Maintained by the RAF Caucus. This is general organizing guidance. Organizing 101 introduces mapping in brief; this page is the practical how-to.
Workplace mapping is how organizers turn a vague sense of "who's around" into a clear, usable picture of the workplace: who works where, who talks to whom, and where support and hesitation actually sit. You cannot organize a workplace you cannot see. A map is the tool that makes the rest of organizing possible.
Sketch the workplace as it really is. List teams, locations, and shifts, and note how many people are in each. Pay special attention to workers who are easy to overlook: different shifts, satellite offices, remote workers, and TVCs. A map that only covers the people like you is not a map of the workplace.
The most important thing a map captures is organic leaders — the people whose coworkers already trust and follow, whether or not they hold any title. These are not necessarily the loudest people or the ones who agree with you first. Ask: if this person got involved, would others follow? Identifying and developing these leaders is what turns a list of names into real structure. See Organizing 101 on developing leaders.
A common approach is to rate where each person stands, for example on a simple 1-to-5 scale from strong supporter to strong opponent. The point is not to label people or write anyone off — it is to be honest about where things stand so you know where to focus. People move: the whole aim of organizing is to move them through conversations over time. Update the map as you learn more.
Assessments come from real conversations, not guesses. A rating you assigned without ever talking to someone is just a guess. See Talking to Coworkers.
A workplace map is sensitive. It records people's names and their organizing sympathies, and in the wrong hands it could expose coworkers to retaliation. Treat it accordingly: keep it off corporate systems, share it only on a need-to-know basis, store the minimum detail necessary, and protect the people most at risk. Read Security Culture before you build one.