Where psychology and technology converge
Elles van Teylingen has been building balanced teams since 2010. What did she see time and time again? Unspoken assumptions and a lack of psychological safety hinder growth. That’s why she developed Off the Map: an evidence-based serious game with real-time AI feedback. No dry theory, but an experience that lets teams feel what happens when everything clicks.
Where it all began
Elles van Teylingen has been working to strengthen balanced teams since 2010. She started Experts in Balanced Teams, Women in Technics, Women in Welding, Women in Consultancy, and Women in Sales with a bold mission: to get more women into top positions in sales and consultancy, precisely in a domain where talent often remains invisible and diversity initiatives traditionally focus on C-level. During those years, she saw the same thing happening over and over again: attracting diversity is one step, but building a team culture in which differences are safely utilized is the real performance accelerator. But there was also a focus on getting more women into engineering and welding, and there were some challenges in putting together teams.
That’s why she developed Off the Map: a learning experience that doesn’t get bogged down in theory, but makes behavior visible and translates it directly into practice. Teams go through five scenarios in which cooperation, communication, and leadership are put under pressure. Thanks to AI, each player receives real-time feedback and personal insights. Accessible and fun, but with a serious impact: what you discover in the game, you take with you to the workplace the next day.
Scientifically proven & measurable
Off the Map is inspired by leading insights on team behavior and innovation, including:
Amy Edmondson – psychological safety
Scott E. Page – cognitive diversity
Beau Lotto – dealing with uncertainty
Celik, Storme & Forthmann – creative thinking
The content has also been developed and tested with expertise from neuroscience and behavioral (disorder) psychology, so that game theory translates into a concrete, measurable learning experience that touches and activates people.
