Archive for Strategic Planning
For Some Mind Mapping -
Two Heads are Much Better than One!
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I do a lot of Mind Mapping, and use it for a variety of tasks.
- Strategic Planning
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- To-Do Lists
- Vacation Planning
- Developing, Practicing and Delivering Presentations
- Coaching Business Clients and a Host of Brain Related Activities
I have found the expression, “Two heads are better than one,” really does apply when using Mind Mapping for some, if not all tasks. The main reason for this is that you’re too close to your own work. You are emotionally involved and it’s tough to stand back and ask yourself tough questions. It’s hard to ask yourself new questions, also.
Here’s a personal story that illustrates this:
I was sitting at my computer one day and received an email from a good friend asking a question. I can’t remember the question, but I knew the answer so I typed it into the email and clicked the “Send” icon.
Several minutes later, I received a one word response from him: “WOW!”
I looked at that for a moment and thought to myself, “What’s WOW?” I typed that into the email and sent the question back to him.
Probably ten minutes later I received his answer, which had a profound effect on me. It read:
“Sometimes you’re so close to your own knowledge base, that is so wide and so deep – You don’t know what you know!”
Think about that statement: “You don’t know what you know!” It’s true for each and every one of us!
The fact is,
“Your everyday could be someone else’s payday.”
“Your everyday could be someone else’s Ah Hah! moment.”
If you’re Mind Mapping alone, you probably won’t keep probing with questions to yourself like, “What else?” and statements such as “So what.” Another person, if they’re trained to, will keep digging at you to literally and figuratively get everything on the same Mind Mapping page. They’ll see qualities, good and not-so-good, in you that you can’t see looking in the mirror.
I always tell prospects and clients that if We Mind Map together, We will develop the maximum number of ideas and solutions to their opportunities and challenges.
What are you so close to that you don’t see?
Mind Map Your Dream Board and. . .
Posted by: | CommentsAchieve those Dreams!
One cool use of Mind Mapping is the Development of your Dream Board.
A Dream Board can be considered a visual representation of goals. Often people will get a large sheet of poster board and paste pictures from magazines and other sources that represent goals. Mind Mapping software makes this activity really easy.
“Seeing is Believing” and seeing those objects of our desire embeds the impression in our sub-conscious and, with repeated exposure to the Dream Board, increases the odds we’ll “see” ourselves reaching those goals.
The objects don’t have to represent material goals. In the Dream Board below, I’ve included volunteer work, giving, and spiritual objectives.
A good friend mentioned Vision Board, another term for Dream Board, to me recently.
That reminded me of one I’d done a few years ago. I found it and posted it here. Read More→
WHY a Mind Map rather than PowerPoint?
Posted by: | CommentsHow about This: Simple and Easy to Understand!
34 Power Point Slides or 1 Mind Map. You Choose!
Here’s a perfect example of why you might consider Mind Mapping your presentation to an audience rather than using slide after slide.
I just consulted with a company that was announcing it’s New Vision to all employees. They had prepared 34 slides, with graphics, that explained everything in the New Vision.
The slides were not great, but OK. (The branding on practically all the slides added clutter. Clean & Simple is the mantra for slides. Very little text – Good! Few bullet points – Yea!)
One of the challenges with the slide show was that it wasn’t easily understood how the entire plan fit together. There was not a picture from above showing all the relationships.
Mind Mapping the presentation shows the BIG Picture. This is important to all concerned so they see how all the pieces of the New Vision fit together.
The main parts of the Mind Map are shown in sequence, then the accompanying subsets. When the next component is show, the other subsets disappear so attention is drawn to what is being discussed.
The final Mind Map slide shows how it all fits together!
Mind Mapping Software
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The software I use for Mind Mapping is Inspiration.
There are others available, but I find this meets and exceeds all my needs.
It is cross-platform, so mac and pc users can share files.
It’s very easy to customize to meet your specific needs.
There is a FREE Trial Available HERE.
If you wish to purchase Inspiration, the price is $75. Click on the Buy Now Button below.
Your invoice will have the name Fred Co. on it.
Contact me, please, for:
- Larger quantities
- Templates
- Training and consulting.
Here is a list, with links, to other Mind Mapping software. All offer FREE Trials.
Fred E. Miller
Fred@MasterMindMapper.com
314-517-8772
A Beautiful WORD CLOUD of Mind Mapping
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a neat way to look at Mind Mapping!
This visual, showing some of the many use of Mind Mapping, was made with Wordle. Try it!
Things in my Life/Business are Always Changing!
How do I Keep Up with Everything?
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Make a Personal/Professional Mind Map!
We live in busy times. Most of us have lots going on in our personal and professional lives.
Click to Enlarge
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→
It’s February:
How’s that New Year’s Resolution coming along?
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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.
Mind Mapping Works – Read More . . .
Posted 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→
Start with a Mind Map, then ‘Click’
to make in an Organizational Chart
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Start brainstorming with the ‘Rapidfire’ function
of the software you use for Mind Mapping.
Mind Map of New Product Introduction
My software of choice is Inspiration, but other brands have the similar ability to rapidly
Pop – Pop – Pop ideas onto a Mind Map.
This procedure, especially when done with someone knowledgeable of the theory and skilled in the use of mind mapping software, will produce the maximum number of ideas and solutions to challenges and opportunities.
Mind Mapping produces the ideas and solutions, but sometimes an organizational chart better conveys the results.
Unless your are involved in the development of a mind map from the beginning, it can at times, be an overwhelming thing to look at. It may even be too much, too quickly and confuse the person.
If you’re from the corporate world, org charts might have been part of your life. If not, they can still be something, when looked at, immediately convey the hierarchy of thoughts, ideas, and positions.
Mind Map morphed into an Organizational Chart
The ‘Org Chart’ will keep all the links and ‘layers’ that were developed within the original Mind Map. This is important, because so many of the details of those ideas and solutions will be in linked documents, websites, and even additional mind maps.
Discover More . . . Much More . . .
Posted by: | CommentsThere will be far more Ideas & Solutions
than you initially thought possible!
Mind Mapping, with someone knowledgeable about the theory and skilled with available software, will uncover more ideas and solutions to opportunities and challenges than any other method – Guaranteed!
This recently happened when Mind Mapping with a client on his new Financial Services business.
We started with a Mind Map of the four main products he offers his clients. The next step was to map each of those products. As we added graphics to the products, more and more things my client could offer came to mind. The map grew and grew and we linked it to additional Mind Maps for more clarity.
We wound up with four additional maps linked to the original.
He’ll use these maps as templates in his work.
Bottom Line: He’ll do a better job for clients by visually showing ideas and solutions to their individual and family needs.
