| I'm a confessed mind map user and booster. For | | | | with either of these sites.) |
| that I have to credit Tony Buzan who introduced | | | | You physically see, or can determine, how one |
| me to mind maps in the mid 70's with his book | | | | idea relates to another. In brainstorming many of |
| "Use Your Head". It was one of those "Aha" | | | | these relationships are never evident or fail to |
| moments in my life where I recognized that | | | | show the possibilities that they can generate. Mind |
| these tools could provide me with insights that I'd | | | | maps provide the cross-fertilization, the |
| never considered before. I believe that | | | | development of fresh ideas, so valuable in the |
| entrepreneurs who must come up with better | | | | creative process and for increased productivity. |
| business proposals and students writing essays | | | | They're particularly valuable for entrepreneurs |
| and term papers will gain exceptional benefits | | | | when faced with having to submit a winning |
| from using them. | | | | business proposal. For students there's no better |
| Why are mind maps so valuable for whatever | | | | way of coming up with a viable topic for their |
| you're working on? I like to think of mind maps or | | | | essay or term paper. |
| mind mapping as organized brainstorming. | | | | I make notes using mind map techniques. I can |
| Brainstorming is a very useful technique that I | | | | immediately put down on paper where the |
| often employ. It works when you/and your team | | | | various points from an interview or lecture are |
| write down a list of ideas, facts, thoughts about | | | | connected and what they may mean. These map |
| an issue or topic, as quickly as possible within a | | | | techniques link things together (I'm not talking |
| given timeframe. | | | | hyperlinks here though there's plenty of software |
| What mind mapping does is take those | | | | available if you want to go that route.) You |
| brainstorming ideas as they come up and place | | | | discover things that you expected and things that |
| them into a pattern that's very focused on that | | | | you did not expect - and that's the payoff. Use |
| topic or issue. So imagine, when you come up | | | | mind maps and you'll find that your work |
| with each idea, each fact, every single piece of | | | | becomes that much better. |
| information and you then employ a mind map, | | | | Here's the clincher though. It's very important to |
| every single item is allocated to a section or | | | | try this stuff. Brainstorming is easy. Mind mapping |
| branch of that map. What this does is give | | | | takes practice and there are different ways to do |
| valuable relationships and interconnectedness that | | | | it. It only makes your work better when you use |
| you may never have considered. | | | | it. As a long time proponent of mind mapping and |
| I can't display mind maps in this article. I'm | | | | its impact on my work, I want others to get the |
| therefore giving you a couple of references to | | | | same benefits as I do. So please, if you want to |
| check them out. The first is Tony Buzan's | | | | see some possibilities that you haven't |
| website at The other is Phil Chambers' Learning | | | | experienced before, try mind maps. |
| Technology Newsletter at (I have no connection | | | | |