Life Coach - Kaikaku - 8 - Think in mind maps

While I was ISB I was introduced to mind maps. We had mind map training videos and it helped me jump start the learning. Now it is my favorite tool for brain storming, planning and execution. Mind map is a way I guess most of us think. Where it helps us is in able to capture the thought process visually.

Have a look at this mind map

http://www.mindmeister.com/34704025/a-career-in-software

or

http://itservicemngmt.blogspot.com/2007/10/itil-v3-mind-map-download.html

These are just samples.

So what is a mind map? I have lifted this definition from Wikipedia.

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts, and are classified into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of representing semantic or other connections between portions of information. Mind maps may also aid recall of existing memories.

By presenting ideas in a radial, graphical, non-linear manner, mind maps encourage a brainstorming approach to planning and organizational tasks. Though the branches of a mindmap represent hierarchical tree structures, their radial arrangement disrupts the prioritizing of concepts typically associated with hierarchies presented with more linear visual cues. This orientation towards brainstorming encourages users to enumerate and connect concepts without a tendency to begin within a particular conceptual framework.

The mind map can be contrasted with the similar idea of concept mapping. The former is based on radial hierarchies and tree structures denoting relationships with a central governing concept, whereas concept maps are based on connections between concepts in more diverse patterns.

I have used mind maps extensively in my consulting assignments - to understand client requirements, define scope of project, document limitations, execution, etc. I have used them to plan major disaster recovery exercises.

And since I detest information overload, I insist on one slide mind map presentation from my reports. Whatever you have to say, say it in one slide only.

I have used both paid and free version. This is my favourite free version from sourcforge.net

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/

I also came across this free version

http://vue.tufts.edu/index.cfm

I recommend using mind maps and asking your reports to use them to. A mind map can be made on a piece of paper - no need for any software. Try it once - u will luv it