1. Journey maps ≠ life cycle charts

Joris drew the line early: journey maps aren’t just prettier process diagrams. They’re a different philosophy.

Where lifecycle charts track HR-led processes, journey maps center the employee’s experience — including how support shows up (or doesn’t) in moments that matter.

“Life is scattered with predictable moments. Same with work. Whether it’s your first day, becoming a manager, or coming back from leave — if you can map those moments, you can design them well.” – Joris Luijke

2. Your journey map is probably too big

Most teams start with good intentions… and 200 sticky notes. The problem? Mapping every moment at once is overwhelming and ineffective.

Joris shared how their team used to run massive whiteboard sessions — only to end up with something beautiful but unusable.

“You should start with 50 moments at most. Then pick three to focus on. Don’t just map — prioritize and activate.”

3. Delight comes from small, intentional moments

Jessica described how her team used journey mapping to identify key gaps — like new hires who accepted offers but kept interviewing.

Their fix? A Snappy integration that sent customizable gifts to new hires before day one.

“It’s not about swag. It’s about sending a message: we see you, we’re excited you’re here, and we want this to be a relationship built on trust.”

The result? Early insight into who’s disengaging, and a way to act before the damage is done.

4. A good journey map creates team alignment

Journey maps aren’t just for HR. They de-silo teams and get everyone aligned on what matters, who owns what, and how to improve experiences consistently.

Joris explained how companies like MongoDB use journey maps to support managers of new managers — not just the newly promoted person themselves.

“It’s not just about the person experiencing the moment. It’s about the people supporting that moment having what they need too.”

5. Don’t treat your map like a poster — treat it like a product

Jessica put it simply: this is not a static artifact. It should evolve.

She encourages teams to regularly assess each mapped moment with simple cues (happy/neutral/sad faces) and use those to drive problem statements.

“I get my team to look at the map and say — what are we proud of, what are we neutral about, and what still feels broken? It’s the easiest way to get unstuck when deciding what to fix next.”

See you next week!

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