6 Steps to Mind Mapping Success

For years I have heard about the power of Mind Mapping. It is a process that is used when exploring or brainstorming topics, ideas, plans and strategies. It can even be used to make plans for your vacation! And just as I have heard about it for some time, I avoided using it in my own life. Until December 9, 2009.

On that obscure Wednesday I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop hosted by a business connection and friend Julian Michael. He brought in a speaker and masterful Mind Mapper, Pete DiSantis to demonstrate how to use this tool in everyday work. We made a mind map of our holiday schedule as an exercise in the workshop, and it opened my eyes to this tool in a brand new way.

With a new tool in my toolbox, a flip chart hanging on my office wall and colorful markers and crayons in hand, my adventures began! I now have a tool that is supporting my success by bringing clarity to projects for the New Year. I have mapped out a new website, new product offering, a TeleSummit to “Increase Your Power Today,” and the 100 titles for articles I will write in the first hundred days of 2010. If you have been looking for a new strategy to map out your success, I invite you to try these easy steps and create a mind map for your next project?

Step 1. Get out the Flip Chart! When we work small, we think small - or maybe it’s the other way around. At any rate, expand your mind and your creativity for the new idea to the wall. It helps to step back and watch the progress, open up your perspective to a whole new level. As I like to say, Go Big or Go to Bed!

Step 2. Go with Color. The colors are not only fun to play with, they create a visually stimulating map of your brilliant idea. And you can use the colors to code the steps, priorities, items to further develop and link like items together. Additionally, using different colors adds dimension to your map, opening up your mind.

Step 3. Start with One. This one idea is the parent idea or main concept for the mind map. That goes in the center of the page. Draw a circle around it and then step back and allow your imagination to go.

Step 4. Free Flow the off-spring of the one idea. As you step back from the page to ponder your new big idea. Start talking out the ideas that are flowing to you, aloud. This step is perhaps one of the most helpful. As you speak and hear the idea, it lands with you as a Yes or it doesn’t. Those that are Yes get put on the map as a Sub Title (or off spring) of the main idea. Write these in an outer circle around the main idea, allow good space for filling in more thoughts and ideas. The platform of your map is now complete.

Step 5. Expand your Imagination. After you have your platform outlined with the main point in the center and the off-spring written down, it’s time go to the next level. Take your pens and begin to link together the like topics, write down details to each point to bring them to life. Example: if you are planning a trip, your details are all the things to prepare, do, buy, and even explore to be ready for an amazing trip.

Step 6. Put it to Action. Now that you have your idea and all the glorious details that make it a plan in place, it’s time to put the action to it to bring it to life. I have found writing a Map Legend with my dates and priorities in the top right of the map helps kick it into action. Whatever you do, keep your map up on your wall as you activate your new idea. Having it before you, will be that added inspiration for follow-through.

So that is mind mapping in it’s simplest form. Please share your strategy here as well as your success with this fun and creative method for gaining clarity on your great ideas.

4 steps to Resolution - Part 2

Last time we left off on point two of this 2 part series and today we reveal the final two elements of taking positive action toward your resolution - even if you are a little fearful.

We now have identified the elephant in the room, named it and begun to build an action plan.

Today we pick up with step three, your communication strategy.

3) Build a communication strategy around the move. This stage of the action step is highly critical. We build a communication element into the resolution so that the leader can gain support or at least feel that they are not alone when making this action step. It is essential to giving the appearance of transparency that is so necessary in any leaders reign – when a leader appears transparent with their action items, even the tough ones, it builds and fosters trust at all levels. The way things are communicated is key to that. Now, we all know there are decisions that are made that cannot be communicated about up front, and I believe that you can still prepare people for those pending decisions in such a way that is supportive. The communication doesn’t start after the ball has dropped, it happens all along the way.


4) So the final step in supporting positive action in the midst of perceived fear is what others have also named. Face it. I would add, face it with integrity and zeal. Leaders become leaders because of the decisions they make. We can sit and choose to be a lame duck leader and I guarantee that action is not sustainable. Or we can be an action oriented, integrity agent. When a good leader works from that place of personal integrity and considers what is the action that is best for the whole body, they will find that zeal for taking action in spite of the perceived fears.


While leaders often feel they are in a box all alone when it comes to tough decisions, I have found that with the C-level clients that I work with as an executive coach, they are looking for a sounding board or neutral partner, they crave it. It is interesting because each of them have been so use to working alone, 'the buck stops here so I must not reach out.' and what they enjoy most about coaching is they have that partnership they have been desiring and not able to name. If I could give leaders one thing, it would be the benefit of knowing personally they are more powerful when they reach out vs. keeping everything close to the vest. That act of reaching out is what moves great leaders to their full potential as a human being.

I had a client who is president of a mid-sized company that has been hit with a crunch on revenue with the shift in the economy this year. The decision he didn’t want to have to make was the one he feared the most, layoffs. When (in the midst of breakdown) we identified the elephant, named it and built a strategy around handling it, while the meeting was tough to have with staff, he prepared them in advance for what was likely to come and ensure them that it would be fair and equitable for the ‘whole.’

After the fact, he found that the planning the meeting to tell everyone what was going on was much harder than the actual action step itself and…had he not had the meeting in advance (communication strategy) the affect on the entire workforce within his company would have been much worse. As would have the trust factor he held with his employees.

I recall him saying (breakthrough), “it was the worst meeting I have ever conduced in all my years here and our employees really stepped up and rallied around for the good of the company as a result. I was blown away. I realized they can handle more than I may have given them credit for, or protected them from.”

Here are some coaching questions for your consideration based on this article:

Coaching Exercises

1. How would you describe and evaluate your support structure for decision making?
   
   
2. What has your communication strategy been for communicating the hard stuff? What changes have you identified that you want to make for the future?
   
   
3. What value do you see that will be added by introducing a neutral partner to your inner circle? How might you use this strategy to strengthen your leadership?
   
   
4. When have you noticed yourself working in isolation vs. asking for support? How did that serve you?
   
   
5. How will you know if you are keeping it too close to the vest? What will you do different the next time?

4 steps to Resolution

Recently I had a fruitful exchange with an International Management Consultant on the topic of what to do when leaders are immobilized by fear. The bottom line question was,
"what is a proven approach by a leader to support positive action (even if fear is present) toward resolution?"

Today I will share the first part of two for the answer and possible solution to the question.

As a coach of leaders, I have found the most interesting and compelling part of coaching executives is their disbelief that fear exists (for them.) They will call it a lot of other things, they will reference something that may 'infringe on their reputation,' 'compromise their integrity,' 'derail their momentum' but rarely do they identify those as fear. What is very present is the sense of being stuck - because to move might be to acknowledge that which they most want to avoid. So what supports action? I will start with the two of the four elements here today.

1) Get to the core belief/value around the 'what if' the worse thing happens. When leaders can identify the elephant in the corner of the room that is sitting on their solution, and it hurts, while they pursue getting to the truth for them, they will find comfort in the midst of that scary place.

I call it being in Breakdown on the way to Breakthrough. It's not uncommon to have fears of looking bad, failing, being exposed as 'fraud' and losing trust within our team. In fact, the leaders that do have those reality checks are (I have found to be) very strong leaders and are highly regarded in their field. They have a keen sense of self and humility that is a necessary element in a top-notch leader.

2) When the elephant in the room has been named – coaching enters into the mix toward building a plan to move. That plan is often multi-dimensional or as simplistic as a single action step – what is necessary is the documentation. With every plan for action there is necessary documentation, to support the plan or step and to use it as a learning/teaching point in the future. When leaders have that road map to follow or to tell them where they have been, it often removes the element of fear around ‘what if I make a mistake’ in the future because they have the data to support their move.

Our next posting will have the final two elements of taking positive action toward your resolution - even if you are a little fearful. For the time being, begin a plan to identify and name that elephant in the corner (mine often has pink polka dots.) It is the action of naming itself that you will begin to gain power and it's size begins to become less of a threat. Truth telling is key.

Here are some coaching questions for your consideration based on this article:

Coaching Exercises

1. How would you describe your current relationship to resolution (even if fear is present?)
   
   
2. What works well to promote and encourage resolution in your workplace? Look for the strengths, good behaviors, supportive cultural strategies, etc which may exist.
   
   
3. What is not working so well and therefore is an opportunity for improvement? Again, look for behaviors, strategies (or lack of strategy), challenges, choices, etc.
   
   
4. What action step can you identify now to remove any fear? Consider what you have identified above that works well. What resources will it take?
   
   
5. As a result of identifying and naming your obstacle, what are you committing to for the future?
   

What action will give you the highest return?

The one question that all business solopreneurs want to ask themselves on a daily basis - (What action will give me the highest return?) is key to staying focused on results.

Too often I see clients get caught up in a tailspin trying to stay ahead of their schedule or to ensure that they are being productive, only to find they are missing things along the way. This is very prominent with executives and solopreneurs. Why? Because 1) they are trying to handle too much of the load to work effectively and 2) they are often working in isolation and that keeps them bound to what they say their schedule is, objective for the day is and bottom-line is. Instead they would likely benefit from drawing on the strengths of others and having a reality check frequently to ensure they are on the right track.

When working with my clients as an Executive Coach we complete 6 questions upfront to get them clear on the direction they are wanting to go, and the potential obstacles in their path. As we further co-create the plan of action they will take to achieving (x) then we begin to design language and behavior modifications that support their goal. During that process, I introduce the question on highest return, and every time I am intrigued by the pause or complacent stare that I get in return. (One of my clients has this clearing of the voice thing he does and even while coaching across the country on a phone line, I can pick up right away when he is unsure of something or stuck.) When those moments happen, it is an opportunity to dig deeper into that stopping point. More often than not the stop is around the notion that they have to pick one action. It doesn't matter that the one action is key to the rest of their day. It doesn't mean they only work one action a day. It doesn't mean they are over simplifying their day either. What it does mean is that we are staying focused together on our agreements made around goals and objectives, and for them it is often focused on the bottom-line.

What I enjoy about the coach/client relationship when it comes to this and so many more powerful questions, I get to witness the breakdown on the way to breakthrough that can be life (and business) altering. When busy, successful, stressed out, overworked, highly valued (or whatever hat they wear for the day) people come to coaching to forward their action in the world, they don't come because something is wrong, they show up because they acknowledge needing support to get to where they envision they are going. What keeps them on track when not working with their coach is in the question. When one has clarity around what they are wanting to produce and how they will have the most success getting there, the action will inevitably follow.

So, as you ponder what your schedule looks like today, as coach I encourage you to ask yourself...What action will give you the highest return? Start your day there and everything else will fall into place.