Mindmapping learning ENglish (II)

I do also try to get new verbs, nouns, expression and so forth coming from the different books, I am reading.

Mindmapping improving my English

I am always trying to keep up improving my English and normally mindmapping is a very good technique to support this learning.
The picture shows how I use it with the phrasal verbs.

Interviewing my collaborators at work

I am in this part of year when one must evaluate and, as a result of that, interview every person of my team. Every time this team gets even greater, so I needed to find out a way to reduce time (I am pretty much focused on high performance in every task in my job).
Creatting a pattern, so that every interview is consistent with the other ones could be a way to simplify, nevertheless every interview is unique, because every person and her work are unique as well.
Hereby it is the model I wrote on the plane in order to get these interviews´ framework.
Excuses in advance because it is in Spanish, in the following posts I will publish it up in English, if you are interested in the content as well.

Analyzing two alternatives

Whenever I have to decide between to alternatives, I use Mindmapping as a way to get a visual clue about the possibilities, pros and cons, in order to achieve a consistent decission, from different perspectives.
This weekend I have been involved in such a situation about changing the house where a friend of mine lives in.

A mindmapping reflection

During these weeks I have a reflection in my head related to mindmapping.
Is mindmapping either a suitable tool for structured minds (optimizing menthal processes outcomes) or a tool helping to get minds structured?
I think there is not one answer and three ones are possible depending on the case and the use.
For an structured mind can be a suitable tool to get deeper on different kinds of analysis that with any other format could be achieved.
For a pseudo-chaotic mind could be a great tool to get further taking the most out and to take this chaos far beyond to a consistant conclusion.
For same type of minds in different moments the two ansmwers could be possible enough.

Christmas Lottery

Reaching this time of the year, I usually recover a traditional mindmapping use, specially suitable to a fast determination of results.
The mindmapping use does not have any influence in the final result, for sure!!

100 uses for Mindmaps

Surfing the web I had the opporunity to watch this fantastic map from Paul Foreman. What can I say about it? To me it´s just great.

Mindjet Mindmanager 8

Hi all.
I am lately trying to get the most out of the new Mindjet Mindmanager 8.
I am gratefully impressed about the new features. Currenly I am testing them and applying on my professional and personal life.
I think it is another step forward avoiding restrictions when one compares software made maps and hand-drawn ones, with this new version one gets more flexibility, more possibilities to boost up productivity.
I am also impressed about Web Services and I am trying to investigate how to generate more on that, any help or information is welcome.

Key Account Management

A friend of mine (Sergio Martinez Zarza), which has an extraordinary future in the management fields and which is currently working in Denmark for the Siemens Wind Power business, asked me about my opinion about key account management ideas.
I have gathered the different ideas that I have from this issue.

How to get an exponential growth in MM users?

Vic Gee is also committed to spread knowledge about mindmapping, not just into the mindmapping newsgroups community but also with the people, int order to bring them in this new world.
I think it is an extraordinary idea and also he is gathering comments in order to get exponential growth in the number of people using mindmapping. The prize for the best response it is a free copy of iMindmap.
Extraordinary idea.

Events and trips planning

I do usually plan my trips or events with a two or three months period (always I can) so I can take a perspective about the different weeks, in order to plan my work according to the goals that I have to achieve.
One of usages that I mostly do, it is planning these trips and events via mindmapping, so I can easily get back to them with simply a glance.
Also when I am outside the office and I need to remind events or trips, I used to remind the whole picture so I can, as a results, get the details and all the reservation status.

Three and a half months without posting

Excuse me about this lack of posting during this three months period.
Taking my friend Phillipe Boukobza´s suggestion, I will be back writting new posts about different issues to promote mindmapping.

Maps for rethinking over and over

Lately I have an important event from my company within the region I am responsible for. I am collaborating meeting the multinational strategies to the points in which this region can take advantage of.
That suppose rethink over and over in different time schedules and with different people, also contrasting these ideas every day in the last month in order the get something consistent enough.
This format is helping me with, cause the map is not really fully overloaded with information.

Two Mindmapping styles

After a comment made by Robin Carper, I take the opportunity to explain in detail the two mindmap styles I used to work with.
Style no 1 is the one in the previous post, whenever I have a central idea and I must think over and over getting more ideas and relationships, that is the result from such a process. Examples of use: preparing meetings, speeches,...
Style no 2 is whenever I must attend a meeting, a conference,... where every detail counts on. In such a case, my mindmaps designs gather quite a lot information, and mostly I have no time to make drawings, but on the other hand I have the instrument to get details in the future. In the following picture you can get a live mindmap created within a meeting. I always try to transform the style no 2 in the style no 1 making a simpler map the next day.

Criticizing my mindmaps

As it is pretty clear within this blog´s contents, I use mindmapping everyday (in both ways, software one and handmade).
Here it is located the last one, I have made (excuse because it is in spanish), it determines the two Siemens in Asturias (the spanish region I am responsible for) positioning keys (the business and the social one).
Key issues to improve: colors and drawings.

Mindmapping video

I have found in Philippe Boukobza´s blog a video talking about mindmapping concepts, which are extremely useful to get deeper on it.
Currently it is in Spanish and French.

Mindmapping for facing crisis times

Some weeks ago, I was questioned by Chuck Frey about the possibilities to use Mindmapping as a mean to face, in a better position, crisis times. Chuck gathered that information coming from different sources and join it up formatted.
Getting deeper in this blog, we talked about using Mindmapping to reduce cost even in a supermarket, also to consider different alternatives in order to get a low-cost decission and lately we have been talking about the relationship between Mindmapping and Productivity.
In my personal case using Mindmapping helps me to make tasks in less time, also I rank the task in different priority levels, so I am always focused on what is important to be solved, to be decided. Always I have a complex problem, I detailed the whole problem in a Mindmapping reaching lower details, thinking over that details and the relationships among them, it turns out much easier to link them in order to get the best solution, considering the priorities you have defined to take your decission.
These ones among others (many people is using mindmapping in a better way than me) makes you getting into productivity and also be a valuable worker facing crisis times.

Mindmapping vs Unemployment

A friend of mine has been fired (following a cost reduction policy in his company), some people also call it in a polite way "the company makes your position redudant" ephemistically.
He is an enthusiastic about mindmapping but he has never got time to learn about.
Last weekedn we were talking about different ways to face the situation and looking for a new job. Talk derives and bonds into mindmapping world.
Mindmapping techniques are an extraordinary way to make your productivity reach further, because by using it you require less time to make more things, otherwise you can make more things with the same time.
Also all we know that the different companies (large multinational and the litlle chinese restaurant) are based on employee´s productivity, so by using it you are on the way to make your job position profitable for the company.
The next thing to do it is the marketing one, to publish it out, so the companies will know.
Even if you are not in that situation and you´re extremely safe in your job, using techniques to reach further in productivity will make you one of these two things: not be an overworked person or be a restructurationproof guy.

Fresh ideas coming from XMind

I have had the opportunity to interview Stephen Zhu from XMind Ltd.
From his answers important questions arise.

A.M.: What are the fresh concepts/ideas/features that XMind brings into the Mindmapping software world?
S.Z.: In fact, XMIND has boruhgt many new ideas. First important is that XMIND is a real cross-platform software, which means you will have the same user experience among Window, Mac and Linux. Second, xmind design the brand-new 'drilldown&drillup', filter, presentation, 2D-chart and so on. In fact, XMIND has considered more to let users feel comfortable.

A.M.: In your opinion, comparing XMind with the different software tools nowadays on the market, which are the strongest features and the weakest ones?
S.Z.: The strongest feature is that XMIND is easy to use. This is also the most important rule for us. Then, our presentation and drilldown has great competitive strength. The weakest point may be the note. XMIND's note is not more powerful than others'.

A.M.: In your opinion, where the MindMapping software tools are evolving to.
S.Z.: Mind Mapping will be one tool for users to plan work, clarify the information. In fact, fishbone chart and 2D-chart are using frequently too.

A.M.: In your personal use, which are the main usages you made with mindmapping software applications?
S.Z.: Clarify our thinking. Then I will use XMIND to analyze the questions.(2D-chart), and do the meet note by using Audio Notes.

A.M.: How do you envision mindmapping software tools can help increasing productivity?
S.Z.: Increasing productivity means that we can use less time to do one thing or more things. XMIND, I can use it to achieve this target. It can let me think one thing more quickly and clearly.

A.M.: Would you mind providing me with some additional information about the company and what made the initiators getting into this mindmapping software world?
S.Z.: XMIND LTD is a company registered at HongKong, which has put all its energy and everything to create the tools to help human increase the productivity. You know, we, human, have the limited time in the world. So we need the tools like this to assist we do more good things for this world.

I do recommend testing it and determine if it fits your expectatives, I do really think so.

Mindmapping as a tool to create social networks maps

Reading Philippe Boukobza´s blog, one can get really interesting applications out there for mindmapping.
Lately he is working about relationships between mindmapping and your digital identity and I think he is doing a very good job there.
The tool is called Visualizar and it is located within Facebook.
Shows visually the relationship among the different contacts I got in Facebook.

IQ Visual Mapping Conference

On October 3rd, 2008 will be held the IQ Visual Mapping Conference in New Jersey (campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ ).
This conference will be hosted by Brian S. Friedlander, which, apart from being a friend, is one of most prepared experts in Assistive technologies and specially in Mindmapping techniques.
You can get more detailed information from the conference in his blogblog.
Also Adam Clayman, Stephanie Diamond, Chuck Frey, Arjen Ter Hoeve, Kyle McFarlin and Wallace Tait, which are preeminent visual mappers, will be honourable speakers.
I do recommend attending the conference.
I will do my best getting some conclussions from Brian in order to get you updated.

Recovering concepts watching Mindmaps

Reading a post within Kyle McFarlin blog, I reminded an issue that was basic to me from the first steps.
What are you making maps for?
a) Just for drawing
b) For making something that can be showed to others
c) For getting knowledges that can be work down with both main hemyspheres
In cases a. or b. you can show your ability as an Art creation or your ability to make your knowledge available to others.
In case c. the most importan point, to me, is making brain-friendly designs, specially for your brain, so utilize the format, colors, markers, drawings.. in which you feel really comfortable. Otherwise you can go deeper in the map, but it would turn out extremelly difficult getting back to the whole matter (you were working on) in a few minutes some months later, which is one of my personal goals making mindmapping, the ability to get back and recovering knowledges fastly.

Web-based Mind Mapping Applications Compelling Chart

I have just received a very interesting and comfortable tool to sail through the Mind Mapping software tools waters, without losing perspective.
Chuck Frey, who is a relevant "guru" within MindMapping issues, has made an extraordinary work compilling all relevant aspects coming from the different software tools.
Thanks for your contribution, Chuck.
You can get this compilling chart by clickin within Chuck Frey Web page in the following link.

Learning to draw

I must confess I have something to improve a lot. I have to learn how to draw.
I am stuck in the phase where my mathematical mind imposed over the logical one and attempts to take care of the whole brain. Nevertheless I am defending the logical one to get the wheel anew.
I have found a link that could be interesting enough to the people having the same problem.
Learning to draw
I hope you enjoy it.

Common Faces

There are pretty clear points in common amount mindmapping, martial arts, meditation and so forth. Amount these common points, it would be the ability to link floating concepts, to generate new-coming ideas, free concept associations, concepts and images associations...
Where does this common root resides on?
In my opinion by using the right part of the brain.
As demonstrated, this part of the brain works much better when the arterial tension goes down. Martial arts and also meditation techniques do use the breath to control mental states.
By using these techniques one person can take down the arterial tension and as, a consecuence, induces activity from the right part.
Obviously, in these techniques the whens and the hows are very differents.

Mindmapping and intelligence development

To my opinion, intelligence is not the capacity to store large amount of different knowledges, but it is the ability to create many multiple links amount the different knowledges you have.
At that point, mindmapping arises as a powerful tool to stimulate the creation of different knowledge links.
Summing up seems to be a clear link between mindmapping techniques and the intelligence stimulation. At least, in my personal/professional life it is a pretty clear statement.

The MindMapping Manifesto (II)

The MindMapping Manifesto (I)

Reading what is currently hot about mindmapping, there is a thing that can´t be infravalorated. This is the work done by Chuck Frey "The MindMapping Manifesto".
This is, to me, a very awesome tool to get deeper about mindmapping software and it is, also, a way to write down, black on white, the key elements about mindmapping software, from many different perspectives and with new and very interesting notes to have under consideration, if you want to enter these techniques, that will change your life.
During the following posts I will try to focus on the main concepts within the Manifesto, that is a gift to Chuck for keeping himself up for this work.
Congratulations, Chuck.

What maintains me away from mindmapping, push me forwards

Excuse me for the incoveniences by not posting so frequently, I will attempt to overcompensate.
Thanks to all the folks that questioned me about the absence.

Goals setting and splitting

Many times in business life, one is located in the middle of the chain.
One receives goals from his/her boss and must set up goals to the different collaborators. Obviously it is a rather good method, by using a good splitting, to have all the differente company levels working towards the same with coherence.
What´s inside this post, it is a method to split down goals to different collaborators and different positions, by using filter techniques within software-made maps (specifically MindManager).
You write down your goals in a map and using the Resources within Text Markers to define every one of your collaborators, which must be alligned with that goal.
After completing the secuence you can determine the different goals, which one of your collaborators have, by filtering the whole map.
Obviously the example is just for clarification, consider the case of having 35 goals to get and 30 collaborators and find a way to match them accordingly.

Getting a way forward

Yesterday afternoon I was having a nice talk with Philippe Boukobza via Google Talk. We were talking about the two brain hemispheres and the sensations one could have by using the righty.
Also I was thinking about how to identify when you´re using it and the many multiple activities, in which you work primary with it.
In the map, I relate activities I use to practise, which I think they are getting a way forward to use that part of my brain.
Many multiple different activities seem to hace a common goal.
Getting the sensation like if you were driven by the muses.

Mindmapped house

Finally I got the house, after many multiple mindmaps to optimize the costs.
Also I got a very cute mortgage from my banker.

Passwords cache

Firstly I am so sorry for not posting so regularly, specially in these two weeks period, I have been involved in many different professional issues, including frequent trips.
During that time, I´ve been thinking about new possibilities for mindmapping in a real world and how I take advantage of this.
Another functionality I use mindmapping for is helping me to remind the different users and passwords from the different webpages/blogs I am used to work with.
Perhaps a silly question but practical enough for me.

Comments on posts

Almost two weeks ago I got a post, which because of its interest I think it would be good enough to make it more public.
The discussion was opened by Everdream and followed by Tuna (I would like to hyperlink him/her but I don´t get the address).
I transcribe the discussion with updated comments.

After I saw your mindmap above, I got a few questions in my mind.
- Can this map give you explict messages even few months later?
Sure, that is one of the key issues for me. To make "nice"/cute map designs (I name it brain adapted designs) helps your brain to get back quite fast to the map topics after long time. That came from the visual message reception. It is similar (in some cases) when you see a picture and you remember questions linked to that image you see some time ago.
- Do you really think if readers can understand your message better through the map than through written statements?
Most cases I would say, yes. Cause your brain gets a whole picture of the maps and attempts to get fast to the different points. I would say, after looking at the map, two months later, your brain would remind better, issues from the maps, than from statements.
- How long did you take to fill wide ranges of lines oriented from main topic with your fine pen? Do you think the time is worth?
To be sincere, it does not take long for me, I am quite used to take notes. Nevertheless, this time is not badly wasted, in that time your brain is thinking in the concept, in the branches, in the relationships among concepts,...
- Why did you use pens and paper for the map? I think, you have a good software for mindmap. Why didn't use it for the map? Any reasons to use such an old tools?
Sure. I see two different ways to work: handmade maps and software maps. To me the main differences are in the freedom, making a map. In this way, it is similar to a brainstorming process, the crazier idea you have, the something valuable you get. So, I think you can get more creative concepts by using the handmade ones, you don´t have any restriction at all. In cases of using software, you must adapt your map to the software restrictions. I also must say the software are evolving to a more freedom atmosphere to not restrinct into a constraint environment.
Sorry for the questions that can be took rude. But I am really qurious

Mindmapping reflection

I must firstly apologize for not posting so frequently this week, I´ve been involved in many different tasks and responsibilities in different locations for my company, so I could get the time.
I have taken some moments to read on several of the different mindmapping blogs from friends and known people and I must say that every blog you vist, you discover something new and interesting to have into account, I learn from them.
Although I´ve been very busy I´ve been working so hard with mindmapping, cause it´s part of my personal and professional life.
During this week I´ve used mindmapping for: notetaking, preparing meetings, thinking deeper on different issues and so on.
I must also say the mindmapping in my life has got more reflexion, more deeper analysis, more capicity to link knowledgements.

Meeting Mindmapping friends

One of the funny things about surfing the web, it is finding outstandard blogs where, for sure, one can get knowledge and knowing how the world is moving regarding several issues. That´s the case of Philippe Boukobza, he is a very interesting guy, able to make a blog in three different languages (spanish, french and english). I do recommend visiting his blog and meeting him in order to be informed, among other issues, about mindmapping.
I have tried to know more from Philippe and I have decided to interview him, he kindly accepted.

Alberto.- Philippe talk us a little bit about you.
Philippe.- I'm a managerial skills consultant (in Madrid) since 2 years. Before I worked as a French Language Teacher. I was investigating since various years about learning, psychology and creativity. I learned and used various techniques before focusing on Mind Mapping.

Alberto.- When do you get your first contact with mindmapping?
Philippe.- About 5 years ago, surfing on the Internet, I discovered some “strange” maps and was immediately seduced by the Mind Mapping technique. I started creating mindmaps without any knowledge about Mind Mapping rules. Two years ago I decided to participate in a 2 days Mind Mapping workshop in Paris. It was really crucial and the start of serious Mind Mapping !

Alberto.- Which are the main specific mindmapping usages you do?
Philippe.- My main uses of Mind Mapping are, in order of importance: note taking, presentations, book reviews, planning and decision taking.

Alberto.- You have an extraordinary blog (in three different languages), what does propel you to open it up?
Philippe.- Thanks ! From my point of view, blogging corresponds to the need to share knowledge and experience about something that is really important for you. As a tool to share my interest in Mind Mapping and to learn from Mindmappers (like you !) blogs are really tremendous !

Alberto.- How do you explain a newcomer in the mindmapping world the main advantages she would get by using these tools/methods?
Philippe.- By learning to mindmap you start a process of learning to learn and learning to think smarter with a simple and very accessible tool. Mind Mapping improve your thinking-analysis skills as well as your creativity.

Alberto.- Which are the main advantages you get from?
Philippe.- The main advantages I get from Mind Mapping are exploring new ways of thinking, thinking “out of the box” and structuring my thoughts in the same time. Mind Mapping reconnected me with a more visual-intuitive approach ( the right brain ...)

Alberto.- How do you normally make maps? (manually using markers or via software).
Philippe.- During the first years I only use pencils or markers to build manually my mindmaps. Now, the ratio is about 50 -50 between handwritten and software made mindmaps. Note taking and real time Mind Mapping are for me always handwritten.

Alberto.- Which are your favorite software tools to make mindmapping?
Philippe.- I think NovaMind permits actually the best balance between structuring the ideas and getting visual impact. Therefore I use it a lot. From my opinion, Mind Manager is the best Mid Mapping Softwre for structuring the ideas with FreeMind. For the visual impact, Solution Language and IMindMap are to producing the most organic and natural aspect.
Recently I discovered Cayra and it have a very interesting approach of Mind Mapping.

Alberto.- From your opinion, how do you see the mindmapping development in the world and in Spain? how do you envision it in the coming-up future?
Philippe.- I'm very hopeful about the future of Mind Mapping. I think it will belongs to the essential skills to have in the Knowledge Society. The information overload require new ways of thinking that permits to clarify and structure rapidly informations in a visual way. Therefore, in Spain ,like in every country, Mind Mapping will be more and more used and learned. In Finland, one of the most developed and skilled country in the world, Mind Mapping has been included in the education programs. In accordance with the Programme for International Student Assessment of the OECD , Finland has retained the number one spot (2007).

Alberto.- What people think of you when see you mindmapping?
Philippe.- The first reaction is curiosity and then, for some of them, interest.

Alberto.- Which are your favorite pages around Mindmapping?
Philippe.- My favorites Mind Mapping pages are Peace of Mind, Idea Mapping (Jamie Nast), The Mind Mapping.org Blog and the Mind Mapping Software Weblog (Chuck Frey). But I'm also very interested in pages about visual thinking like Information Aesthetics or Visual Complexity.

Thanks Philippe.

Mindmapping for strategic orientation

To me, mindmapping is a tool extremely suitable for strategic purposes. To make a consistent map, you should think in advance about the concept, the main branches, the purpose,... To make also a consistent strategy for something, the main step is to think deeply on the goals (if you are responsible for the definition) and to determine how I am going to get the goals and what I need to get these goals.
In my personal case, for my job I am oriented to strategic goals and every step I walk is oriented towards one of these goals. So it is quite easy to make a map where the central concept would be the strategic orientation, every main branch would be every one of the different goals you have and the different sub-branches (level 2) would be the concrete goal descriptions, the different steps you envision for getting that goal and, of course, the result to get the feedback that will determine if you are in the right path. Different sub-branches (level 3) would include the different steps you walk everyday to get what you have envisioned you should do, and of course related to a specific and defined goal.

What you can get from mindmapping

One of the key ideas I am attempting to develop in this blog, it is how one person can take advantage from mindmapping in conceptual terms or in economics terms.
This afternoon I was working on a mindmap thinking about what you can get from using mindmapping.
I am sure there will be thousands more out there.

A different MindMapping software approach

Last week I was contacted by Cayra people. I must confess I didn´t have idea regarding the project, but after downloading and working with it, I must say it is fun enough and also it is extraordinary flexible to work with having a mindmapping concept. So I decided to interview Sergey Kashulin (Cayra´s Project Manager).

Alberto.- Why the name Cayra?
Sergey.- "Cayra" is a name of a bird (you can see it on our logo). In English this bird's name is Guillemot, but in Russian it sounds like "cayra".
The name is short, sounds nice and we think it stands out of other mind mapping applications names. They all have "Map" or "Concept" or "Mind" in it, so after you've seen or tried more than 5, you tend to forget the name of the 1st. :-)
Besides, what do you imagine when you think "bird"? Most likely, "flight", "freedom", "wings". And mind mapping can be considered as the wings for the ideas to fly. :-)

Alberto.- Where does Cayra come from?
Sergey.- Cayra project is located in St.Petersburg, Russia.

Alberto.- What fresh things does Cayra bring into the mindmapping software world?
Sergey.- First of all, it's the automatic layout for nodes on the map. When you select one node, it automatically moves into the center of a map and all other nodes are re-positioned. This approach allows you to view the map from different angles, because every time you click on a particular node, it becomes the central one and you can see all its relations. It is very important when you want to create a map that has lots of inner connections between nodes. Imagine you want your 1st node to be connected with 2nd and 3rd. Then, you want the 3rd also to be connected with 4th and 5th, 5th - with 1st and 2nd.. and now imagine positioning it all on the map manually, in the way that your map'd look comprehensible. Quite a complicated task, even for 5-10 nodes, so imagine if you have more than 30 and they are all connected? That's why we implemented the automatic layouting.
Still we're aware it is not always needed and sometimes even can get in the way if you just want to create a simple map with nodes that don't change their position every time you click on them. That's why we're now working on "Lock the map" feature, that will allow to create "stable" maps.
Second thing that distinguishes Cayra from other mind mapping software is this certain freedom that it offers. Say, if you want to create a simple, tree-like mind map - you can do it. But if you want your map to be complex with lots of connections between nodes, with links that say what kind of connection they denote (we call it "link types") - you can do that as well.

Also if you want your map to tell more than just nodes and how they are connected, you can use parameters feature. It's a new thing that we have added to the last version (0.9) and I think it shouldn't go unnoticed, because now you can visualize much more details about objects on your map - be it people or tasks or ideas.
You can add Date, Time, Yes/No parameter (e.g. for tasks within a project), or you can add Text and Numeric parameters (e.g. if you need to see how much or what kind of tasks your employee has), and you can make it visible or invisible on the node.. Quite a lot of choice, I think :-)

Alberto.- Which are, in your opinion, the keys from Cayra?
Sergey.- I would say, these "fresh" things are also the keys, because they are what makes Cayra remarkable and what we put most effort into.
And, of course, the fact that Cayra is free.

Alberto.- Which will the next project steps be?
Sergey.- We plan to launch the web-service that will allow viewing and editing maps online. Right now there's a tendency towards the merge of desktop and web applications and we want to be the part of that. I think it is most natural - after you've created a map you might want to share it with someone - your colleagues, business partners, friends. So our next step is to offer this opportunity.

Alberto.- Talking about you, Sergey, how do you get involved in mind mapping techniques?
Sergey.- I first heard of mind mapping on a NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) forum. At that time I thought it was yet another way to memorize stuff. But later it turned into a great helping tool for outlining ideas I don't want to forget. I have tried several mind and concept mapping applications and found out that most of them didn’t quite have what I needed from this kind of software. So I realized it was time to create an application that will try to address these needs.

Alberto.- In your opinion, which are the main advantages of using mind mapping in both personal and professional life?
Sergey.- I think mind maps are so effective because they visualize what you need to see, whichever it might be – tasks, ideas, goals, etc. This, in its turn, brings clearness and helps to make a decision or put ideas into action.
Another important thing about mind maps is that they work for better mutual understanding, flattening the difference in interpretation and in general producing less confusion.
So basically mind maps bring more intelligibility and clearness into my life (both personal and professional) making it more organized and balanced - and therefore happier. :-)

Take a look at Cayra Webpage.

Making Mindmapping Art

The first new I got from her was via Brian S Friedlander blog interview. From that moment on, I have seen, in details, some of her mindmaps and I must say they are Art. They seem to be at the highest levels. I was pretty much interested in her "mindmapping revelation on a train", she explained in details via email.
I do recommend visiting her blog Mappe Mentali (in italian)
Nice to have people showing others how they can take advantage of mindmapping. It is nice to meet people like Roberta Buzzacchino.
Roberta please go ahead with your awesome and cute mindmaps.
Thanks so much for your blog.

Organigrams

Another feature (quite interesting) is the possibility to draw/play with organigrams (talking about software maps). It allows to have a more visual organization perception, seeing the whole picture at a glance or seeing one department in depth.
It turns out extraordinary useful when you have to design an organization from the scratch, so you can compare, consider, move and so forth to get consistency.

Blog achievements after 15 days

Basically this is what you all have achieved.
Thanks.

Distributing a budget

Many times in a professional work, a manager has to distribute a budget on top-down basis (in these cases I do recommend making previously a bottom-up analysis to determine needs in order to avoid problems).
Once the budget is approved, it must be distributed among the different estimated costs, here it is developed a mindmap to distribute the budget.

Mindmappnig for multiple scenarios analysis

Hi all.
Many times in professional and personal life, one should face different problems, these ones must be anlyzed in detail, specially due to the consecuences, one could have.
Mostly these studies have to consider different variables.
One way (extraordinary good from my personal point of view) is using the multiple scenarios analysis, when you first determine the different possibilities to solve the problem, once they are identified, one could go deeper by studing the pros and cons of every possibilites.
Here in the blog is shown a template to simplified using this tool.
Hope it would be useful enought.

Notetaking

Hi all.
Another issue we have been talking about in the blog is the possibility to take notes (from meetings, from presentations, from different ideas someone is showing you,...).
Here there is an example of notetaking.
Mindmapping for notetaking opens up a great amount of chances, among them forces you to think about every question you take notes, specially in the case you were using figures, colors, different markers and so on.
That is the issue of utilizing the two brain hemyspheres (the creative and the mathematical one).
Newly I must say I couldn´t make the map by using different markers.

Updating To-dos template

Hi all.
I was thinking about how to apply a suitable To-dos template to a real working day. I have found that the following one could be suitable enought to gather all the tasks that can be programmed.

Getting ROI from Mindmapping in your personal life - Supermarket

One of key issues I will like to focus on, is being able to determine how to get ROI -stands for Return Of Invesment- by using Mindmapping techniques in you professional and personal life.
Obviously, there are two main ways to get a higher ROI:
1.- Generating more incomes or
2.- Reducing costs.
(It is just a simplification to understand easily)
In this particular post, I will talk about how to reduce cost by using Mindmapping techniques, when one goes to the supermarket.
I have developed a particular template with the most common articles in a supermarket shopping list, grouped in different branches.
Within this template (I am also looking for a new repository to put on all the templates that I am using in the posts), I am using different labels and markers to determine which are the cheaper prices in the different supermarkets for the different items.
Every week, I think in advance the items I must shop and by filtering out, I am able to determine which items should I buy, in every supermarket, in order to get best prices.
Obviuosly some improvements can be added up:
1.- Determining not only price but price and quality to make the further choice.
2.- In case of using one only supermarket, determining the position of every branch in a clockwise direction consecuent with the location of every articles group, within the supermarket.
As a result of using these techniques in your shopping list, you will get:
1.- Not forgetting any item, which implies revisting the supermarket.
2.- Taking advantage of the prices, discounts and so on.
To sum up, it is just a simple application to show that some kind of ROI can be returned by using these techniques in both, personal and professional life.

Mindmapping for sort of CRM

Hi all.
As you can see by reading the blog, I am a great supporter of handmade maps but I also see the advantages of using a software to get the work done. Lately (on future posts), I will talk a little bit more about the differences I perceive).
One of the advantages of the software mindmapping, for me, is when you utilize these techniques to gather large amount of information, which you must refresh every certain period of time.
Let us talk about a particular case. If you are a company manager (CEO, Sales Manager or any other management position) you will like getting information about the different projects that are on the market right now, some kind of market transparency information (some sort of particular CRM -stands for Customer Relationship Management-, let´s say, maintaining the distances). Also you would like getting the most information about the projects, the companies, the key players and also your competence out there. One way to proceed is gathering this information on a huge map, where you should use labels, text markers, icons, colors and so on, to make a suitable search of what you are looking for.
These issues (icons, markers,...) help you managing tons and tons of information in a map without losing perspective by filtering out what you want.

Mindmapping on a napkin

Yesterday afternoon, I was thinking (in a cafe) about the mindmapping keys from my point of view.
A curiosity is that the mindmap was made on a napkin (for first time in the blog), let´s say it is another "allowed" format.
Basically they are:
1.- Having the whole map at a glance.
2.- Perspective. Moving fastly top-down and botton-up in concepts.
3.- Freedom. Not constraining the thoughts, allowing a free flow.
4.- Style. By using a brain fiendly design, it is easier getting back to work later on.
5.- Colors/Images/Icons. Using both brain hemispheres (creative and mathematical).
6.- Central Concept in the middle. Focusing from the beginning.
7.- Previous thinking. Forcing you to think in advance, mantaining concentration on the concepts.
An improvement point for me will be openning up new formats for the coming handmade mindmaps. Let´s go for that.

Opera

One of favourite passions is the Opera, mainly, I must confess the italian one with some exceptions like Delibes, Mozart, Wagner and some spaniards. I have tried to gather in a map my preferred arias from the different Operas I like the most.

References from colleagues

First of all I must say Thanks indeed to all the people, who made links or references to my blog from theirs. Be sure I will keep up my work in the future, as far as you think I am doing well.
In last days, the main references have been:
Brian S. Friedalander interview
Software Weblog Reference by Chuck Frey.
Idea Map #68 at Idea Mapping by Jamie Nast.
MindManager Customer Vignettes, thanks Gaelen.
And also the great post in El blog de Philippe, this one in spanish, helping spanish speaking people take advantage of these techniques. Muchas gracias Philippe.
Thanks to all of you.

MindManager Key Features

Hi all.
Today I was thinking about which are the MindManager key issues for me, in part due to the Brian S Friedlander interview. Apart from the ones told in the interview, I saw another ones. Obviously the best way to show them up would be via a MindManager Map.
Hope you like it.