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From the beginning, the intent of this column has been to help managers think about and explain agency issues from a “visual” perspective. In the spirit of empowerment, this month’s column follows the ancient parable’s instruction to teach people how to fish rather than simply giving them a fish.
The variety of techniques used to “draw” each month’s tools actually can be grouped into a few common categories.
The “Circular” Logic Of Venn Diagrams
In 1880, John Venn published an article describing his method of overlapping circles (see Figure 1) to show how two or more factors--which he termed sets--interact (Edwards). This method is easy to construct (place a coffee mug on a piece of paper and trace around the bottom edge), and just as easily understood. (Note: Venn diagrams normally are limited to three circles, but four can be used for diagrammatic purposes.)