Mental Model Mapper

What This Skill Does

Surfaces the beliefs, assumptions, stories, values, identities, fears, and definitions of success that shape a system. A mental model is not merely an opinion. It is a way of interpreting reality that influences what people notice, what they treat as normal, what they design for, and what they consider possible.

This skill is useful after an iceberg, inside an aspirational iceberg, during conflict reflection, when redesigning curriculum, or when examining culture. It helps students and adults say: "What are we assuming? What story is operating here? What structures does that story keep alive? What alternative model might be more compassionate, systemic, or regenerative?"

Evidence Foundation

Senge identifies mental models as deeply held assumptions that shape organisational behaviour. Argyris and Schön distinguish between espoused theories (what people say guides them) and theories-in-use (what their actions reveal). Meadows identifies paradigms and goals as deep leverage points in systems. Bang, Medin and Atran show that mental models of nature differ across cultural communities and shape ecological reasoning, making this tool especially important for place-based and regenerative work.

Input Schema

Required:

• System focus: The issue, aspiration, conflict, curriculum area, or place-based system.
• Context: Where this is happening and who is involved.