Differentiate user sequence from stakeholder ownership when building a map.
Principle: Organize the map around user flow, not internal ownership. The Move When the team proposes a top-row card, test it with the sentence: “Does the user do this, or is this how our company thinks about the work?” If it sounds like a department or system, rewrite it into a user action. Why It Works Story maps create shared understanding by making work visible as a journey. Departmental grouping may feel efficient, but it hides the transitions where real friction appears. Slice Lens Usable releases cross functions. They do not stop at the boundary of one team's ownership.
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