1. Design Thinking Action Lab
Assignment #2
Empathy Map & Problem Statement
Yvette Wright
Aug 5, 2013

2. Empathy Map
• I was always good in school and got good grades
• In school, you know how you are doing because you
get grades and do papers, work is not like that
• In school, I was always clear about what was expected
• Transitioning from school to work, their were
challenges
• It is not that I did not know what was expected at work,
I did not know how well I was doing, on a per task
basis, there was no performance rating per task,
feedback was not always given
• I am interested in doing well at work like at school
• I did not want to be a pest or annoying, if I asked and I
sucked I didn’t want to know that (laughing)
• I prefer to work collaboratively, I like to hear advice
and opinions to make sure I was on the right path
• My peers are more experienced than me, I was an
outsider
• There is no resistance to working collaboratively, but
my colleagues are not use to it, it is not how they have
always done it
• Adjusting to varied work hours was a challenge, I like a
set routine
• Sarcasm is a part of who I am, everybody does not get
it
SAY

3. Empathy Map
• Stakeholder did not anticipate the extent of the
difference between campus life and work life
• Did not factor in the fact that interruptions and a
change in priorities would change her “to do list” from
day to day
• Being a smart kid in school did not mean you would be
the “sharpest” blade in the draw at work
• Expected more positive strokes for assignments
completed in a timely fashion
• While she did not expect people to ask her if she
needed help…she expected colleagues to ask her if she
needed help
• Fear of being labeled needy or perceived as not being
able to pull her weight prevented her from
approaching more experienced colleagues about
suggestions for approaching a task
THINK

4. Empathy Map
• Felt like an outsider initially
• Work style gap was wider than expected
• Glad colleagues were open to a more collaborative
approach to assignments
• Felt comfortable leveraging sarcasm – it is a part of
who she is
• Feels that there is an effort to change “the old way “ of
doing things
• Feels it is important to act as mentor to young people
that are hired
FEEL

5. PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Stakeholder needs a way to balance her way
of working with the “old” corporate culture
because she wants to be viewed as a
contributing member of her team.
• Insight
1. the dominant culture is over 50 and has a difficult time adjusting to
change, typically they dismiss or ignore young people
2. Young people today are sharp and want to contribute, it is important to
make them a part of things quickly

6. Stakeholder
• Young female with an MIS degree
• Smart and accustom to positive feedback
• Attractive
• Energetic
• Enjoys a good laugh and sarcasm