Visually organizing ideas, thoughts and information around a single topic or problem. Mind mapping has many applications in personal, professional and educational situations.

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Mind Map
Mind Mapping: A Visual Approach to Organize Ideas and Thoughts

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Introduction
Think about the last time you have taken notes during a meeting or an
interview.
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You may have felt overwhelmed by
all the ideas and actions to be taken.
You may even have worried that you
would have missed some important
details.

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Introduction
In situations like this, using a mind map to organize ideas and information
can be of great help.
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Definition
Mind Mapping is visually organizing ideas, facts and thoughts around a
particular topic or problem.
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An organized collection of information, ideas, words, drawings, etc.

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Definition
It is a nonlinear hierarchical approach that shows the shape of the topic
and allows to understand how the different components are related to
each other.
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Mind maps reflect the way human beings think and organize information, making
them a great way to organize thoughts in a more natural way.

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Applications
Mind mapping has many applications in personal, professional and
educational situations.
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They can help
individuals organize
their thoughts, ideas,
and tasks
They offers a more
flexible approach for
note-taking allowing
professionals to capture
key points and organize
them hierarchically
They can be used to
summarize information
from textbooks or lectures,
create study guides, and
visualize relationships
between concepts

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Uses
To identify and organize the new ideas during brainstorming sessions.
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Uses
To sort out complex and overwhelming situations.
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Uses
To consolidate information from different sources when you are doing a
research assignment.
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Uses
To support interviewing and studying by providing an alternative way to
ordinary notetaking.
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Uses
Can be used in planning and decision making to creatively generate and
organize alternatives and actions.
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Can also be used as a presentation tool to present ideas and facts

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Uses
Mind mapping can be applied in numerous situations . . .
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Brainstorming
Useful in
brainstorming
sessions as they
allow people to add,
expand, and group
ideas as they come
up
Problem-solving
Helps breaking
down complex
problems into
manageable
components and
exploring potential
solutions
Planning
Used in planning a
project, outlining a
strategy, or
organizing daily
tasks and see how
they are
interconnected
Workshops
Used to facilitate
collaboration,
stimulate
discussion, and
explore solutions to
complex problems
Meetings
Used to enhance
the effectiveness of
meetings by helping
to keep discussions
focused and
organized
Lectures
Used by educators
to outline topics
and illustrate key
concepts, and used
by students to take
notes and
summarize
information

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Benefits
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Allows to make some connections
you wouldn't have thought of
before
04
Offers new insights into new
possibilities and creative
solutions
05
Makes it easy to see how pieces
of information fit together
03
Makes it easier to classify,
summarize and recall information
02
Helps understanding the
structure of any concept
01

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Basic Structure
In a mind map, ideas and thoughts are coming out from the topic under
study and organized in the form of a diagram.
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Characteristics
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Doesn't need to start from the
center
Organizes information in a
hierarchy
Can organize large amounts of
information
Can be drawn by hand

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Steps for Drawing a Mind Map
Ideas and thoughts are often generated through brainstorming sessions
and then consolidated into a single mind map diagram.
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Mind maps can be drawn up individually or collectively

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Steps for Drawing a Mind Map
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With your team, present the topic or problem to be explored
• Draw a circle in the middle of a paper then write in it the topic or problem you are
exploring.

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Steps for Drawing a Mind Map
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Draw lines out from the circle to initiate the main points or subheadings
• As you explore each of the main points, brainstorm and draw lines to initiate
subpoints, ideas or facts.

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Steps for Drawing a Mind Map
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Use colors, single words and add images to make the mind map clear and easy to read
• Draw lines between items to show associations between them.

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Steps for Drawing a Mind Map
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Produce a higher version of the mind map later when there is more time available
• Provide the opportunity to add to the mind map later as you come across new
information.

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Software Applications and Online Services
The process of drawing a mind map can be an overwhelming task.
There are many software applications and online services that
facilitates the creation of mind maps.
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FreeMind Mindomo
MindMup
Coogle
MindMeister
XMind

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Example – Continuous Improvement Tools
This mind map was created to aid in memorizing continuous improvement
tools and techniques.
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Creative Thinking
Data
collection
Project
Management
Process mapping
Cause & Effect
Decision
Making
Brainstorming
Mind mapping
Flowchart
Flow process chart
VSM
Questionnaires
Check sheets
Gemba walks
Gantt chart
WBS
RACI
Risk analysis
RAID Log
5 Whys
Fishbone
Pareto
RCA
SIPOC
Stakeholder
Analysis
Force filed analysis
Voting
Tools and
Techniques
Tree diagram

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Example – Improving Mood
This is a mind map that was created to organize ideas for how to improve
mood and boost morale.
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Activities
Engage
in regular
physical activity
Enjoy
Nature
Plants and
natural decor
Relaxing
Space
Soft
lighting
Comfortable
seating
Positive
atmosphere
Favourite
colours
Decoration
Clean and
organized space
Improving
mood and
boosting
morale
Connect with
Loved Ones

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Example – Personal Development Tools and Techniques
The following is a mind map that was created to help in recalling personal
development tools and techniques.
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Concept Map
Mind maps and concept maps are both visual tools used to organize and
represent information. Concept maps are used for educational purposes to
represent the relationships between concepts in a more structured manner.
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Company
ABC
FINANCIAL CUSTOMER
INTERNAL
PROCESS
PEOPLE
Diversify financial
resources
Optimize operating
expenditure
Enhance ethical
standards
Automate
internal processes
Improve awareness of
products and services
Improve customer
trust and loyalty
Improve awareness
of strategy
Improve sharing
of best practices
Attract and develop
capable talent
This concept map organizes perspectives & objectives using the BSC Management Approach.

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Further Information
A research has suggested that mind mapping can improve learning and
studying efficiency over conventional note-taking methods. [1]
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Further Information
Oftentimes, mind maps will have a lot of branches and content. That’s why
you need to be persistent and patient while working with them.
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