Mind Mapping: The Knowledge Worker’s Tool
Mind mapping is a simple tool that all knowledge workers should try out, using it to organize thoughts, projects, or brainstorms. I use it mostly for visual thinking. What is mind mapping? According to Wikipedia, ” A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.”
Tony Buzan created mind mapping. While I’ve never warmed up to cute symbols that can be used in mind mapping, Buzan’s approach works. It’s the perfect brainstorming tool or visualization tool.
Mind Mapping Software
I’ve been using Mind Mapper software for years, using the MindMapper software. I’ve included a screen shot from their website. The “Sales Report” mind map, see below, reflects branches: customer documents, reference materials, open issues, internal documents and shared documents. As you can see, each branch have branches or supporting thoughts. For example, in customer documents, the budget, project outline, org chart, requirements, and customer’s website are branches off the customer documents main branch.
Below is one of my mind maps that I did to brainstorm of my competitive analysis work when I was a product manager.
So newbie knowledge workers or knowledge workers wanting to add to their know-how skills, watch the video. Consider buying Mind Mapper too. You’ll use mind mapping for organizing, planning, and visualizing everything, adding mind mapping in your knowledge worker toolkit.
Bonus Book Review
If you want additional information on Tony Buzan’s book, The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential
The Human Knowledge MindMap was inspired by Tony Buzan’s work. It can be found in the document HOW TO THINK LIKE A KNOWLEDGE WORKER that is available as an e-book for free downloading from the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN). The document is also available on multiple other websites, and can be readily found by Googling the title.