning it unlocks: once a Powermap exists (paired with a first-wrong-answer-style initial view of how the group influences each other and the decision-maker), it becomes possible to decide where to cultivate deeper relationships, whom to bring into the community, and what activities will most benefit the client — do they need more understanding of how the solution works, or of the “Safe to Own” promise being made? Without this baseline understanding, an advisor risks being clumsy or unintentionally tone-deaf (source: Handwritten.md).
Paul frames this as gardening, not tactical problem-resolution: preparing ground, planting seeds, nurturing productive relationships, and letting accumulated trust reduce the effort needed to get solutions embraced and adopted. It rewards patience and focus rather than scattering seeds for quick wins (source: Handwritten.md).