Multi-Stakeholder Value Mapping (MSVM)

Part 1: Tool Blueprint & Overview

This section outlines the foundational design, philosophy, and components of the toolkit.

1.1. Primary Objective

• To provide a structured and visual methodology for a leadership team to map the multi-dimensional impacts (positive and negative) of a significant strategic decision across its entire stakeholder ecosystem. The goal is to facilitate a more conscious, rational, and responsible decision-making process by making all trade-offs explicit. This moves the team from a narrow, shareholder-centric view to a more resilient, system-level understanding of a decision's true impact.

1.2. Key Components

• A. The MSVM Framework Guide: A guide that explains the methodology, defines the different categories of "value" (e.g., financial, social, relational) for each stakeholder group, and provides instructions for a facilitated mapping session. (Content detailed in Part 2).

• B. The MSVM Canvas: A one-page, visual canvas that a team can use to map the positive impacts ("Value Created") and negative impacts ("Value Destroyed") of a specific strategic decision on its key stakeholders. (Content detailed in Part 3).

1.3. Core Concepts of the Toolkit

• 1. Beyond Financial Value: The core concept is that "value" is not a monolithic, financial-only term. This toolkit introduces a multi-dimensional view of value, recognizing that what is valuable to a shareholder (e.g., profit) is different from what is valuable to an employee (e.g., stability, growth) or a customer (e.g., reliability, trust). A truly successful strategy optimizes for this complex equation. Ignoring these other forms of value is not just an ethical oversight; it is a strategic error that creates hidden risks and misses significant opportunities.

• 2. Visualizing Trade-Offs: Every significant business decision involves trade-offs. Often, these trade-offs are implicit or ignored, especially when a decision is framed in purely financial terms. The MSVM Canvas is designed to make them explicit and visible. By mapping out how a decision that creates financial value for shareholders might destroy relational value with employees, the tool forces a more honest and strategic conversation about the true, total cost of a decision. This visual clarity prevents "unintended consequences" by making the consequences visible from the start.

Part 2: The MSVM Framework Guide

This guide provides the methodology and definitions needed to use the MSVM Canvas effectively. It should be reviewed by the team before a mapping session.

2.1. The Four Dimensions of Value: A Holistic Framework

To conduct a comprehensive analysis, we must move beyond a purely financial lens. The four dimensions of value used in this framework are a practical synthesis of established strategic concepts (like the Balanced Scorecard and Stakeholder Theory) and are designed to be both collectively exhaustive (they cover all the critical aspects of value) and mutually exclusive (they are distinct from one another) for the purpose of a business decision.

• 1. Financial Value:

• Definition: The direct monetary and economic impacts on the financial well-being of a stakeholder. This is the essential fuel for the business and the most tangible form of value.

• Examples: Increased revenue, higher profit margins, cost savings, personal income, tax revenue, return on investment.

• 2. Social & Cultural Value:

• Definition: The impact on the well-being, cohesion, and shared identity of a group. This is the health of your internal and external social fabric, and it includes the impact on the wider community and environment.

• Examples: Improved work-life balance, a stronger sense of belonging, enhanced community health and safety, preservation of cultural heritage, reduced pollution, a positive contribution to public goods.

• 3. Relational Value:

• Definition: The impact on the quality of relationships and the level of trust between the organization and its stakeholders. This is a critical intangible asset that enables smooth operations and provides a buffer in times of crisis.

• Examples: Increased customer loyalty, higher employee trust in leadership, stronger partnerships with suppliers, improved public reputation, a stronger brand.

• 4. Intellectual & Developmental Value:

• Definition: The impact on knowledge, skills, capabilities, and opportunities for growth. This is your capacity for future success and innovation.

• Examples: Employee skill development, creation of new intellectual property (IP), enhanced customer knowledge and capabilities, opportunities for career advancement, fostering a learning culture.

2.2. Mapping Value to Key Stakeholders

Different stakeholders experience these four dimensions of value in different ways. This table provides examples of what "value created" or "value destroyed" might look like for your four primary stakeholder groups. Use this as a guide during your brainstorming.

2.3. Facilitating a Mapping Session

1. Define the Decision: Be crystal clear about the specific, single strategic decision you are analyzing. Write it at the top of the MSVM Canvas.

2. Identify Key Stakeholders: List the 3-5 most relevant stakeholder groups for this specific decision in the first column of the canvas.

3. Brainstorm "Value Created" & "Value Destroyed": Go stakeholder by stakeholder. For each one, brainstorm the positive and negative impacts across all four dimensions of value.

4. Analyze the Map: Step back and look at the completed canvas. The visual pattern will make the trade-offs immediately apparent. Use this visual to facilitate a strategic discussion.

5. Mitigate & Optimize: After analyzing the initial map, challenge the team to brainstorm ways to improve the decision. Ask: "How can we modify this decision to turn some of the 'Value Destroyed' impacts into neutral or even positive ones?" This moves the tool from a simple analysis to a creative problem-solving exercise.

Part 3: The MSVM Canvas

This canvas is a visual tool designed to be printed on a large sheet of paper or drawn on a whiteboard for a team brainstorming session. Use the Framework Guide from Part 2 to inform your work.

3.1. The MSVM Canvas Template

Strategic Decision Being Analyzed: _________________________________________________________

3.2. How to Use the Canvas: A Pre-Filled Example

Strategic Decision Being Analyzed: "Automate 50% of our customer service roles with an AI chatbot to reduce costs by $5M annually."

Part 4: Application & Integration

4.1. Strategic Questions for the Debrief

After completing the canvas, the facilitator should guide the leadership team through a strategic discussion using these questions:

• The "Big Picture" Question: "Looking at this map, what is the overall story it tells us? Is this a decision that creates broad and sustainable value, or does it create a large benefit for one group at a significant cost to others?"

• The "Hot Spot" Question: "Where is the greatest concentration of 'Value Destroyed'? What is the single most dangerous negative impact on this map, and how can we mitigate it?"

• The "Trade-Off" Question: "Is the financial value we are creating for our shareholders worth the relational value we are destroying with our employees and customers? Is this a trade we are willing to make, and how would we defend it publicly?"

• The "Innovation" Question: "How could we redesign this decision to turn some of the red boxes into green ones? Is there a more creative, 'both/and' solution that could achieve our financial goals without destroying as much stakeholder value?"

4.2. Connecting MSVM to the CLARIFY Framework

The MSVM is a powerful tool for bringing rigor to the "L - Likely Impacts" step of the CLARIFY decision-making process. The qualitative insights from the MSVM canvas are translated into a quantitative Stakeholder Impact Score. This score is a critical input for the overall CLARIFY analysis, but it is not the final answer.

Methodology:

1. Complete the MSVM Canvas: First, complete the full qualitative analysis to understand the story behind the impacts.

2. Assign a Score for Each Stakeholder: For each stakeholder group on your canvas, assign a score from -2 to +2 based on the overall impact of the decision on them.

• +2: Major, significant value created

• +1: Minor, moderate value created

• 0: Neutral or negligible impact

• -1: Minor, moderate value destroyed

• -2: Major, significant value destroyed

Example: "Automate 50% of customer service roles"