Idea Mapping

The Idea Mapping Blog Has Moved

2009-06-02T07:36:00.004-05:00

You can now find us at http://ideamapping.ideamappingsuccess.com along with many idea mapping and mind mapping examples! Come join the fun and keep up with the latest information surrounding this space.

Mind Mapping or Idea Mapping?

2009-05-16T13:55:00.007-05:00

(See the Idea Mapping Blog, the squidoo idea mapping group and main squidoo lenses, and flickr photos for more idea mapping examples.)

I frequently am asked the question, “What is the difference between idea mapping and mind mapping?” Although Idea Mapping has a rich heritage in mind mapping, I use the description “Idea Mapping” because:

Over the past 17 years some of my clients have reacted unfavorably to the term mind mapping. The "weird factor" was a bit much for them and I think idea mapping better describes the tool and the process.
To respect those who map by the mind mapping laws. (Mind mappers often don't know they are breaking the mind mapping laws anyway.) Although there is some value in the laws when applied appropriately, some people feel their creativity is restricted by them. Some clients nearly abandoned the tool because of this (especially by the one-word-per-line law).
When and where the laws should be applied should be determined by the purpose for which the map is being created.

These laws are shared with my workshop participants, but in the form of guidelines. Here are a couple examples of where it made sense to break the mind mapping laws:

The idea map above is titled, "The 4-Poster Question", and was created by the Cheif Engineer and her 12 engineering managers (plus 3 facilitators) of a large automotive company in southeastern Michigan. I won't go into detail about the application, but you can read the full story here. Suffice it to say that not all information radiated from the central point, but it was still important to visually be able to see everything on one page. The second broken mind mapping law is the use of one word per line. That didn't make sense in this case based on the purpose. The successful results speak for themselves.

Steve Rothwell from the UK created this map above. Full story is here. Again, not all words are on a line, he does some fishboning, and a few other law-breaking items. But it worked for him. Most importantly he was experimenting with color (colour if you're reading this, Steve) and he had a breakthrough.

The Idea Mapping Blog Has Moved

2008-07-04T10:03:00.002-05:00

For the July 2, 2008 Mindjet Newsletter article, all of the migrated content in this blog, and all future postings, go to the NEW Idea Mapping Blog.

Movin' On Up!

2008-06-17T05:27:00.005-05:00

I'm happy to announce that I've launched a new blog farm. Blogger has been outstanding and I want to thank Google for an awesome product!

The purpose of this blog is to share idea mapping examples and related learning from my Idea Mapping, Memory, Speed Reading, and Certification Workshops. This blog is dedicated to my Certified Idea Mapping Instructors, my clients, and Mind Mapping and Idea Mapping practitioners around the globe.

Please visit us at http://ideamapping.ideamappingsuccess.com/IdeaMappingBlogs/ from this point forward.

Kind Regards,

Jamie Nast

Web-Based Mind Map - Chuck Frey

2008-06-03T21:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Chuck Frey's newest mind map resource! He just published an extensive comparison chart of 5 of the major web-based mind mapping applications - MindMeister, Mindomo, Mind42, Comapping and Mead Map. He covers over 60 features and capabilities of these applications including:

- Overview (versions, pricing)
- Map formats supported
- Map level features
- Topic-level features
- Import options
- Export options
- Publishing options
- Collaboration
- Other features

This comparison chart is available as a free download from his blog.

Idea Map #109 - Live Map Creation

2008-05-25T06:28:00.004-05:00

Michael Panebianco is a captain with Southwest Airlines and has contributed several idea maps to this blog. This particular map was created "in the moment", so I call that a real-time idea map. I'll let Michael explain in his own words.

This real-time map was created during a phone conversation with a colleague who is interested in developing a stand alone self-defense class, and our guided discussion ended up looking like this. It is not a complete course, but did cover a large amount of relevant material. It starts with Maslows pyramid and works clockwise. It becomes apparent it was done real-time as I left some gaps, and overlapped a few times. I will be refining a final curriculum map that will include the vast majority of the info in this map!

Search for Michael Panebianco to see more of his maps within this blog.

Idea Map #108 - 8 Request Elements

2008-05-21T18:56:00.005-05:00

I met Pete Wilkins in May of 2005 when I taught a Buzan Licensed Instructor Certification Course in Vancouver. Pete is the founder of the Kosmos Group a consulting company focused on leadership development and team performance. He works with leaders and teams to achieve their goals by bringing awareness to 3 domains of the human observer -- Language, Body, and Moods/Emotions. This awareness is important because "You can't change what you don't see".

Pete explains that a "Request" is in the domain of Language. There are 5 main acts in this domain. These speech acts are important because we are linguistic beings. From the time we learn how to talk until we die we live in language. Just as a fish lives in water, we are always living in language. So why is this important according to Pete? Too often we think of language as a passive or descriptive tool. But another more powerful view is language as a generative and creative tool. Too often we aren't making proper requests of others. Being more conscious of how you are making requests allows a greater possibility of you to influence your future.

Pete's map depicts the 8 request elements. Thanks for sharing Pete. If you want to see the idea map that Pete contributed to my Idea Mapping book go to Book Maps and click on Figure 6.8. It's a flip chart-sized idea map of Vanda North's book titled "Get Ahead".

Visiting San Francisco

2008-05-15T08:04:00.007-05:00

Susi Watson developed this unique map for people who wanted want to visit the various tourist attractions in San Francisco. Unfortunately, non-Mindjet users can’t open the branches to see the details. Above are two versions of her map. One is the collapsed overview and the second map is expanded in a few places to show some of the map’s many details.

I suspect many of you would like to know how she created this map, so let me give you some background. I was introduced to Susi in the fall of 2007 through Gaelen O’Connell at Mindjet. We ended up co-facilitating two sessions at the VizThink Conference held in San Francisco in January 2008. I was immediately attracted to her mapping style and thought you would be intrigued as well.

To get the map of San Francisco dropped into the MindManager file, she inserted a picture of it into the background. To do this, open up a new file and right click anywhere on the background. Then select Background, Backgroud Properties, and then Select Image. Under Tile Options, Susi recommends Center or Stretch to Fit. You may need to play around with it a bit by:

Increasing the font size of the central image/words while shrinking the size of the map. I found this helpful when choosing Stretch to Fit under Tile Options.
Right click on the central topic and select Format Topic. Click on the Size and Margins tab. You may need to adjust the Left Margin.

The central image in this map was the circle labeled “Sample San Francisco Family Day.” The rest of the circles (or main topics) are floating text placed strategically on the map on top of the location being described. Each floating topic has sub branches that go into more detail about the attraction. Adding photos, hyperlinks, attachments for maps and travel documents, linking to sections of your travel budget, and how to link new contacts to Outlook are all demonstrated in this map. For instructions on all of these items, look for the text box within each topic called “How To.”

Flags were used to customize attractions into 7 categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Indoor Activity, Outdoor Activity, Evening Events, and Touristy. The idea was that you could filter this map based on your own travel plans and build a customized version of your own. This map isn’t 100% complete. As you could imagine, it could grow into infinity. But it does give you a nice picture of possibilities.

Susi Watson is and artist, consultant and facilitator. She helps conceptualize and create valuable customer experiences for both public and private sector clients. This map is featured in today’s Mindjet Monthly Newsletter. If you want to have the entire map in MindManager format, email me at info@ideamappingsuccess.com and I’ll send you the original file. To see this in a larger pdf format go to “Additional Maps” on my website. They are in alphabetical order by the title of the map.

To subscribe to this blog, click on the orange and white icon (in the toolbar above) just to the right of where you see http://ideamapping.blogspot.com/.

Idea Map #106 - Franklin Templeton Library Mid-Year Results

2008-05-14T07:52:00.005-05:00

Larisa Brigevich is the Director of the Global Research Library at Franklin Templeton. In April 2008 she completed the 5-day Idea Mapping Certification workshop. Her first contribution to this blog was January 7, 2008. I'll let her explain this idea map in her own words. I know her map is quite large, so if you would like the original MindManager map, email me and I will send it to you. For those that don't have MindManager, the pdf version is available on my website. Thanks Larisa!

"This map is a visual summary of the library team's mid-year accomplishments. In the pre-idea mapping past, I'd put this summary in an Excel spreadsheet, ranging between 3 and 5 pages, with information organized by corporate objectives. This time, I've created an idea map instead. I enjoyed working on it more than working on a spreadsheet. Using images to substantiate key concepts such as "raising the bar" made the process more fun.

From the business view point, presenting our numerous accomplishments in a visual format on a single page makes it easier for both, the team and senior management to review (and admire our success :-)). In fact, when I showed the map to the team, the first reaction was "we had no idea how much we'd done during this period". Of course, with a map it is easier to draw connections b/w various activities and add supporting documentations as attachments.

At the top of the map I included corporate priorities, marking them with numbers from one to four. I wanted to attach these numbers or their combinations as images next to various activities/initiatives to link them to corporate priorities."

Idea Map #105 - Transportation in Singapore

2008-05-07T20:30:00.008-05:00

Thum sent this example to many of us mappers and I was intrigued because it was a joint effort between father and son. Thum worked together with his 12-year old son for his Social Studies assignment using iMindMap and incorporating a graph. It may help you if you are trying to find your way around Singapore! Thanks Thum!

Idea Map #104 - $55 Million USD Investment Opportunity

2008-05-05T15:29:00.014-05:00

Ben Clarke is the exploration manager for a small oil and gas exploration company in

Norway

called Excel Expro. It's a start-up company, just over a year old, and they’ve had to build their strategy from scratch. I met Ben as a result of his desire to receive a copy of Bill Miller's idea map titled "Productivity Central" featured April 16, 2008.This is Ben's first contribution to the blog and I'll let him tell his story in his own words.

"MindManager has been really useful, to first brainstorm, and then easily rearrange ideas into a coherent strategy. The main benefits of using MindManager in this example are the clarity of presentation (compared to a long Word document), the ease of updating status of each action, and the option to quickly rearrange ideas to refocus. I use mind maps for everything from planning a $12m annual budget, to recruiting staff, to planning detailed work flows, arranging a possible trade sale of part of the company (which is the map shown above) and arranging my holiday. I find it very easy to communicate ideas to my team using the tool – it’s far clearer and more logical than making yet another PowerPoint presentation."

Thanks for sharing Ben! Watch for more idea maps from Ben. I already have another one of his in the cue. If anyone wants to have his original MindManager file, I'm happy to send it to you if you email me your request.

Idea Mapping Certifications - A Week to Remember

2008-04-26T07:13:00.012-05:00

Last night concluded the Idea Mapping Certification Workshop that began on Sunday evening April 20. We met in Palm Beach, FL for a great time of fun and learning. The top photo features those who completed the 5-day course (a few missed the photo to catch flights). We were priviledged to have Vanda North with us for a few days. The last photo is our final celebration toast!

I'd like to thank everyone who was not in attendance but who contributed their gifts and words of wisdom for out final celebration. Thanks to Scott Hagwood, Debbie Showler, Angelo Lam, Catherine Ho, Kirsty Hayes, Denny Sikkila, Gan Foon Tong, and Dario Biondo. Thank you Kaizad for sending the 7 Habits and World Trade Center maps to start their collections. Thanks to Richard Israel for suppling the "Learning with Lana" videos. Finally, thanks to Mindjet for providing a copy of Pro 7 for the two people who did not yet have it.

The next 2-day workshop will be held in Ft. Collins, Colorado on June 4-5, 2008 and the next certification workshop will be in Palm Beach, FL December 8-12, 2008.

Idea Map #101 - Productivity Central Featured in Today's Mindjet Monthly Newsletter

2008-04-16T07:55:00.009-05:00

I was introduced to Bill Miller in the fall of 2007 by Denny Sikkila – Mindjet’s Central Regional Manager. Bill is the Associate Vice President & Controller for Nationwide Services Company at Nationwide Insurance. He is a visionary and champion for personal productivity and process automation. Bill is leading the way in introducing MindManager throughout his organization.

I invited him to be a guest for one of my 2-day workshops and had the opportunity to learn firsthand that he is one of the most brilliant and humble learners I have ever met. During those two days Bill made a significant contribution to the workshop. I thought that MindManager users everywhere should have the same opportunity to peek into this great mind.

The map included in this posting is his version of Mindjet’s “My Personal Organizer" template, which he has dubbed "Productivity Central." Mind Manager created this template as an example of how to integrate numerous functions of the software into a single map. He adopted the general template and began to put it to use. I’ll let him describe the rest in his own words.

“I had two primary objectives when I starting using the template. The first objective was to begin to integrate the discipline of using the map on a daily basis. I remain convinced that the only way to squeeze every ounce of productivity from mapping is to integrate it into my daily routine. If you are very busy, as most of us are, the only way to make that kind of change in your behavior is to make it easier to do the new behavior then the old one. To accomplish this, I put a short cut on my desktop so all I have to do to launch this map is to click the short cut once I boot up. Instantly I am in my map, working from it, and building the discipline.

The second objective was to learn how to leverage the map to be more productive. I promised myself at the beginning I would not expect it to be perfect before I started using it. I can't remember exactly when I started using Productivity Central, but it has been at least six months now. If you look at the map you can still see branches from the original template that I have not modified or deleted. Since I was customizing this map to fit my work style, I didn't know exactly what components I should keep and which I should delete. Further, as I have found over the months, I am still getting value out of the few branches I have modified. It doesn't bother me that there are sections and functions of the map I have yet to explore. It gives me something to look forward to when I feel fully in control of the branches I have modified so far.

The overall appeal of this template comes from the notion of air traffic control of my life. I am drawn to the idea that I can have a central point from which I start my work. It saves me time by significantly reducing the amount of time and effort I have to invest to find important documents, notes, or internet links. It organizes and makes me more productive by keeping a significant amount of data arranged in the context that makes it relevant versus file folders that mean nothing. It allows me to link data to multiple threads and keep only one version of the documents.
So let me give you a brief tour of my map and explain how I use the sections to save time and improve my productivity. All the major sections I am certain are straight out-of-the-box, so that gives you a clue as to how simple it is to actually start this.

Section 1 is My Goals. Three levels of goals are listed, professional, individual, and learning. I have expanded each level to include key areas of focus I have right now. For those of you that know me, I am really, really, into having goals. This section makes me more productive because it gives me a chance, at anytime, to remind myself and reflect on what I believe to be important. This helps focus my attention and time on tasks at hand that help accomplish these goals.

Section 2 is My Projects. Again, three levels are listed, Work, Personal, Home. I added accomplishments. The Work branch has been built out the most. I think this is mainly out of proximity since I am primarily on this computer at work. But you can see two items outside the work category. In the work category expansion there are lots of linked maps. I learned a cool shortcut helps me leverage Productivity Central as a time saver. I add a branch with a description of project or effort I am going to expand on. By right-clicking on that topic and selecting “send to new linked map”, I instantly open a new map. The new map’s central topic is the same as the one I wrote on the branch in Productivity Central and both maps are instantly linked together. If you didn't catch the multiple benefits here, let me point them out:

I don't have to manually link two maps later in the process - multiple clicks saved

It doesn't matter where I save the new map on my hard drive because I won't have to try to find the file if I need it later. All I do is open Productivity Central and click the needed link. The single biggest time waster any of us faces is trying to find lost file folders.

Section 3 is My Tasks. I am still figuring out exactly how this section might help me. So far, I use the In-box branch as a place to stick notes that I don't know exactly what I am going to do with until I figure out what I am going to do with them. These notes were from a couple of phone calls. I have just left them there as a reminder of how I thought about using this section even though I haven't had a recent need. The Recurring branch is where I am storing meeting minutes for regularly scheduled meetings I attend. Again, the meetings have been something less than regular of late, so I don't know exactly how much I am gaining from this process yet. Again, most of the productivity value is having these kinds of meeting minutes easily accessible. Linking from Productivity Central keeps all the loose ends tied to a center post.

Section 4 is My Plan. The only thing I have here is a link that launches Lotus Notes email for me. If and when there is better integration between notes and MindManager I can see many possibilities for a section like this one. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Section 5 is My Desktop. I can imagine great possibilities here. I have yet to unlock the secrets of how to make this section work the way I want it to. It has cool map parts features that scan and update the files from your hard drive into a map branch. I think there is magic here, I just haven't figured it out yet. At this point, it is an unwieldy as the windows dialogue box. So, more to come on that if I can figure out how to make it work.

Section 6 is My Explorer. Wow, wow, wow. Here is an ace in terms of time savings and productivity. The section labeled Business News has map parts that update on command the lead articles from these publication web sites. I don't know how you browse for news and information that is relevant to you, but this is awesome, both in convenience and time savings. First, you get the article title. Second, you can mouse over the notes icon and get the first few sentences of the article, then you can click the link to the article if you think there is value in reading it. But that's not all! If you find an article that is cool, important, really interesting, related to something you are working on, you simply drag the topic off to another branch of Productivity Central and the link is yours to keep forever. In case you missed this one - no more messing around with favorites on IE. You can literally have the content in the context you need it, and it’s instantaneous and simple!

The Reference Sites branch becomes another way to manage your favorite or frequented web sites. I haven't explored the other branches on this section in any great detail so I don't yet know if there is value there.

Section 7 & 8 I have spent virtually no time in. I am not certain what additional value I would get from them at this point, but, again, I am taking my time in developing and modifying this template to suite my personal work style and needs.

I see the advantage of a map like Productivity Central in two key ways. First, the functionality of the Mind Manager software ensures that I have seamless and significant integration with the files, work products, and web sites that I use to get work done. Second, it acts as a guide post, keeping numerous elements of my life tied together so I can better see the big picture of what I am trying to accomplish. And it does it with minimal overhead and effort on my part.

One of the cool things about productivity central is that it is a living map. It evolves and grows and matures each day I use it. That living quality allows this map to be uniquely powerful to the user. I am really excited about the potential of this kind of mapping. It fascinates me to tap unexplored potential.”

Thank you Bill. This map is featured in today’s Mindjet Monthly Newsletter. Above is a collapsed version of Productivity Central. To see this in a larger pdf format go to “Additional Maps” on my website. They are listed alphabetically by map title. Click on "Productivity Central – 2 Levels" and for a more expanded version of this map click on "Productivity Central – 3 Levels". If you want to see the entire map in MindManager format, email me at info@ideamappingsuccess.com and I’ll send you the original file.

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Journal of the Self - Idea Map #100

2008-04-09T07:35:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the posting that celebrates the 100th idea mapping contribution. This is Luciano Passuello's 5th book summary that he has shared with us. (Search on "Luciano" in this blog to see his other 4 summaries.) As usual his maps can get very large so this is the folded version. This version as well as the FULL version can be found on my website in pdf format. They are in alphabetical order by map title. In this case look for "Journal to the Self."

Journal to the Self is written by Kathleen Adams.

Idea Maps #98 & #99 - Comparing the Hand-Drawn to the Electronic Version of the "Maverick" Book Summary Map

2008-04-03T07:26:00.009-05:00

In 1997 Billy Waters, founder of Waters Consulting, read a book titled Maverick by Ricardo Semler. The top map shows his original hand-drawn book summary map. He has revisited this map and tweaked it over the years. In 1999, he moved it to MindManager, and here you see his most recent 2008 update using the software. It's fascinating to see how what is important to remember changes over the years. This is not only a comparison of drawn vs software, but an evolution of knowledge that spans time.

The pdf versions of these maps are available here. They are sorted alphabetically by the title Maverick.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - Idea Map #97

2008-03-26T08:56:00.007-05:00

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is a book written by T. Harv Aker. This idea map was created by Debbie Edwards Miller after she attended the 2-day workshop "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop" that was held at ACH (Automotive Components Holding, LLC). It summarizes the content of the book. The photo I took of her map is a little dark. The pdf version is available on my website. Go to Client Maps and then scroll down to "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind". The maps are listed in alphabetical order. Although a few of the edges are cropped, it is clearer to read. Thanks Debbie!

de Bono's 6 Thinking Hats - Idea Map #96

2008-03-19T04:47:00.009-05:00

One of my clients from a large automotive company in southeastern Michigan gave me these idea maps she created around de Bono's Six Thinking Hats.

The top map is a description of the Six Thinking Hats and what each hat represents in terms of its focus as well as the benefits to using this method. The second map (featured in today's Mindjet Newsletter) was used to run a meeting. This map was used to analyze a plan and focus the team on one hat at a time -- for example, Black Hat - "let's all think of the negatives with this plan", Yellow Hat - "let's all think of the positives associated with this plan".

For a larger view of this map see the pdf versions by clicking here then scrolling alphabetically to the map titles “DeBono's Six Thinking Hats” and “Using DeBono's Six Thinking Hats for a Meeting Agenda.”

Announcement: Two new Idea Mapping Workshops have been added to Jamie’s 2008 schedule. See the Course Schedule for upcoming Vancouver, B.C. and UK classses. More info to come in later postings.

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Team Idea Mapping Method - Idea Map #95

2008-03-18T10:32:00.005-05:00

In my previous posting Philippe Boukobza shared an idea map summarizing the contents of my Idea Mapping book. Today's map is also from Philippe and details chapter 9 of my book which covers the "Team Idea Mapping Method". I have used this process successfully with many clients. It helps to gather a multitude of ideas from every participant, keeps a dominant person from taking over the direction of the meeting, fosters shared understanding, give the group a "picture" of their ideas, is more effective than standard brain storming, and no idea gets left behind.

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Idea Mapping Book Summary - Idea Map #94

2008-03-14T11:41:00.007-05:00

Philippe Boukobza from Spain previously contributed his book summary of Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. His blogs are in English, French, and Spanish. His contribution today is a map he created of my book, Idea Mapping! This idea map was created using Inspiration 8. Thanks Philippe.

What is the Benefit of Colored Branches? Idea Map #92 and Hint #20

2008-03-10T16:31:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday, March 5, 2008 I introduced you to Jay Dugger -- long-time mind mapper. The purpose of this posting is two-fold. First, the full version jpg of Jay's map titled "Mapping" is now available above and in pdf format at my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically by author or title of the map. Secondly, I promised to address the issue of line color. That will be today's Hint #20.

Keep in mind these are not rules that need to be followed, just helpful hint that can be applied depending on your purpose.

The branches surrounding the central image are sometimes thicker to show that they are a main thought.
Let's say you have one branch that is red along with all sub branches that attach to it in any way. The ideas are now connected in two ways -- both physically and visually.
If each main branch (and associated sub branches) is a different it makes the branches stand out from each other.

These three hints all blend together for one purpose -- improved memory and interest. Take a look at any map that uses all black branches and words. They are rather boring, but again it's the purpose of the map that will drive these decisions.

A Map Titled "Mapping" - Idea Map #91

2008-03-05T12:47:00.008-05:00

A while back Jay Dugger was asking about the significance of the various line colors in some of the maps on this blog. I'll address the theory and benefits to this in the next posting. Meantime, Jay has contributed an idea map he calls, "Mapping." I'll let Jay explain this map (created using FreeMind) in his own words:

"I use "Mapping" to collect my ideas about mind mapping techniques. I use mind maps to manage projects, tasks, and actions. This works well, but I was spending a great deal of time replicating similar and recurring events and tasks. So I wrote a boilerplate to give my map a recurring visual structure for the branches that described similar events and tasks. "Mapping" began as a map that stored boilerplate branches. I accumulated other conventions (symbols, colors, clouds, typography) in my maps over time. I recorded what they signified on "Mapping." Eventually I compared my mind map use with that of other people. When I wanted to adopt or test a method or an idea, I recorded it in "Mapping. The use of line thickness and color from "It's Not About the Coffee" (the February 9, 2008 posting in this blog) "Mapping" so I have a place to remind myself to test using line color and thickness, and so I have a place to record its results. I will probably try replacing the colored clouds I use to show past, present, and future with line colors. I expect this will reduce a map's visual clutter by using fewer pixels to signify the same ideas."

The above map has the other branches "shrunk". Jay's original map can be found on Flickr, and current versions on Mappio and FreeMindShare. If I can get a pdf of the entire map from Jay, I'll put it on my website so that you can see the entire map.

CIS Staff Meeting - Idea Map #90 & Hint #19

2008-03-04T08:33:00.008-05:00

Matt McKibben shares one of his hand-drawn idea maps this time around. Matt is the Program Services Director for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL) and was featured in the February 25 and March 1, 2008 postings.

This map is from one of his CIS staff meetings. Notice how different this map is from his previous maps. I think it is fascinating to see both styles from people. Also notice how he highlights who is responsible for the various team tasks. I don't have a jpeg file to load on this blog, so I need to send you to my website to see the pdf version of this map. If you click on any column within "Client Maps" it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author (Matt McKibbin) or title (CIS Staff Meeting) of the map. While you are there you can see nearly 150 other idea maps!

Hint: When learning to create "real-time" idea maps, one of the safest and easiest applications is to create a map of a meeting. Generally the information comes at you slow enough, and usually you are familiar with most of the content. Give it a try!

Idea Map #89 - TQS

2008-03-01T10:18:00.006-05:00

On Monday of this week I introduced you to Matt McKibben who is the Program Services Director for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL). This is Matt's second idea map around TQS. This map is an entire day's worth of lecturing on a new system being implemented over the CIS network. TQS will utilize research-based practices to ensure that the best possible services are being provided to students and families served through CIS.

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Client Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (TQS) of the map.

Idea Mapping Workshop - Palm Beach, Florida

2008-02-27T10:29:00.007-05:00

It's that time again! Join Jamie Nast on April 21-22, 2008 for a fun-filled two days of learning at The Palm Beach Hotel which is conveniently located 2 blocks from the beach and surrounded by restaurants.

This Spring's class is part of a larger 5-day instructor certification course. There are veteran instructors returning for review, and new candidates (who have already taken this 2-day workshop) coming from companies like Franklin Templeton and as far away as Macedonia. This means that 2-day Idea Mapping participants will have the advantage of being surround by a wealth of knowledge. It's not confirmed yet, but Vanda North may be joining us as well!)

Advanced registration is required and is limited to 20 people. Payment must be received by March 21, 2008 in order to get materials ordered and shipped to the hotel in time for the course. For a course abstract and registration information click here. Looking forward to seeing you in the Florida sunshine!

Idea Map #88 and Hint #18 - Converting a Linear Document to an Idea Map

2008-02-25T08:15:00.011-05:00

In December of 2007 I had the privilege of teaching a 1-day workshop for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL). Matt McKibben is the Program Services Director, and was a participant in that event. This idea map is the first of three that Matt will be sharing in this blog.

Hint #18 is to starting practicing your mapping skills by converting a linear document into a map. There are several advantages to this. One - you don't have to think about content, two - you get get a 1-page visual of a multi-page document, and three - this may lead you either re-organize the document or see connections that were not apparent previously.

Matt took their State Director's Report that is given to the CIS State Board Members and converted it to a map. This condensed 2-page report reflects the work that the State Office has done over the last quarter. However Matt's map includes much more information than the 2-page report. I look forward to sharing more of Matt's work over the next few weeks.

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Client Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (State Director's Report) of the map.

Idea Map #86 - The Secret Behind "The Secret"

2008-02-15T15:51:00.005-05:00

Creating idea maps in the moment (I call them "real-time" maps) is one of the most advanced skills, and no one does this better than Debbie Showler. Debbie is a Certified Idea Mapping Instructor from Whitby, Ontario. On February 6, 2008 the Oprah Show did a rerun of a show called, "The Secret Behind the Secret". During the show Debbie captured all the information in this map. It is monochromatic because of the speed at which the information was coming at her. Here are her thoughts around this map:

“This map started with the thought of capturing the key points from the Oprah show so I could share them with a friend. I was starting the map when Oprah was sharing her experience of the recent ‘Bubbleman’ Show. That became the central image – just bubbles. The first branch became who was on the show that day – Oprah, Louise Hay, Martha Beck and Cheryl Richardson. (I actually only got their first names and filled in the branches as the information was provided again later.) Oprah’s sub-branches were filled in with the experience of ‘wanting bubbles’. She went back to her desk after the Bubbleman Show and saw a Tiffany’s bubble-maker and bubbles on her desk -- only to find out that they had been there all the time and just hadn’t noticed them!

The next main branch are the thoughts that Louise Hay had on the law of attraction. I added her book titles and the affirmations as the show aired. This is when one of the Bubbles in the central image looked like the ‘O’ of Oprah, so I thought I would add that to the central image to remember this was from the Oprah Show.

Martha Beck (next branch down) was discussing the ‘Love List’ that was included in the February ‘O Magazine’. She was explaining that the list can’t be created from a shallow or fear-based place, but rather from a ‘Core of Peace’. She also shared her experience of being pregnant with a baby diagnosed with Downs Syndrome and how that adversity/ring of fire was used to create the core of peace. Then Cheryl (next new main branch) added her comments around our increasing our level of consciousness for healing – physical or emotional.

The show moved into sharing some viewer’s stories and that was the next branch. I didn’t get their names and that’s why the branches are blank, but circled them later so I could go online and find them if I wanted to. The first guest spoke of her story with the stove and then keeping the contact around. She mentioned about how the vision board kept the goals clear and in front of you. The next guest spoke of going from snow to living somewhere she wanted by creating a ‘wall’ vision board and thinking plus feeling it. That discussion took me to add the “Think It” and “Feel It” to the Martha Beck branch. It was at this point that I wanted to keep track of who was saying what. I thought of putting a star above Louise’s name, a different burst beside Martha’s name and then a spark over Cheryl’s name. You will see off of the next branch is where the show asked about the power of the Vision Board and where ‘Focus’ is what Louise felt it gave people, while Martha felt it was ‘Selective Attention’ and Cheryl added that it was an excuse for people to sit and really think about what they wanted. The thought on the branch above only has a star because that was Louise Hay talking about the need for forgiveness. "Kelly" is circled as she was the next story they introduced. She spoke of her miserable life until she explored The Secret and when she focused on what she wanted, what she had, and what she was grateful for, her life changed.

The next guest story spoke of her business and how she improved its health by starting to visualize the emails coming in. She also mentioned her attitude/response to her husband loosing his job. Instead of heading for a ‘dark place’ she mentioned celebrating with a bottle of wine (thus wine glasses!). The final audience guest (Marie) was the next sub-branch. Her question was what happens when one side of the relationship believes and the other doesn’t. The response was that you can’t convince them and then Cheryl invited him (Joe) to write 3 things on a post-it that he wants to have. Then wait. Louise added the affirmation of “I love you Joe”. The final branch at the top wrapped up the show and mentioned the new book in the Oprah Book Club – A New Earth. Oprah mentioned a class that’s free on oprah.com reviewing and discussion the latest book. You’ll see ‘pg 103’ as one viewer mentioned the content of that page changed her thinking.

I thought it was interesting that I gave Louise Hay a ‘star’ as a symbol to find out later in the show that she has written a book called “Finding Your North Star” and also “Steering by Starlight”. The bubbles were fun and turned into Oprah in the central image. The bubbles experience also made it’s way throughout the show. I took what I wanted from the show . I created this description from the map.

Go live with your maps folks! They may be monochromatic, but I can fill it in with colour. You can capture an hour-long show in front of your eyes to share, reference or just love. If you saw the show, then I wonder what your map would look like? Here’s to ‘The Secret’!"

Portrait Drawing #5

2008-02-13T17:24:00.004-05:00

In my 2-day courses titled "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop", participants are taught a learning model and then apply that model to learning a variety of new skills. Drawing a portrait of a human face is one of those skills. For more on the purpose of this activity see the June 27,2007 posting where I share the first portrait drawing. Search this blog for "portrait drawing" to see more.

Michael Panebianco, a captain at Southwest Airlines, attended a workshop in December 2007. This self-proclaimed nonartist drew this beautiful portrait of Anthony Hopkins, and was kind enough to share it. Mike has also contributed several idea maps to this blog around aviation emergency procedures in the September 4 and September 6, 2007 postings.

Idea Maps #79-85 - VizThink Breakout Session

2008-02-11T13:52:00.000-05:00

On Friday February 1, 2008 I blogged about the VizThink Conference in San Francisco for which I was fortunate to be a speaker. This posting is soley dedicated to the breakout session that Susi Watson and I did together on January 28, 2008.

I'll describe these maps from top to bottom. The first map is the agenda for the 90-minute session. Susi pre-drew the central image, and the rest she created live while participants also created their agenda maps.

After several activities which taught how idea maps are created, we shared a number of uses for idea maps from corparations and individuals around the globe. This "Uses" map housed all of our examples.

Next we did a group activity around the question, "What Would Make Your 2008 Great"? In groups of 4-5, participants individually brainstormed around that question and then merged all of their ideas onto a large map. Maps from 3 groups are included here. Finally while looking for commonality across all of the maps, Susi (along with input from the group) created a high-level MindManager template for anyone to begin thinking about what would make 2008 GREAT!

It's Not About the Coffee - Podcast 1 of 4

2008-02-09T10:11:00.001-05:00

I met Jim Canterucci (author of Personal Brilliance) back in July of 2007. See my August 22, 2007 posting for Jim's idea map and more info on him. Each Sunday he puts up a podcast. For this month he's doing a series of 4 interviews with Howard Behar, the former President of Starbucks. This idea map is one that I created as a summary of the February 3, 2008 interview.
Listen to this podcast or others by clicking here or you can check out Jim's blog.

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title of the map.

Idea Map #77 - Getting to Yes

2008-02-05T10:13:00.001-05:00

Luciano Passuello has created an idea map of the book Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. This is Luciano's 4th contribution to this blog. You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title.

To see his idea map of the book The Now Habit see the December 21, 2007 posting. For One Small Step Can Change Your Life see the December 11, 2007 posting, and for the book Never Eat Alone see the November 19, 2007 posting.

Idea Map #76 - VizThink Breakout Sessions

2008-02-01T11:36:00.001-05:00

I was fortunate to be one of the facilitators at the VizThink '08 Conference this week in San Francisco, CA. On Saturday I began to study the various session descriptions to see which ones I wanted to attend. I looked at a list of session titles which showed the time, location, and last name of the presenter. Then I would go to another page on their wiki to see the facilitators' photos (because we were meeting as a group Sunday night and I wanted to remember names), and then I would click through to their profile and session description.

This map (created in MindManager) put all that information into one place. Each main branch represents the time slot. Each sub-branch has the facilitator name, an image that represented their work or session, their photo, the session title & location, and a link to their web page or blog. If you want to see the LARGER and clearer pdf version click here . If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title. Unfortunately the links were lost in the jpeg and pdf files, but you can see the live links here.

Idea Map #75 - Clouds

2008-01-30T10:46:00.001-05:00

Steve Rothwell is a previous contributor to this blog and today he shares an idea map he created purely for his own enjoyment. His map about Clouds was inspired by Roberto Vidales's map on Trees. Above you will see both the full view and the folded view -- both created in MindManager. You can see a clearer pdf version of the FULL map on my website . If you click on any column it will sort the maps alphabetically and you can then search by author or title.

Steve's other two maps are from the April 19, 2007 posting and Idea Maps #10 and #11.

Idea Map #74 - Salesman Joel Series - Part 3

2008-01-26T22:46:00.001-05:00

In last Saturday's blog I introduced you to Joel Landoe, an engineer at Boeing. This idea map is the third in this series and depicts the website design of how he will run his business. For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #73 - Salesman Joel Series - Part 2

2008-01-23T10:45:00.002-05:00

In Saturday's blog I introduced you to Joel Landoe, an engineer at Boeing. This idea map is the second in this series and depicts the operational side of how he runs his business. It addresses the needed tools, processes, and the infrastructure. Notice his nice use of imagery for things like "planting a seed", "fishing for prospects", etc. For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #72 - Salesman Joel Series

2008-01-19T13:19:00.001-05:00

This idea map was created by Joel Landoe who is an engineering at Boeing. It represents his personal development plan to get into sales. In order to this better than engineering, he needed to have a very solid development plan, and this idea map is designed to do that.

Some of the themes of the branches include:

A reminder of the recurring benefits that best friends bring over a lifetime and that his focus should be on building deep lasting friendships.
The Dale Carnegie conversation stack/model for interacting with prospects combined with Jeffrey Gitomer's "25 power questions". The trunk reminds him that he is rooted in strong values, “Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends”. Put God and others before self.
“Family” reminds him that they can be his biggest asset for spreading the word about his business.
And the last branch reminds him to always be meeting new people.

In the next two postings, he'll share maps that help with operational plans and website design. Stay tuned. For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Dynamic Dashboard Drastically Improves Productivity - Idea Map #71 Featured in today's January Mindjet Newsletter

2008-01-16T08:20:00.001-05:00

Overview
In the Spring of 2007, I introduced Denny Sikkila (Mindjet Central Region Manager) to one of my clients at a large automotive company here in Michigan. Denny helped her build a MindManager prototype to develop a Program Dashboard that has transformed their weekly status meetings. Not only has it saved them time in preparing for meetings, it has also resulted in more effective meetings.

Before
Every week a group of 35 IT project leaders would gather to review the status of the most major IT projects happening within the organization. In order to prepare for the meeting, a team of 4 people had to build a document approximately 85 pages in length. Each week they:

Required that all data was updated with actuals: project work plans, financials, issues, risks, scope control, and metrics reports
Cut the data out of each source and pasted the data (as a picture) into the document
Printed the 85-page status document

Because of the time-consuming task of cutting and pasting, the document was out-of-date by the time it was printed. (The weekly cut and paste took 2 days to execute.) The 85-page document was difficult to review and required the 35+ people to set aside two hours each week to report statuses. The team spent more time shuffling back and forth through the 85 pages and debating why the data was out-of-date, than they spent understanding the status and reviewing and resolving issues.

A mandated reduction in their staff forced them to become more efficient. This led to the idea of creating a dashboard and eliminating the cut and paste process. MindManager was the perfect tool. It allowed them to quickly and easily create a dashboard that linked directly to all the data.

The New Process
Today there is only one requirement in this process. The meeting participants need to make sure their data is up-to-date before it's their turn to discuss any status. This Mindjet-driven dashboard links to over 50 files and 10 weblinks.

All the cutting, pasting, and printing have been eliminated -- which saves approximately 20 hours per week. They've also reduced status meetings from 2 hours to 1. But more importantly, the meetings have reach a higher level of maturity. All information is reviewed electronically (via a projector). The team members can sit in a meeting and update the data real time. For example, if an issue needs to be reworded, it's done right there and then. Today the focus of the meeting is on analyzing the data instead of making excuses and debating out-of-date information. With the click of the mouse, tons of data can be accessed quickly and easily. Instead of reviewing a hard copy picture, files are accessed in real time. This allows for the ability to drill down to the specific tasks, hours, predecessors, etc. They can now make informed decisions right on the spot, because they have access to all the correct data. MindManager has transformed the way this project manager runs this program.

Are you wondering how this group of 35 reacted the first time this process went from the static paper version to the electronic dashboard? I happened to be witness to this first debut. The transition was seamless, it was simple to follow, and there wasn't a person in the room that wasn't impressed. I'll bet there is a process in your organization that could use a MindManager dashboard! To see the clearer pdf version of this map, go to my website and click on the column titled map name. It will show titles alphabetically, and you can scroll down to "Program Dashboard".

To see other maps created by this project manager see: Dare to Dream, Then Do It, and DeBono's Six Thinking Hats. Today this map is featured in my monthly contribution to the Mindjet Newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to the Mindjet Monthly Newsletter click here.

Idea Map #70 - Client Training Needs

2008-01-14T10:56:00.001-05:00

This Idea Map was created by Glenn Stennes during a brainstorming session to identify 2007 training needs of companies supported by an international donor funded assistance program. The initial map was created in real-time while projected on a screen for all participants to see. Imagery was added during pauses which helped stimulate the flow of ideas. Following the meeting, some additional formatting was done. The map was then exported to a pdf and sent to all participants. The information recorded on the map formed the basis for developing the project training plan. You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website. If you click on any column it will sort the maps alphabetically and you can then search by author or title, etc.

Glenn Stennes is a Business Consultant presently living and working in South East Europe and a MindManager user since 2004. Last April he attended the 2-day Idea Mapping workshop in the UK taught by Vanda North. Glenn shared that applying the fundamentals taught during the workshop while using MindManager has helped make a good tool a great tool!

Vanda's next workshop in the UK will be held February 20-21, 2008. See course info and abstract for more details.

Idea Map #69 - Identifying Gaps & Action Plans

2008-01-07T17:10:00.001-05:00

Larisa Brigevich is the Director of the Global Research Library for Franklin Templeton. We met 3 years ago when I did an abbreviated workshop for their organization. We re-connected in December of 2007 when she attended the full 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop. A week after the class, she sent me this idea map. I'll let her describe it in her own words. Thanks Larisa!

"A few months ago, we established a standard process for assessing and capturing clients' information needs. This includes conducting interviews with individual clients to determine their information seeking behavior, sources they use, information gaps, how the library can help, etc. We capture this information in Client Profiles, the two standardized templates that we use for initial interviews and when developing a specific service (hence two templates). We store them in the database and update them when new information is available.

We have a project leader, a librarian in Mumbai, who oversees this process and makes sure that all parts of the process work smoothly and that librarians follow the guidelines. He is relatively new to the process. We also just hired a manager for the team in Mumbai. I believe that teaching is the best way to learn and internalize new knowledge; therefore, I asked the project leader to train the manager. I was an observer and a back-up person in case the project leader missed something. I wanted to evaluate a project leader's understanding of the process and identify and point out any gaps in his knowledge and in the process itself.

Idea Mapping allowed me to quickly identify gaps. We immediately talked about it and determined the action plan for improving the process as well as a training plan for future trainings."

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

The Now Habit - Idea Map #67

2007-12-21T15:04:00.001-05:00

The Now Habit is a book written by Neil Fiore. These idea maps of Fiore's book were created by Luciano Passuello from Brazil (his blog is in English) using MindManager. The top map is the folded version, and the bottom map includes all the details. For more of Luciano's maps, see his blog. To see his idea map of the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life see the December 11, 2007 posting, and for the book Never Eat Alone see the November 19, 2007 posting.

For the pdf version of the folded map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Lean Manufacturing - Idea Map #66 Featured in Mindjet's December Newsletter

2007-12-13T09:27:00.001-05:00

This idea map was created by Ji Hong, who is a Certfied Master Black Belt and expert in the Six Sigma /Lean area, a Senior Consultant, and Senior Engineer in China. He was previously the Six Sigma Director for ASIMCO (a US automotive parts manufacturer with 18 factories in the US and China) and is now running his own company.

I met Ji Hong at little over a year ago through a neighbor who was a VP at ASIMCO. For years this neighbor kept asking me about my profession. On one of his many trips to China, he read my Idea Mapping book. A few days later he was in a meeting. It was Ji Hong's turn to present information regarding their Six Sigma initiative -- and he started out by presenting a map created in Mindjet software. My neighbor nearly fell off his chair. Without belaboring the story further, Ji Hong and I have been touch ever since. This unlikely meeting is documented in the November 23, 2006 posting. His wife even contributed a map for the November 7, 2007 posting.

In August 2007, Ji Hong was hired by KK - a semiconductor company in China -- to conduct a lean manufacturing project. Since this company had no background on Lean, he had to design an entire plan for them. To do this he created a map which shows the order of lean activities, Lean Orginazation--Lean Introduction--Implement Plan--Training and Consulting--Improvement Result. In the main branch of “Training” he linked training materials and application worksheets to make it easy to open or close the files while conducting the training or the consulting. Ji Hong says that this lean project is running very well and will be finished in January or February of 2008 – and of course Idea Mapping gave him a big advantage. If you want to contact Ji Hong, he can be reached at +86-13013788481 or jihong2008mail@gmail.com. I want to thank Ji Hong for his excellent contribution.

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

See Ji Hong's map of the Six Sigma Implementation he did at ASIMCO and many others. Hit "Show All Records" and scroll down to "Six Sigma Implementation".

Today this map is featured in my contribution to the Mindjet Newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to the Mindjet Monthly Newsletter click here.

Idea Map #65 - One Small Step Can Change Your Life

2007-12-11T22:36:00.001-05:00

One Small Step Can Change Your Life is a book written by Robert Maurer. The above map(s) on this book was created by Luciano Passuello from Brazil (his blog is in English) using MindManager software. The top idea map is the folded version, and the bottom map includes all the details. For more of Luciano's maps, see his blog. He also shared another map for the November 19, 2007 posting. For the pdf version of the full-sized map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Maps #63 & #64 - Christmas Shopping Extravaganza

2007-11-29T05:26:00.001-05:00

Tammy Sookthis has participated in both the 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop and the 1-day Memory/Speed Reading Workshop offered through ACH. Last week she sent me this series of idea maps which she created to get organized for her Black Friday shopping spree. The original copy has everything you see on 1 sheet of paper, but I'll describe this series from the bottom up.

She started out with a list of who she was going to buy for and what she might get them. The first map (with the colorful "Tammy") was her initial sale "spottings" from the paper for each store. She mapped out everything she saw that was a good deal that she wanted to either purchase or look at. The scribbles and boxes around certain items reflected the thought process she went through, and she realized this was too much to get through in a few hours. She boxed in the things she wanted the most. The idea map at the top of this posting is the final map Tammy used on Friday after she re-grouped her plans.

Tammy - Thanks for sharing your idea mapping shopping experience! For the pdf version of these maps go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #61 - Never Eat Alone

2007-11-19T07:05:00.001-05:00

Never Eat Alone is a book written by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz. The above map(s) on this book was created by Luciano Passuello from Brazil (his blog is in English) using MindManager software. The top idea map is the folded version, and the bottom map includes all the details. For more of Luciano's maps, see his blog. His October 16, 2007 entry gives more details on this book summary.

For the pdf version of his folded map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Hurricane Wilma Evacuation Plan (Idea Map #60) & Jamie's Monthly Column in the Mindjet Newsletter

2007-11-15T07:01:00.001-05:00

Today this idea map is featured in my monthly column in the Mindjet Newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to the monthly Mindjet Newsletter, click here to fill out the subscription form.

The theme of the November newsletter is "Teams." In October of 2005, I was teaching a two-week idea mapping certification and advanced certification workshop in Palm Beach, FL for 28 people from 12 countries. Mid-way through these courses, Hurricane Wilma came flying through. It was a week full of adventure and creativity! This is the evacuation plan that the team created for this emergency. See a post-hurricane photo of the people who bravely experienced this event amongst some of the aftermath. For the complete story see the Mindjet Newsletter (or read archived Mindjet newsletters for more valuable tips and information.)

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Needless to say, this year's 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop in Palm Beach, FL will be held December 3-4, 2007 to avoid any possible hurricanes! There are still 12 openings if you would like to join us. Email us at info@IdeaMappingSuccess.com if you would like more information. For our next open workshop in the UK (Feb 20-21, 2008), email Vanda North at Vanda@TheLearningConsortium.net.

Idea Map #59 - 1st Idea Map in Chinese!!

2007-11-07T06:55:00.001-05:00

I'm thrilled to share the first idea map in Chinese to be posted on this blog. This MindManager map is created by Yang Qin and contains her thoughts around decorating a room. Yang Qin is the wife of a friend of mine named Ji Hong. Ji Hong has contributed an idea map to this blog in the past. Now his wife joins him!

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #58 - How to Save Yourself From Foreclosure - Plus Hint #17

2007-11-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Robert Davis attended a two-day workshop about nine years ago when he still worked at Ford. We recently re-connected and he shared this idea map with me. One of the things he teaches people is how to avoid, stop and overcome foreclosure. This is the overview of his seminar. What a valuable resource in light of the foreclosure crisis we are facing across the country. If you would like to contact Robert, he can be reached at rldavisjr@yahoo.com. For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Hint #17 - Try making an idea map of an agenda or overview of your next class, meeting, presentation or report.

Idea Map #57 - Did We Read the Same Article (Map 6 in the Series)?

2007-11-02T13:11:00.001-05:00

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each idea map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007, the third on September 26, 2007, the fourth on October 2, 2007, and the fifth on October 10, 2007. This idea map was created by Derek Roberts - a product design engineer who attended a recent workshop at ACH.

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc. See Derek's other idea map from a design meeting on the October 15th posting.

Idea Maps #55 & #56 - DeBono's Six Thinking Hats

2007-10-31T10:31:00.001-05:00

One of my clients from a large automotive company in southeastern Michigan gave me these idea maps she created on de Bono's Six Thinking Hats using MindManager software. The first one was used as an overview for the Six Hats and the second one is a meeting agenda. You can see a clearer pdf version of these maps on my website under "Client Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title ("de Bono's Six Thinking Hats" and "Using de Bono's Six Thinking Hats").

Idea Map #54 - Sara's Brainstorm

2007-10-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

Bob Levy is a friend of mine and recently sent me a map his granddaughter created at school. The topic was "Parents." Both grandfather and mother were surprised. Sara is 8 years old and lives in an Indianapolis suburb. Now if an 8 year old can do this, certainly you can try it too! For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #53 - About Golf

2007-10-27T07:49:00.001-05:00

Paul Shorock recently provided me with a rather intriguing idea map. He created this to explain golf's rules and etiquette when introducing his son-in-law to the game. The map includes multiple links to "how to" websites. Download a trial version of MindManager and map your favorite hobby! For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Idea Map #52 - The Book Flow or "Fluir Conciencia"

2007-10-24T08:22:00.001-05:00

Philippe Boukobza (from Madrid) shares the map he created after reading Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Philippe also has a mind mapping website available in Spanish, English, and French and a mind mapping blog in Spanish. For a larger view of this map in pdf format go to my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically by author or title of the map.

Idea Map #49 - Glove Box Dampener Meeting Minutes & Hint #16

2007-10-15T11:09:00.001-05:00

Derek Roberts is a product design engineer who attended the 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop held at ACH on October 3-4, 2007. This is the first map he created following the workshop. The above meeting minutes were from a Design Review with a potential new supplier for a glove box dampener -- a small part that you don't see, but it makes the glove box open slowly and controlled when you unlatch it.

The map covered meeting attendees and the following key areas:

Tuning (the 6 O'Clock branch) - This told Derek how the dampener could be adjusted to suit his design
Prototypes (also 6 O'Clock branch) - Timing for parts delivery
Need (the 10 O'Clock branch) - The follow-up required from the supplier.

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Hint #16 - Meeting notes are a great place to start implementing your Idea Mapping. Typically they are a "safe" environment and the information is shared at a reasonable pace. Give it a try.

Idea Map #48 - Did We Read the Same Article (Map 5 in the Series)?

2007-10-10T17:35:00.000-05:00

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007, the third on September 26, 2007, and the fourth on October 2, 2007. This posting features a map from Idea-Mapping Instructor Debbie Showler from Whitby, Ontario in Canada. Her maps are filled with color, details, and imagery. Hope you enjoy her work.

An Idea Map (#47) of the Idea Mapping Book

2007-10-06T07:52:00.001-05:00

You will officially meet Kaye Nightingale from the UK via October's feature article in my column (Jamie's Idea Spot) in the Mindjet monthly newsletter. So this is your preview. Kaye sent me the first map (besides my own) that captures all the details from my book chapter by chapter. She used MindManager and created tons of links within the map. She stopped reading the book after chapter one when she realized she wanted to make a map of the book. Her blog entry tells her full story and a second posting shares the process of mapping a book. Thanks Kaye!

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (An Idea Map of Jamie's Idea Mapping Book) of the map.

You can view the Mindjet Monthly Newsletters, subscribe to the newsletter, or download a trial version of software.

Idea Map #46 Did We Read the Same Article (Map 4 in the Series)?

2007-10-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007 and the third on September 26, 2007. This posting features a map from Karen, who participated in one of my ACH workshops. She used a color-coding strategy by using the same color for the main branches and another color for the second level of detail.

Idea Map #45: Did We Read the Same Article (Map 3 in the Series)?

2007-09-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

Idea Map #44: Did We Read the Same Article (Map 2 in the Series)?

2007-09-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

Did We Read the Same Article? Idea Map #43. Hint #15

2007-09-16T16:32:00.001-05:00

I'm starting a series of idea maps that were created by participants of my workshop titled, "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop". These professionals each create a map from an overview of Covey's "7 Habits". Each map ends up looking quite different, has different main branches, different levels of detail, and varied amounts and types of images. In a recent workshop during the debrief of this activity, I had someone ask, "Did we read the same article?" I thought that comment was profound and that there was a lesson and a hint in its content.

The hint is that despite reading the same information or hearing the same speech or being part of the same project, each person has unique ideas and associations which make their maps one-of-a-kind. This is the first map in the "Did we read the same article?" series. The lead idea map comes from Alan Wall of ACH. Enjoy!

P.S. The Idea Mapping Squidoo Lens is ranked #7 in Business and #148 Overall today!

Test Mindjet's MindManager Pro 7 and Change Children's Lives Forever

2007-09-14T23:17:00.000-05:00

This blog goes out to my business associates who are not already MindManager software users or have not previously tested the MindManager Pro 7 software. If enough of you download the 21-day trial version for PC or MAC by September 30, 2007, the school of my choice will receive a free 1-year MindManager site license for all K-12 students and teachers! Please give it a try.

Learning French - Idea Map #42

2007-09-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

On August 20th, I first introduced Erica Ervin. I noticed an unusually high amount of traffic coming to the blog from France after that posting, so here is another one of Erica's idea maps from when she was learning French in high school. She is now in her senior year of college majoring in French.

If anyone out there has created a map in a foreign language, I would enjoy sharing it with this blogging community.

FYI - the Idea Mapping Squidoo Lens is now ranked #13 in business and #256 overall.

Jamie Creates a "To Do" Map - Watch the Live TV Clip

2007-09-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

A clip from Part 1 of Jamie's BCTV interview on Michigan Entrepreneur, which aired in July, is now available to watch here. Part 2 will air twice this week. On a side note, the Idea Mapping Squidoo Lens is currently ranked #16 in business and #356 overall.

Idea Map #41 - Asymmetric Flaps

2007-09-06T10:25:00.001-05:00

On September 4, 2007 I introduced you to pilot Michael Panebianco. He's back with another example of how idea mapping is helping in training for emergency procedures. The asymmetric flaps map is an abnormal situation he had a few months back. It was the first map he did after buying the Idea Mapping book. He thinks it's a poor map, but I disagree. If the map solves the problem or meets the purpose -- it is a good map. It encompassed all of the things he will review for training. He keeps it for a reminder of where he started in his Idea Mapping journey, and because it is actually complete and useful to him.

Idea Map #40 - Aviation Emergency Procedure Training & Hint #14

2007-09-04T17:40:00.000-05:00

Meet airline pilot, Michael Panebianco. Michael created map that we call "fires on the airplane map". He used this map as a visualization to study for emergency procedures training. It presents the big picture of dealing with one of the most dangerous situations in aviation. While
existing checklists are linear, this map allows a visual flow of the factors at work in dealing with a fire inside the aircraft. Operating in three dimensions with multiple concerns for safety, a good, big picture presentation helps build a mental path towards simultaneous actions. Michael has other maps that he uses for other aircraft malfunctions with similar time and action concerns. I'll share those in subsequent postings.

Hint #14 involves using an idea to create a visual image that is committed to memory in order to visualize the whole.

Idea Map #39 - Food Pyramid

2007-08-30T10:59:00.001-05:00

Daniel is a senior at the University of South Florida, and did his summer at a large automotive company in southeastern Michigan. One of his first assignments his manager gave him was to read the Idea Mapping book. I met Daniel in June and he was already becoming a huge fan and user of MindManager.

One of Daniel's learnings was how to live on his, so he created the food pyramid map because when he first got to Michigan he had no idea what he needed to eat everyday. Because he does lots of sports including triathalons, he wanted to eat healthy. He went online to a government site on health and diets and found the food pyramid. Daniel decided to made it into an idea map since it is easier to read, and he could easily point out the pictures in order to see what he needed for a healthy diet. He also had the foods he ate most next to each category so he could remember what he needed to get at the grocery. He put this map on the refrigerator and it helped him follow a healthy diet for the 3 months that he was in Michigan. Maybe Daniel will send us an idea map of one of his subjects this fall, and we can see how he applies his new learning to his studies???

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (Food Pyramid) of the map.

Idea Map #38 - Back to School After 48 Years

2007-08-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

Next month I will be heading to MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) to teach 3 workshops for the 5th year in a row. Each year Dr. Carol Ann Baily (Director of Adult Services) gathers nearly 150 students for two 3-hour Idea Mapping Workshops and another 30 or so faculty for a workshop the following day. Last year Darlene Houston was one of the student participants. Her first map from last year is above. Here's her story in her own words:

"I was taking 15 credit hours as a full-time non-traditional student. Those first few weeks I felt overwhelmed by college Algebra since it had been 48 years since I'd taken it in High School. I was letting self-doubt for conquering Algebra take over my mind and it was effecting all my work. It was apparent that if I didn't change my thought patterns I would be defeated in my quest for a college degree before I really began. I needed to let "I Can" explode through the 'can't'.

After the Idea Mapping Workshop the previous week, I decided to prepare for an upcoming Stagecraft test by turning my linear notes into an idea map. My test score was 96 using the map. I thought I was too busy to map for the next test, but I sure found using linear notes did not produce the same result. That score was 69.

Weeks after I did my map, I looked at it again and drew an exploding "I Can" coming up through the middle. There were several things I drew that were essential to know on the test. I can still see the "I Can" visual in my mind, and I draw upon that mental image to carry me through when the task looks too difficult."

Idea Map #37 - Planning a Meeting

2007-08-22T11:02:00.000-05:00

Don Snyder (better know as Don The Idea Guy) introduced me to Jim Canterucci, the author of a book called Personal Brilliance. Last month Jim and his wife Holly were in town, and I had a chance to meet with them in person. When Jim started the meeting he pulled out this map that he created using MindManager. I was so impressed that I had to show off his work. You'll hear more about Jim in the future, but for now here is your introduction. To discover your Personal Brilliance Quotient, go to www.mypersonalbrilliance.com.

Idea Map #36 - Learning French & Hint #13

2007-08-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

As another school year begins, learners around the globe might be encouraged to see an Idea Mapping example created by a fellow student, Erica Ervin. In 2002, Erica was a junior at Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It was the first of several school years where I taught Idea Mapping to the students and faculty. In this map she outlines a chapter in her French book. Hint #13 is to create a map of a subject you need to remember, then review it on a daily basis until you can recreate it from memory. The 55 students who participated in this first group improved their average GPA's by nearly half a point as a result of applying idea mapping to their studies.

Idea Map #35 - An Idea Tree

2007-08-14T05:41:00.000-05:00

Roberto Vidales is an ecologist and has been using what he calls "idea trees" as a tool to develop an ecological-holistic view and consciousness about nature and the big challenges we are facing now as human beings -- like the global warming or climatic disaster. He uses this idea tree as an educational tool to share with friends, neighbors, local government authorities, and different audiences in Mexico City and surrounding areas. This is Roberto's second contribution to this website. To see his other map in spanish see http://ideamapping.blogspot.com/2007/06/idea-map-19.html.

Idea Map #34 - Preparing For a Debate

2007-08-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

After my July workshop at ACH, one of the participants (Karen Southworth) told one of the guys she worked with (Duane Lawrence) about the class. He is really interested in attending the upcoming October offering. This is what Karen shared with me:

"Duane looked at Ray's Idea Mapping book the other day, and checked out your blog. He is going to school at night and mapped a chapter of a course he was taking. They had to do a "debate" in the class, and he referred to his idea map...everyone else was flipping through the book as they were preparing their arguments. Others in the class wanted copies of his map. It was done in pencil and didn't follow the same kind of logic we used in class, but he used symbols and added stuff on as he went along. He really found it useful."

Duane sent me his map so that I could share it with you!

Idea Map #33 - A Medical Makeover

2007-08-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

In the June 22, 2007 blog posting, I shared an idea map that had been created by a friend of mine from EDS. I had lost track of her. In the June 26, 2007 posting, I shared how Janet and I miraculously reconnected and another one of her extraordinary maps. Today is the third map from Janet featured in this blog. It talks about a medical makeover.

Since the photo taken around 1995 on the June 26 posting, Janet has implemented that medical makeover to a degree that would inspire anyone. I'll include a link to her diary of photos and progress that led to her success a few years ago. You'll be astonished at the difference.

Need To Plan a Project? Make a Map!

2007-08-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the 23 new idea-mappers, jugglers, learners, memorizers, visionaries, and drawers! Last week 23 ACH employees attended the 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop. Attached are a few photos from the class.

We were all entertained by Glenn's dynamic "Make a Map" presentation.

I'll share their portraits, idea maps, and stories in future blogs.

Idea Maps #31-32 and Hint #12: Follow Up to Yesterday's Meeting Notes

2007-07-31T10:29:00.001-05:00

This posting is a follow-up to yesterday's final version of Liza's meeting notes. Hint #12 involves when to re-create your idea map. Often times your purpose doesn't require this, but in Liza's case she was creating a useful document for public view. This gave her an opportunity to step back and think about the information she collected and how se could best display it. The top map was her black and white map where she gathered the information live. The bottom idea map is her intermediate drawing prior to the final version which is dosplayed in the July 30, 2007 posting.

Idea Map #30 - Meeting Notes

2007-07-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

Liza Seiner created this idea map during a 2-hour temple committee meeting. She took black/white notes with some images throughout the meeting, but felt that they were not very well organized for the various themes that were being discussed. So she went back and put these together.

At this point, the map has not been sent to anyone, although it may be posted on the website for Temple and the committee. The purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm ideas for the committee's mission statement and to gather ideas for social action events that could take place over the next year. The temple is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Liza's husband had the idea of hosting/facilitating at least 50 activities in the anniversary year.

When she took the initial notes, they were tagged by who brought up the point. In the final version she left that out, so as not to highlight that aspect. Her husband has the original
notes and the map and is using it to supplement his notes. If I can get a copy of the original map, I'll put it up so that you can compare the draft to the final version.

Idea Map #28 by Vanda North - Creative Organizations

2007-07-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

During the summer of 2005, Vanda North's map was featured on the cover of a publication called Royal Mail out of London, UK. Her idea map highlights the essence of a creative organization. The "Cre8" branch considers the basic aspects involved in the creative process. The "Individual" branch says the company is only as creative as those it employs! The "Methods" branch addresses the ways you go about taking action, both in terms of thought processes and tools to perform the task. The "Results" branch focuses on the ROI and what it means in the workplace? Finally the "Corporate" branch talks about how to let innovation take-off. The right corporate ambience needs to be in place. Without it, the other branches of innovation cannot grow. Businesses must offer rewards for risks. There must be real commitment with the right environment, culture and support to reap the rewards.

See the July 17, 2007 blog posting for a special offer for Fortune 500 and Michigan companies.

Idea Maps on Flickr & Squidoo

2007-07-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

Flickr is a site where you can upload your photos and other files. Most of the idea maps from this blog's inception (and some others) can be seen at a glance on my page. It's an easy way to scan through many -- even though the descriptions are more complete on the blog. The squidoo lens works similarly and links to Flickr.

Idea Maps #26 & #27 - Drawing and Designing with Confidence Series: Part Four

2007-07-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

See the posting on July 6th for the background and Part One of this story. Part two was posted on July 9th, and part three on July 10th. Above you will see two more of the teams' Idea Maps summarizing this conference. This is the final posting in this series.

Idea Maps #26 & #27 - Drawing and Designing with Confidence Series: Part Three

2007-07-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

See the posting on July 6th for the background and Part One of this story. Part two was posted on July 9th. Above you will see two more of the teams' Idea Maps summarizing this conference. Part four and the final posting from this conference will be up later this week. Visit this blog again tomorrow when we celebrate the 150th posting with an update from Vanda North!

Idea Map #25 - Drawing and Designing with Confidence Series: Part Two

2007-07-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

See the posting on July 6th for the background and Part One of this story. Above you will see one of the teams at work on their draft along with the final version of their Idea Map summarizing this conference.

Idea Map #24 - Drawing and Designing with Confidence Series: Part One

2007-07-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

Kaizad Irani is the Program Director for Horticulture and Landscape Design at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. He recently attended a 2-week workshop in Kansas City called Drawing and Designing with Confidence taught by Mike Lin. Mike asked Kaizad to teach an Idea Mapping segment as a new tool to add to the participants "design toolbox."

After Kaizad's 45-minute PowerPoint based presentation, he facilitated a breakout session with about 4 members per team and asked them to create a map of their learning experiences of the 2-week workshop. The resulting maps were great and all the participants had very positive response.

This series will feature about 7 idea maps from that breakout session. Keep in mind that these participants all had some sort of a graphics/design background, so don't be intimidated!

Idea Map #23 by Linda Rex

2007-07-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

Linda Rex attended the 2-day "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop" held at ACH in June. She was asked to do some purchasing training on two processes/procedures, and thought this was a perfect opportunity to try mapping her lesson plan for this training. She used FreeMind 8.0 for this application.

Learning To Learn - Portrait #1

2007-06-27T12:38:00.000-05:00

In each 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop, "learning to learn" is a real experience -- not just a bunch of theory. Professionals are taught several skills which many think to be impossible! One of the exercises teaches participants how to draw a portrait of a human face (no tracing allowed). You may think, "Well that's nice, but so what? I don't plan on becoming an artist." The point is to face your disbelief, understand the impact disbelief has on learning, and then with some instructions, improve in each skill. This then becomes an analogy for learning other skills -- skills that you may otherwise have not attempted. This workshop includes many valuable skills including Idea Mapping.

So just so you can see for yourself, I'm going to show you several typical results of this exercise. This first example, drawn by Madhu, is from a recent workshop I taught at ACH.

Idea Map #22 and a Miraculous Re-Connection

2007-06-26T10:39:00.000-05:00

On Friday June 22, 2007 I posted a map from Janet forton -- a friend of mine that I had lost touch with. I had searched for her extensively when I was writing my book because I wanted to include this map which you see now. Two days after Friday's posting, I got an email from Janet Forton! I couldn't believe it! Yesterday we were able to catch up on the phone, and I learned that she hadn't even seen the posting. She was doing some research on mapping for a presentation and ran across my website. She and her family had moved to Pennsylvania where she is now the Director of a library.

Janet created this unique map when we both worked at EDS. She was going to China on a 3-month assignment. To help her young children, Janet created a window-a-day (90 days!) that could be opened on the various branches. Behind each window was a message to them for that day. I've never seen anything else like it -- and she told me she still has it today.

Serendipity in action...just had to share this story.

Idea Map #21 Featured in the News-Gazette

2007-06-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

On June 23, 2007 the News-Gazette in Champaign, Illinois featured an article and the above map in their local paper. Kaizad Irani is an expert in landscape architecture and design, and long-time Idea Mapper. He uses MindManager software to begin every landscape design. You can read this and the associated articles by clicking here. The above map was in the actual hard copy of the newspaper, but was not included in the online version.

"Learning To Learn" -- The Needed Skill For A Flat World

2007-06-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

In Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat, he states the following:

Being adaptable in a flat world, knowing how to "learn how to learn," will be one of the most important assets any worker can have...the more those with specialized education, or the ability to learn how to learn, will be in demand... (page 239).

It is my opinion that "learning how to learn" is not taught in most of our businesses or educational systems. Employees are no longer guaranteed lifetime employment, but they can enhance their employability. Friedman says, "But we can guarantee you that government and companies will focus on giving you the tools to make you more lifetime employable."

I don't know of any other workshop that teaches individuals to "learn how to learn" than the 2-day workshop titled, "Idea Mapping: A learning Workshop." This is not a sales tactic, but is a plea for you to pursue furthur education in what ever field of expertise you are called.

Idea Mapping is one component of "learning how to learn". But to get a full education, register for a 2-day workshop that will go way beyond Idea Mapping. Give yourself or your company this gift. You'll leave an eternal mark.

Idea Map #20 - Effects of Caffeine

2007-06-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

This map was created back in 1995 by a workshop participant at EDS who I have since lost track of. She was studying the effects of caffeine. Janet Forton -- if you're out there somewhere, I'd love to meet you for coffee!

Idea Map #19 - Our First Map in Spanish

2007-06-18T16:10:00.000-05:00

Today's idea map was created by Roberto Vidales from Mexico City. His map outlines 8 principles applied to help writing a text correctly in Spanish.

Loose Ends

2007-06-06T05:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's webinar generated a few follow-up items for me. http://www.usamemorychampionship.com/ is the link to some memory resources along with Scott Hagwood's site. I do have some good articles if anyone is interested. Just email me (info@ideamappingsuccess.com) and I can send them to you.

The other question that came up is about finding good clip art sites to add images to your maps. If anyone has a favorite, could you please post a comment to this? Many thanks.

The Memorability Factor & Idea Map #18

2007-06-05T08:04:00.000-05:00

This posting is dedicated to the attendees of today's Mindjet webinar which will begin at 1PM EST. This map is the overview that participants will see as I walk them through several activities. Following the webinar, please feel free to share any comments or questions here.

Listen to the recorded event (which lasted 45 minutes) by clicking here.

Idea Map #17 - Youngest Mapper Yet

2007-06-01T09:05:00.000-05:00

I received a note from Lisa who is one of my previous clients from BMC Software. She was going through her daughter's end-of-year folder. Isabel is 7 years old, and wrote a paper about her mom. Lisa found this map that Isabel created prior to writing her paper. Thank you Lisa and Isabel.

Idea Map #16 - Computertomography

2007-05-18T04:40:00.001-05:00

This map was created by Leo Martin who has a Bachelor of Science, Berner Fachhochschule, in Medical Technology. He works at a center named "Ausbildungszentrum Insel Bern, Switzerland (AZI)" which is the education center of the University Hospital Inselspital in Bern. Leo and his wife Monika have been long-time idea mappers and friends. Computertomography is a curriculum for students who become x-ray technicians. This map is the basis of a 10-hour lecture.

Hint #9 - Breaking Through a Mental Block

2007-05-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the Visual Thinking Guru! Today's hint will apply to both adults and students. Have you ever been asked to give a presentation, write a paper, prepare a science project, plan an event with a specific theme, (etc.) and choosing the topic was left to you? Often it is at this point that the mental block can set in. We get so fixated on coming up with the best topic that we become immobilized or we end up choosing a topic that we aren't particularly excited about. Here's my suggestion:

Rather than trying to decide on an ideal topic, theme, or project immediately, start an idea map of all the possible ideas you may have for your topic. Having your thoughts down on paper may spark additional creative themes. Put down every thought -- even if they seem crazy. You may do this all in one sitting or you can set it aside and come back to it later to add ideas. At some point you should prioritize your top 3 possibilities and then decide between those using whatever criteria makes sense for your situation. It is my experience that the best idea will jump off the page for you! Now you can begin your task of writing or planning.

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Idea Map #15 - Cancer Map

2007-05-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

This map was created by Judy (Grewell) Bess and John Grewell, and it is featured in Jamie Nast's book titled, Idea Mapping (John Wiley & Sons, September 2006). This map documents all of the final planning for Judy's husband John, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He passed away 6 weeks after the completion of this map. See Jamie's book for more details.

Many other idea maps are in previous postings in this blog. The largest collection can be found at www.ideamappingsuccess.com.

Hint #7 & Idea Map #13 - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2007-04-26T16:07:00.001-05:00

Today's postings are a double whammy! I am going to contrast two idea maps. They contain identical data, but one of them also includes images. These maps were created in MindManager by Vickie Flis. She wanted to prove to her sons that you could create a map of a book. She read John Maxwell's book, Dare to Dream Then Do It, and then created these maps. Above is the map WITH images. The other entry today is the same idea map WITHOUT images.

I have heard some business people claim that pictures aren't necessary. Maybe not in all cases, but I would really have to think hard to find a scenario where images didn't provide a benefit in some way. But then that's me. What do you think? Which one do you prefer?

Click here for the pdf version that is larger and easier to read the details.

Hint #7 & Idea Map #12 - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2007-04-26T15:35:00.001-05:00

Today's postings are a double whammy! I am going to contrast two idea maps. They contain identical data, but one of them also includes images. These maps were created in MindManager by Vickie Flis. She wanted to prove to her sons that you could create a map of a book. She read John Maxwell's book, Dare to Dream Then Do It, and then created these maps. Above is the map WITHOUT images. The other entry today is the same idea map WITH images.

Hint #6: A Plethora of Markers

2007-04-23T08:59:00.000-05:00

I have an addiction to colored markers. At some point in time, I think I've used nearly every marker created. If you've found yourself buying markers, and then not being particularly happy -- this posting is for you. Listed below are some of the brands I enjoy. I'll explain some of their differences as we go through the list.

Staedtler - These are my favorite markers (I think)! They come in both fine and medium tips. Best of all is the sturdy case that stands at an angle for easy use while mapping.
Stabilo - Also a high quality marker.
Sharpies - Vibrant colors. The only caution here is that they bleed through regular copy paper.
Fiddle Sticks - This 10-pack is a medium point and brilliant colors. Best part about these is that each marker has its own scent.
Pentel - Also a medium point with a wide color selection. The vinyl case is OK. Mine finally fell apart after many years of use.
TOMBOW Dual Brush-Pen - These markers are pretty clever. One end is a medium point, the other end is a wide brush stroke. There is a wide selection of colors and a flimsy plastic case that works well.
Mr. Sketch (12-pack) - These are thick, scented markers with nice color. I use these when teaching (flip charts) or creating large idea maps.
Crayola - These start out as fine points, but typically become medium point. I don't find the colors as brilliant as the Fiddle Sticks, but you can find them anywhere. Around August you can often find them for $1.00 or less during the "back-to-school" specials.

The worst markers in all of my experience are the packages of 20 or 30 that you can get at the dollar store. If they don't bleed all over, they will be dried up in about a day. Colors are not vibrant -- basically a waste. Let me know if you have other markers that you would recommend.

Idea Map #11 - Considered Colour by Steve

2007-04-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

If you have been following the conversation between myself and Steve Rothwell (Reading, UK) on the April 13th posting, you will be excited to see Steve's maps today. Idea Maps #10 (posting below) and #11 prove that your maps don't need to follow any rules or be beautiful to be effective. I'll let Steve describe this map in his own words:

"I was reading a book and wanted to capture some key ideas. I drew these in the top half of the page. I then realised there were links with ideas from other sources and quickly made simple notes in the middle of the page. Note how I used colour and images to make the notes vivid. I then went on to create the map at the bottom to makes lists in response to some questions.

The purpose of this map was to remember some key concepts and how my interests and experiences relate to them. Although a number of rules are broken here also, it's fairly neat and I have taken time to use colour and images. I wanted to make the map memorable.

Interestingly this map inspired the ideas captured by Fast and Furious map. Its colourful image was so vivid in my mind that I was able to make mental cross checks to it as I scribbled away on the new map.

I must also stress that I have since learned to turn my notebook on its side to give myself a bigger, better space for mapping."

Idea Map #10 - Fast 'n Furious from Steve

2007-04-19T07:37:00.000-05:00

If you have been following the conversation between myself and Steve Rothwell (Reading UK) on the April 13th posting, you will be excited to see Steve's maps today. Idea Maps #10 and #11 (above) prove that your maps don't need to follow any rules or be beautiful to be effective. I'll let Steve describe this map in his own words:

"This was done at the bottom of my garden in a bound notebook and using an old Parker ballpoint. I had been sitting idly when inspiration struck. The purpose of this map was to capture embryonic thoughts as quickly as possible before the moment was lost. I was constrained by the notebook shape and size; hence the maps have a tendency to grow down and to the right. In places the lower map wanders up and to the left. How many rules does this break, I hear you ask?

I drew these in less than 2 minutes (and it shows) however these simple scribbles have driven major developments in my career."

Idea Map #9: U of M Financial Accounting Class - by Jennifer Webb from Ford Motor Company

2007-04-14T13:38:00.001-05:00

I'm SO excited to share this idea map and story with you. The posting on December 16, 2006 briefly mentioned Jennifer's map, but now you can see both the map and read the complete story in her own words. Two of Jennifer's pre-workshop maps are also viewable on my website if you want to see the before and after comparison. It's quite amazing. Here's Jennifer:

One of my first graduate business classes at UM was Financial Accounting. I struggled to grasp the intricacies of financial accounting throughout the semester. I did fairly well on the first exam, but failed the second exam. At that point I was extremely disheartened and actually considered dropping out of the MBA program! I put in so many hours of studying for the class, but I didn't see the results. I just didn't know how else to study more effectively and was at a loss for solutions.

Shortly after the second exam, I took Jamie Nast's Idea Mapping class at my workplace. I wasn't sure if I should apply this new skill to an old problem. Knowing how much time it would take me to completely review the entire book and create an Idea Map was daunting, but I decided to go for it.

The process of creating the Idea Map was an excellent review of the semester's material in and of itself. It allowed me to see connections between topics and 'how' and 'why' things were interrelated. I reviewed this map for several days before the final exam and used this map as my in-class note sheet for the final exam.

I'm extremely happy to report that I passed the class with a B+; a huge improvement from my grade at midterm! I found Idea Maps to be an excellent way for me to effectively study for my exam and to truly grasp the interconnectedness of the material.

Jennifer Webb

Hint #5 - If Your Idea Map Gets Messy, Should You Re-draw It?

2007-04-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

What do you do when your map gets a bit sloppy? The purpose of your idea map or mind map may fall into one of several categories, so let me provide some suggestions for some scenarios.

This idea map is for my "to do" list. For some reason there can be a tendancy for people (myself included) to want these maps to look like pieces of artwork instead of seeing them as functional tools created to meet a purpose. I had to allow myself to cross off completed items and squeeze new items onto the maps until the map was such a mess I needed to start fresh. Recreating the map each time it got a tiny bit messy, became a waste of time. These types of maps should not be re-drawn until absolutely necessary.
This idea map is for an application that has a sequence to it (a process, a schedule, or a presentation for example). During the creation of a map the ideas are generated randomly, so it is unlikely that your map will be perfectly sequential on the first draft. The initial map provides the opportunity for you to step back and see the data from the big picture view. This enables you to re-sequence (maybe by numbering the branches), discover relationships between data points, and in some cases re-organize. If you are creating a linear document from this map, there is no need to re-draw. If you are using this map in the future or presenting from it, I would re-draw a final version.
This idea map contains a large amount of information. If you find the re-drawing process cumbersome or annoying, maybe you should use software to make the editing process extremely easy.

I guess the bottom line is to determine the purpose of your map before re-drawing it multiple times. Don't re-draw the map just for the sake of re-drawing. Sloppy idea maps can be just as useful as the most beautifully drawn example!

Idea Map #8 - Celebration of Life

2007-04-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

Easter Sunday could not be a more appropriate day to show viewers this map. I've called this idea map "A Celebration of Life". I got a call from John Meyer asking if I could create a map for a friend of his. Yes, I could....but I knew someone who could do even better!

This map was created by Liza Jennings Seiner in response to a request from John Meyer, a dear friend and colleague of Lynda Goodremont who is fighting cancer. He had this map created as a gift for her in celebration of her life.

Unfortunately, this file in its current format is too large to upload. I will find a way to show you this amazing map!