June 23 @ WEC, 3:45-5 p.m.

some(think) series: Exploring Empathy Maps

A Q&A with Lori Pugh Marcum about her upcoming session, “some(think) series: Exploring Empathy Maps.”

What do you hope attendees to your session will take away from it?

One of the hardest parts of a meeting professional’s job is managing stakeholder expectations. Using empathy maps and understanding how to communicate what’s in it for them is critical to the success of the event. When you can bring your planners together and put them in the shoes of a different stakeholder, they can understand the challenges and opportunities that each group faces and work together to find solutions that work for everyone. 

What value have you found with the use of empathy maps?

Empathy maps have been a launching pad for the creation of most of my events and are a great tool to bond a team together. If your stakeholders are a part of the strategy and creation of a concept, they are more likely to work together to create the best outcome possible.

Are there any misconceptions about empathy maps that you’ve heard?

Some people assume that empathy maps might take too much time or they can't get their stakeholders to participate. My advice is to start small and get as many people involved as you can and, for those who can’t participate, vet your ideas of what’s important to them to make sure you are correctly assuming what their needs are.

As you first began using empathy maps, was there anything that surprised you?

It surprised me that empathy maps could create the kind of glue that rallies a team together to create an incredible event when most stakeholders have very different goals and visions. I have found that empathy maps accelerate the process of change management and stakeholder buy-in.