CASE STUDY: Role Mapping at FACT Liverpool - The Coach's Perspective

When FACT Liverpool’s CEO, Nicola Triscott, reached out to me at the start of 2023, I was excited to combine my expertise in organisational structures and leadership with FACT’s artistic and cultural vision.

I support growing, purpose-driven organisations to lead beyond hierarchy and whilst I have a toolkit of structures and practices, my main goal is to meet an organisation where they are, enhancing their ways of working together.

The Vision

From the outset, Nicola had a clear grasp of the limitations of a traditional hierarchy. She recognised how managerial titles could stifle progression and development, had worked hard to build trust within her organisation, and had identified several key challenges. These included the need to streamline operations, address accountability gaps, break down silos, improve communication, resolve organisational tensions, and enhance onboarding and adaptability. 

Nicola had a strong sense of the culture she wanted to create at FACT and an intuitive understanding of the challenges she’d face in implementing a new organisational structure and more collaborative ways of working. I saw a clear path to support her and her leadership team by building on our shared values of autonomy, clarity and collaboration.

We began with visioning sessions with FACT’s executive team and explored how to facilitate effective operational meetings. However, it quickly became evident that the foundation of this work would be role mapping the organisational structure with FACT’s purpose, core missions, and values at the centre.

Role Mapping

FACT had been operating with a traditional linear organigram—a structure that has been used for nearly a century to visualise hierarchical lines of reporting. However, these models fall short because they:

• Fail to map an organisation’s purpose

• Ignore the actual flow of work, which is rarely as straightforward as a line or a box

• Reinforce silos and hierarchies that stifle innovation and adaptability

  
  

Nicola was committed to overcoming these limitations. Our priorities were:

• Aligning roles with the organisation’s purpose

• Enabling adaptability, allowing teams to shift focus as priorities evolve

• Breaking down silos to encourage cross-functional collaboration

Once we had reaffirmed FACT’s purpose and defined its core missions, we brainstormed the roles necessary to fulfil them. We grouped roles with shared purposes and reflected on what we had created. Some key insights emerged:

We had an opportunity to clarify the purpose of every team within the organisation.

The new structure aligned with the existing one without requiring dramatic changes.

There was enthusiasm for reimagining role names, which was both exciting and engaging.

Certain leaders recognised the need for more frequent communication with other roles.

A commitment was made to share key information more widely as its purpose became clearer.

We ran workshops with the broader leadership team, involving them in shaping their roles and purpose statements. Ultimately, Nicola compiled the first draft of the role map and loaded it into Maptio, an interactive software that makes the map visual, adaptable, and dynamic.

An Overview of Fact Liverpool's Role Map

Shifting the Focus of the ‘Manager’s Meetings’

A significant early change was setting up a Planning & Development Circle. In effect, this replaced the management team meetings, which had lost focus. The new style meetings were no longer held simply because they were a group of ‘managers’ but because they played key roles in FACT’s planning, development, and future as a cultural institution in Liverpool.

Over time, Planning & Development meetings have become more focused, structured around the question: ‘What do you need to fulfil the purpose of your role?’ This approach has helped streamline agendas and enhance discussions.

A Visual Map for the Future

FACT’s role map is not—and never will be—a finished product. It continuously evolves, reflecting the organisation’s missions, roles, teams, and workflow. The structure prioritises:

• Flow: Enabling work to move more seamlessly between teams.

• Transparency: Introducing a visual map that the whole team can interact with.

• Trust: Supporting interpersonal connections to foster collaboration and innovation.

• Purpose: Working with a clear purpose for each role, team, and the organisation as a whole.

• Clarity: Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.

Fact Liverpool's Planning & Development Circle

The role map has also become a valuable tool for planning, offering Nicola a visual means to communicate and engage her team and the wider community in FACT’s evolving story.

I have been continually inspired by Nicola’s vision for FACT and the intuitive way we have approached this project together. Naturally, budget constraints have posed challenges, but the work is ongoing, and it has been encouraging to see how much can be achieved with limited resources.

The thoughtful, measured pace of this work has helped set the expectation that the role map is a long-term, evolving tool rather than a passing initiative. While there is still progress to be made in aligning FACT’s culture with Nicola’s vision, this project has laid a strong foundation for future growth, adaptation, and success in an increasingly complex landscape.

Ready To Start Your Role Mapping Journey?

Understanding the role mapping process is the first step towards transforming your organisation. By clarifying your purpose, mapping work before people, and fostering collaboration through circles of roles, you can create a structure that supports both your current needs and future growth.

If you’d like to explore how role mapping could benefit your business, I’d love to help. Contact me here to discuss your needs. Together, we can create a structure that empowers your team and unlocks your organisation’s full potential.