My Mentoring Minute Mind Map -
Getting Back to Basics
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I’m in a MasterMind Group that meets once a week.
Each week, one of the members delivers a ‘Mentoring Minute of the Week‘. It was my turn today, and I developed this Mind Map for that purpose. (My description is below the map.)
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“Let’s get Back to Basics”
in our personal dealings with
Prospects, Clients, and Business Associates.”
- Return phone calls
- Reply to Emails.
- Even if it’s just ‘Thanks’, reply to each legitimate Email you receive.
- Write ‘Thank You’ Notes. Make them the old fashion kind that are actually hand written by you, placed in an envelope, and mailed to someone who did something to benefit you.
- Confirm Appointments the day before they are scheduled.
- Get to all appointments early. (If you’re not five minutes early, you’re late!)
- Thank people who give you referrals and update them on the progress of those referrals.
- If it turns into business for you, consider sending a gift card with your ‘Thank You’ note.
- Pay invoices in a timely manner.
- Limit the amount of ‘Free Consulting’ you give and you ask for.
- This is how many of us make money. Our time and advice is our stock in trade and those giving it should be compensated.
All of the above seem obvious to many. But, trust me, you will stand out from others when you do them!
Use a Mind Map to Show Those Relationships!
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People learn differently, and there are three learning styles.
- Some are Auditory Learners.
They need to hear something. - Others are Kinesthetic Learners.
They need to feel something. - Many are Visual Learners.
They learn better by seeing something.
Usually a person’s learning style is a combination of the above, with an emphasis on one of them. The more learning styles your message communicates, the more likely the recipients of that message will Get It!
A Mind Map visually shows those relationships. Even if someone you’re communicating to is not primarily a visual learner, the use of this visual will reenforce your message and increase the odds they will Get It!
Looking for ways to make a Good Mind Map –
Better?
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There are Lots of Ways to enhance your Mind Map.
- Color
- The lines and objects can be color coded. This makes it easy to differentiate between the different sections of you Mind Map.
- For instance, I use the following coding for many maps
- Blue – Personal
- Red – Problem Areas or Potential Problems
- Green – Opportunities (Green – the color of money!)
- Black – Business
- That simple coding has served me well for many years. It allows me to see those four large aspects of each day on one map. Read More→
- For instance, I use the following coding for many maps
- The lines and objects can be color coded. This makes it easy to differentiate between the different sections of you Mind Map.
Make a Personal/Professional Mind Map!
We live in busy times. Most of us have lots going on in our personal and professional lives.
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A Mind Map allows us to:
- See the BIG Picture of everything that’s going on.
- Prioritize tasks.
- The ability to √ check things off as they get completed.
- Plus add tasks to be done as they arise.
All of that ‘stuff” in one place keeps us Read More→
“I Completely Understand What You Mean!”
By · CommentsThat’s the response you want, isn’t it?
Of course!
Almost nothing is be more frustrating than trying and trying to express your thoughts, but not having people understand your message.
One reason is that people learn in different ways.
- Some are Visual Learners.
- They need to literally see the message.
- Mind Maps and other visuals are helpful to these people. Often, they “Get It!” as soon as they Read More→
- They need to literally see the message.
Right on track – Correct?
Well, if you’re like most people, you probably didn’t yell,
“Absolutely on Track!”
Good News: It’s not too late to get on track to meet that goal, or goals. There’s plenty of time, so don’t get discouraged.
Let’s take a look at what has to be done, and how a Mind Map might help.
- The New Year’s Resolution (goal) must be in writing.
A Mind Map, with pictures, if you’re a visual person, will better imprint the goals in your mind’s eye. You’ll ‘see’ them!- If it’s not written down or on a Mind Map, and you’re not looking at it every day, it’s not a goal. It’s only a thought, something you’d like to achieve.
- It must be specific, not general.
- I have two blogs. One of my NYE goals is to Read More→
- It must be specific, not general.
- If it’s not written down or on a Mind Map, and you’re not looking at it every day, it’s not a goal. It’s only a thought, something you’d like to achieve.
Looking at Mind Maps of Others
Makes me Dizzy!
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I understand.
Don’t Give Up on Mind Mapping!
Unless you develop your own, participate in making one,
or watch one being developed, it does seem confusing.
One of the great things about Mind Mapping is that each person can develop their own style.
Often, the person developing the Mind Map is going to be the only person using it. It may not be something that is going to be presented to others. (Ever take notes when you were in school? Could anyone who borrowed them decipher and benefit from them?)
I learned this the hard way. I was giving a presentation at a sales lead group. Before starting I handed out a Mind Map of what I was going to cover. For some of the attendees, they were thoroughly confused from the get-go.
I had done several things wrong. Read More→
Mind Mapping Works – Read More . . .
By · CommentsThe Name has Been Changed,
But this Case Study Shows . . .
I won’t reveal the client’s name, but a real life example of the benefits of Mind Mapping with a professional, knowledgeable of the theory and skilled with Mind Mapping software, is worth a post.
George's Tech Business - What We Do! / Click to Enlarge!
George: Jack of All Tech
One of the first things I always ask business clients is, “Tell me something about your company.”
This request, and followup questions, remind them, and give me, the ‘view from the sky’. The history of the business and the industry help clarify the current state of the business.
Another important question I ask is, “Tell me something about yourself.” I want to know a little about them personally: family, education, work experience and goals.
After learning more about George, the first Mind Map we made was of all the things George offers clients. In this case products and services included: printer repair, phone installation, closed circuit television, software customization, computer networking, etc.
The next step was to prioritize the map two ways; Read More→
Putting those Great Ideas into ‘Parents’
By · CommentsPut those kids with their Parents!
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Group your ideas by placing them into ‘Parent’ categories.
One of the great things about Mind Mapping with software is that it is very easy to ‘Pop’ – ‘Pop’ – ‘Pop’ ideas related to your central (main) subject.
One of the downsides of this activity is that it sometimes so many ideas get onto the map that it can seem, at first, overwhelming.
That’s OK, because generating lots and lots of ideas and solutions, to opportunities and challenges, is one of the prime reasons to use Mind Mapping software.
The next step, and solution to being overwhelmed with ideas, is to group them into categories, or ‘Parent Boxes’.
As an example, I am writing and book about Public Speaking. Mind Mapping ideas on marketing that go beyond just writing the book and ‘putting it out there’ is one of my goals.
Above is an example of what I’ve come up with.
There’s a lot of stuff here, and kind of hard to follow and prioritize.
However, there are two distinct themes emerging: On-Line and Off-Line. Look at how they line up now. Read More→
Think you have Too Many Ideas?
You Actually have More!
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Mind Map those Ideas!
Ever have so many things flying around in your brain that you feel over-whelmed and don’t know where to begin?
Ever start listing them and trying to prioritize the list so you do the most important thing first, next most important thing second, etc?
Try Mind Mapping those ideas. Literally and physically you can get them all on one page. Having the ‘view from the air’ will help you see relationships and prioritize all those things that were spinning around in your brain.
One way to work on all this ‘brain stuff’ is to start with ‘Ideas‘ in the middle of your computer screen. (I’m assuming you’re using Mind Mapping software for this, because it makes the process immensely easier.) Use your ‘rapid fire’ function and start ‘popping’ all those ideas onto your screen using the ‘Ideas’ Central Image as your starting point.
Once you’ve got, for the moment, those ideas radiating from the center, you can start prioritizing them. I start at 12:00 and Read More→
