Mind Maps
SMART: Thinking
Mind Maps are a great way of thinking. They provide you with a platform to throw related ideas onto paper in a jumbled but semi structured manner. You aren't forced into following hierarchical ideas creation. Instead you can jump from one idea to another simply and easily.
These maps aren't a new concept. Similar concepts to them have been around since the 3rd century. Recently they have been brought to popular attention by psychology author Tony Buzan. It was from one of his books I first heard of them many years ago. Since I first discovered them I've used them constantly in my thinking sessions.
What is a Mind Map?
If you've never heard of a mind map before don't worry they are really pretty simple to understand. You get a blank sheet of paper and put one thought in the centre of it. You then put ideas related to it onto the paper joined to it by lines. Quite quickly you'll be able to generate a spider type diagram which has lots of points on it.
As you develop the diagram you think of points that are related to the points already written on the paper. You simply draw a line to the related point and then write the idea down.
The free flowing nature of the diagram means that you can jump about. It's easy to move from topic line to another topic line. So if an idea is sparked off as you are writing about one topic then you can easily switch and add it.
There are many suggestions about how to use these diagrams. For example you should only put one word on each line or you should use color and drawings to stimulate the different sides of your brain.
When I first started using these diagrams I used to follow these ideas but I found them pretty constricting. Now I use the diagrams far more freely. If I need a few words on a line then I'll add them. If I need to add some more traditional notes I'll add them too.
Building a Mind Map
Start with a blank piece of paper. Preferably non lined. Put in the centre of the paper the idea you're going to focus on. In the context of SMART this could be
- a strategy point
- a measurement your trying to figure out
- a task on a task list
- some ideas for SWOT
Write the idea in the centre of the page in capitals and draw a square or circle around it.
Next think of a related point. Let's take an example. Our point is
"Open Office Chicago"
some related points might be:
"hire staff"
"find office"
and a bunch of others. You write down the ones that come immediately to mind to the side of the main topic. In this case we'll write one on each side.
Excellent you've created the first part of your mind map. Now start to think of ideas around "hire staff" perhaps:
"find recruitment agency"
"advertise in local paper"
"do field trip"
"ask customers"
you get the idea. Add these onto the mind map and you'll end up with something like this:
You continue to populate in this way until you've exhausted your ideas. However be careful not to force ideas. Often I find that mind map thinking works better if I limit my time. So I think of how long I think I'll need and then I reduce the time a bit.
Perhaps I think 30 minutes is enough to review the January part of my strategy. I'll set myself a limit of 20 minutes. Generally I'll overrun but that's okay. What I don't end up doing is working for an hour rather than 30 minutes. I don't try to get every last thing I can think of on paper. That's not the purpose of the mind maps. Instead think of them as being a vehicle to move your thoughts about so you can deal with them.
If you've worked through the example then congratulations you've completed your first map.
Using Maps in SMART
Remember that these maps are not the only method of thinking but they do help to provide a focus. Don't forget you can produce a mind map in a group. You can use it as a brainstorming technique. Perhaps when you're pulling together your SWOT analysis or when you create your initial yearly strategy.
Adding the Thinking dimension to SMART continuously is really important. It is the thinking that you add to the process that makes it successful not the process itself. As you work through the different areas of SMART you should deploy the Mind maps thinking method liberally.
To find out some more history on these maps follow this link to more on mind maps.