Chart Enemy Reframe
Conversely, in my view, capitalism means targeting the right enemy, not the wrong enemy: pic.twitter.com/AjC87ypo7z
— Steve C. (@NeuterTheDebt) June 1, 2016
Ten years on, still needs sayin'.
Away from triggering deluded "democratic socialists" aka commies, there's something for us to take from this classic meme graphic.
Given commissions of mine a year or so back, I thought on this thinking applied to 'consulting'. Where there were a number of projects ongoing. Threatening to overwhelm the Sales teams touched by their swelling presence which was seemingly never-ending.
I was but a single guy with niche authority. Yet I'd encountered this before. A simple assessment was needed to help with a reset.
The initial horizontal split of all projects on the go put each in either 'strategic' or 'tactical' buckets. Often characterised by level of 'C-suite' engagement or type of execution.
Then the killer third, vertical slice.
Scope creep black holes.
For projects that continuously expanded in effort and time without corresponding value or additional revenue.
It enabled a worthwhile pruning. Saving cash as well as expediting results from others. (One person also finding what they labelled a zombie project!)
It's a presentational trick that can apply in many a setting.
Start with a clean, seemingly obvious binary split of a dataset.
Then, in the contrasting view, you reveal a superior third categorisation. Slicing across the original divide.
The real insight isn't in either of the first two populations. It's in this overlapping or transcending group that pulls the productive or good and isolates the problematic ones from both sides.
It's a classic 2-step reveal, executed visually. The first feels neat and tidy. Then the second quietly explodes that simplicity by showing the meaningful boundary running through the original groups.
In my case, there was not quite a red 'bad' segment to begin with, but the new divide still uncovers a cross-cutting insight.
I asked AI if there was a term for such graphics. Perhaps not, given its 'thought for 8s' replies included "decision trees, clustering visuals, or reframing diagrams".
Slightly better luck asking for ideas elsewhere from our solution selling world where this chance to shine might also appear. Whilst it didn't quite nail them, it did spark actual examples I've lived.
Target market split. Take a trad geographic or size initial split. That's a demographic. Then use third slice from a psychographic, of how they think. Such as on a broad top-level, using the strategy mindset of differentiation or cost-leadership.
A well-trodden arena might also be with what's in our pipeline. Again using first a kind of demographic, in terms of deal size. Before slicing across with which exhibit our specific key, must-have trait. Like pain urgency recognised or ceo champion.
I think too you could use it to explain why we'd be their preferred vendor. Initially, there could be a Tier 1 vs 2 split. Or again the strategic/tactical view. Then bring into play high/low maintenance, or value. Where we suggest we're in their more desired pot, when knowing 'competition' are not.
In any case, a winning chart device to set us apart and make lasting impression leading to commitment.