Mind Maps For Business

o A method to keep in mind your presentation so you do not have to see your notes

o A technique that helps you have a project, see the big picture, give attention to the important thing areas and understand all the inter-connections

o A method of making note taking from journals, books, e-articles, quicker, more logical, better organised

o A technique for brainstorming that presents ideas logically structured

o An approach to time management, enabling you to target on your own priorities, make efficiencies
How would you like to spend just 10 minutes learning a fresh skill that will allow you to in every one of the above areas?

In the last year, Mind Mapping has given me many of these rewards and truly revolutionised my approach to knowledge, learning and business. Continue reading for an introduction to using Mind Mapping in business.

So what an earth is a Mind Map?
Well this can be a superb example of how valuable the art of Mind mapping actually is; words cannot adequately express the essence of a Mind Map. The simplest way to describe is to look at one. Go through the example at the end of the article. And for many who like the words along with the graphics, I'd describe a Mind Map as a'thinking tool ';'a plan which places a vital idea in the centre of a typical page and uses words, pictures and linking lines radiating outwards from the centre presenting connecting ideas, knowledge and information '.

Just how could you make use of a Mind Map in operation? The length of time is an item of string? I used a Mind Map to draft this article. It is a very economical means of making notes. The focus is on key words and their connections, so I saved plenty of time in just drafting the core concepts rather than using each one of these superfluous linking words which glue our sentences together (and turn them right into a readable article!). You will also see from the example not only how it facilitates the organisation of words and ideas right into a logical format but additionally how it could enhance the structure by enabling you to view the big picture along with all the current detail. And as the important thing words act as triggers in addition it facilitates brainstorming as your triggers spawn multi-dimensional concepts.

That's just a little taster of how valuable Mind Maps could be in operation and I can come onto more uses shortly. But first a small diversion to answer the question'why do we truly need a thinking tool at all?'

All of us know that we have a left and a right brain. Left brain handles logic, analysis, numbers, words, reason, order, sequence. Right brain is in the commercial of creativity, thinking in pictures, patterns, colours, and uses intuition. Fast forward to caricatures. Think left brain-dominant scientist,'brainy ', numerate, weak on the inter-personal side. Think right brained arty farty creative genius, the musician, poet, artist, never could manage to get thier Maths O'level.
Now I would never for one minute suggest that we are more prone to fall into either stereotype! However the odds are that we have over-developed the left hand side because we needed seriously to, to pass exams and work in our traditional western ways. But while we might well have a preference for over-using a certain side of the brain its most likely as a result of conditioning and education than nature. The good thing is that we have infinite scope to carry on to produce the lazier side of the brain. And by doing this the sum of the whole can truly be more than the person parts. By using the right and left brain together we are able to unlock talents we never knew we'd, solve problems creatively and generally begin our business in a more effective and effective way than we ever thought possible.

Mind Maps give us a very simple technique to make the most of our brain's full capabilities. By engaging the best brain we enhance the logical thinking about the left by bringing in an innovative perspective. Mind Maps help us try this by using very graphical means to express our ideas - pictures, shapes, colours, patterns, all very visual stimuli.

And as a thinking tool, a Mind Map also mirrors what sort of mind works, storing and retrieving information. So needless to say it's going to be an efficient means of organising our thoughts using the contours which are already hard-wired in there.

And there's more. You might have heard of VAK preferences. VAK refers to visual, auditory and kinesthetic. All of us have a preference in our thinking and learning towards one of these brilliant styles. Visual people like to master from seeing things and think it is useful to use pictures and graphs. Auditory learners have reached their best when listening - talks and lectures,'teach yourself'CDs. And the kinesthetic like to do the practical stuff, have a spin,'manage to get thier hands dirty '. Many western educated individuals are either visual or auditory, with a small majority preference for visual, but there are still an important number of kinaesthetic thinkers and learners too.

So just why does this matter? Well if we are able to identify our preferred style we are able to exploit it and look for approaches to utilize it that could improve our learning, problem solving and memory skills. If you are visually preferred, like me, then Mind Maps are an absolute gift. I find my thinking is massively improved when I will get stuff down in writing, view it (rather than hear it); the patterns, colours, shapes in Mind Maps all enhance this. But what if you're not a successfully preferred person? Well, as I said before

mind map will help everybody make the most of using their right and left brain together. But actually an auditory or kinesthetic style is just a preference and like harnessing the multi skills of left and right brain together, we are able to improve all our techniques by developing other styles rather than simply depending on our preferred ones.

Here's an example. When I first took an understanding preferences test two years ago my effects were strongly visual. This didn't surprise me as I've always had a problem focusing on courses and lectures, whenever you have to knuckle down and listen. The only way I could concentrate and remember anything said is to write it down, draw pictures, doodle, put things in boxes. Up to this aspect I'd always relied heavily on my visual skills and as a result my auditory skills were puny, under-developed things. (This will ring a bell with any one of my former colleagues who'll remember me multi tasking away on conference calls - at the expense of full-on listening I'm afraid!). Armed with my personal development education I actively set about building those auditory muscles. It was going to be very important in my experience to manage to offer telephone coaching along with face to manage, so I really had to mature my auditory skills. And I achieved it! I used several techniques (which are beyond the scope of the article) but I really enhanced my auditory muscles. My recent tests show I am evenly split between visual and auditory. This can be a fantastic result for me; it has given me a much wider toolbox of skills to call on in my work and life generally. So, the lesson here's, even though you really are a kinesthetic or auditory person then Mind Mapping will allow you to in building your visual muscle and offer you a more rounded skill set.