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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→
Mind Map: The Fear of Public Speaking –
Posted by: | CommentsNuggets to Neutralize the the Fear NOW!
Click on Mind Map to Enlarge
This Mind Map was developed for a Presentation to be delivered to an Open House at a Toastmaster Club.
Read it by starting at 12:00 and going clockwise.
“See” how much easier it is to look at an icon vs. black and white text. I “know my stuff” so I just need a reminder of each nugget.
I won’t go thru the entire presentation, but here are a few “Nuggets.”
1. You are not alone! 75% of the population suffers from glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. It is a word, not a disease, and it can be controlled!
2a. You really never want to get rid of the butterflies in your stomach. A little nervous energy is good. You want those butterflies to fly in formation!
2b. Never, Never, Never tell the audience you are nervous. They will be looking for it and it could become a self-fulling prophecy.
3a. Arrive early at the event to Meet & Greet people who will be in the audience. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to present to people you’ve already met.
3b. Name Tags make the Meet & Greet much easier. They close the gap between people by reaching out and pulling you in.
More information at “No Sweat Public Speaking!
WHY a Mind Map rather than PowerPoint?
Posted by: | CommentsHow about This: Simple and Easy to Understand!
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!
A Beautiful WORD CLOUD of Mind Mapping
Posted by: | CommentsA Word Cloud 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!
I’ve Described the Relationships Several Times –
They Still Don’t Get It!
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Use a Mind Map to Show Those Relationships!
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.
“I Completely Understand What You Mean!”
Posted 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.
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 . . .
Posted by: | CommentsThe Name has Been Changed,
But this Case Study Shows Mind Mapping Works!
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: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→