Mind Pad

Carol Lindsey · Joined: 18 Apr 2005 Posts: 28

It's very impressive, how many different applications for corporate using mind mapping has. Usually, small team use of mind maps in a corporate context is the optimal.

For example you can use it to begin a project with client.
You can incorporate mind maps into instructional design process.
1. Give client a 1/2 day course on mind mapping.
This keeps the review meetings on track and enables everyone to participate in identifying objects and topics to be covered.
Also it helps keep everyone involved in the project regardless of their level of time commitment.
This has a big impact on the quality of the course as well as the sense of ownership by all members of the client's team.
2. Show them how they will be using it and give them examples of previous instructional design projects to make it real.
3. Start to develop the instructional design of their project while showing them the mechanics of mind maps.
It takes about 1/2 day to get them to a point where they can read a map comfortably during a meeting while focusing on the underlying problem and make additions to it to document their input into the process.

Also, different companies use mind mapping for:
- Business strategy development: process definition, strategy workshops and documentation;
- Business risk management: process definition, identification workshops, mitigation action tracking and management of the risk register;
- Business process improvement: AS-IS analysis, gap analysis, options analysis, TO-BE process definitions, walkthroughs, implementation and documentation;
- IT strategy and architecture development: process-information mapping, system-process mapping;
- Internet & Intranet site design, initial development;
- Big content management: visually tracking content development action;
- Contract & SLA development;
- Consultancy assignments: Scoping, research, workshop facilitation, documentation and reporting and so on.

If you know this technique, it can help you in many corporate activities.

Carol Lindsey · Joined: 18 Apr 2005 Posts: 28

U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Rollag, Salvatore Parise, and Rob Cross in their "Getting New Hires Up to Speed Quickly" (Sloan Management Review, Winter 2005) wrote: More than 25 percent of all workers in the United States have been with their company less than one year.

So, fast start for managers is one of the most important things.
But without some initial support and a framework for learning, many managers find it difficult to reach out to new colleagues themselves.
And managers' effectiveness derives directly from their web of relationships and contacts.

A tool for managers coaching is needed.
You can map out your new manager's network before he starts the job. What will new manager need? What is the main thing? Think about work processes: From whom will he need certain types of information? To whom will he need to provide information?
So, the main function of new manager is the central topic. People, whe can help him - are branches. Mark your branches with importance markers and plan these meetings using date marks.
Each branch should consist of one contact and it's function, which will be useful for new manager.
Once the new manager has met all the people you've recommended, reinforce these relationships through follow-up. Update map, ask new manager to keep this map in actual state.

Learn more about
Getting New Managers Up to Speed