Top Tips for Ripple Effects Mapping on your own!

Sophia works as in our Create Local team a Creative Catalyst in the Forest of Dean. She uses Ripple Effects Mapping as a tool to help her keep track of the people she is meeting and the connections she is making through her work. She also finds it useful as an evaluation tool - both for reflection, measuring impact and to plan for the future.

She talks about how she uses REM in the Create Glos, Ripple Effects Mapping film which you can watch here. And has now added to that by sharing her top tips below!

My top tips for individual Ripple Mappings are:

* MAKE IT YOURS! 

This is a process for you to capture, reflect and be empowered by your work! Don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, this is your map to be understood by YOU! Scribe on paper, or digitalise,  maybe colour coding is your thing? Be free to ripple as you see fit!

* ALL RIPPLES BIG AND SMALL

Capture the big moments and the tiny ones too! It could be overhearing a conversation in a queue that sparks an idea to reach out and have a conversation with someone that leads to a wider discussion that leads to an action! From tiny acorns grow mighty oaks! Which reminds me, if you are feeling inspired by a quote that resonates with a value in your work add that too

* MAKE TIME TO REFLECT

Making time to reflect on your ripple map findings allows your to see all the work you have done and focus on the next steps or direction you want to take it. Taking time to do this can provide rich learnings both in the short and long term. Again, do what feels right for you. It could be at the end of a working day, week or month - just set aside the time!

* OUTCOMES OF ACTION THAT LEAD TO IMPACT

Be sure to log the outcomes of actions as overtime this can be valuable evidence of the work you do and the ripples of change that are happening as a result of YOU. If you work as a freelance, this can be incredibly reassuring and empowering.

* SAVE AND STORE

Keep your Ripple Map safely stored away and back up if you are doing it digitally. Future you will thank you for it!