Sedimentary layers are bands of rock formed over millions of years as materials settle and compress, creating distinct strata that tell the story of Earth’s history. Each layer represents a different time period, with the oldest at the bottom and the newest at the top.
Complex problems, organizations, and systems often develop in layers over time. Like geological strata, each layer represents decisions, technologies, or structures from a particular era that remain embedded in the present. Understanding these layers helps you see why things are the way they are and identify which layers might need excavation or preservation.
Is there a problem that seems unnecessarily complex? Can you identify the different historical layers that created the current situation? Which layers are foundational and which could be removed? What new layer are you adding right now?
View on visual frameworks.com.
Love the new card ...
Funny - but I used to have a term called "corporate archaeology" which is similar.
You can go back in time and see when various processes and systems were installed.
Often people would be doing things because of some decision taken by someone years ago "just in case" or out of abeyance to rules from some piece of software that had been installed.
This normally added unnecessary bureaucracy - which no one really knew the reason why such complexity had been added.
A recent client, for instance, has to get 4 signatures to sign an NDA - simply because the document management system says it should.
You can dig deep to find out the reasons why things are as they are - but somehow people are often happy with the familiar and simply don't challenge the status quo.