Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - Idea Map #97

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is a book written by T. Harv Aker. This idea map was created by Debbie Edwards Miller after she attended the 2-day workshop "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop" that was held at ACH (Automotive Components Holding, LLC). It summarizes the content of the book. The photo I took of her map is a little dark. The pdf version is available on my website. Go to Client Maps and then scroll down to "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind". The maps are listed in alphabetical order. Although a few of the edges are cropped, it is clearer to read. Thanks Debbie!

de Bono's 6 Thinking Hats - Idea Map #96

One of my clients from a large automotive company in southeastern Michigan gave me these idea maps she created around de Bono's Six Thinking Hats.

The top map is a description of the Six Thinking Hats and what each hat represents in terms of its focus as well as the benefits to using this method. The second map (featured in today's Mindjet Newsletter) was used to run a meeting. This map was used to analyze a plan and focus the team on one hat at a time -- for example, Black Hat - "let's all think of the negatives with this plan", Yellow Hat - "let's all think of the positives associated with this plan".

For a larger view of this map see the pdf versions by clicking here then scrolling alphabetically to the map titles “DeBono's Six Thinking Hats” and “Using DeBono's Six Thinking Hats for a Meeting Agenda.”

Announcement: Two new Idea Mapping Workshops have been added to Jamie’s 2008 schedule. See the Course Schedule for upcoming Vancouver, B.C. and UK classses. More info to come in later postings.

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CIS Staff Meeting - Idea Map #90 & Hint #19

Matt McKibben shares one of his hand-drawn idea maps this time around. Matt is the Program Services Director for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL) and was featured in the February 25 and March 1, 2008 postings.

This map is from one of his CIS staff meetings. Notice how different this map is from his previous maps. I think it is fascinating to see both styles from people. Also notice how he highlights who is responsible for the various team tasks. I don't have a jpeg file to load on this blog, so I need to send you to my website to see the pdf version of this map. If you click on any column within "Client Maps" it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author (Matt McKibbin) or title (CIS Staff Meeting) of the map. While you are there you can see nearly 150 other idea maps!

Hint: When learning to create "real-time" idea maps, one of the safest and easiest applications is to create a map of a meeting. Generally the information comes at you slow enough, and usually you are familiar with most of the content. Give it a try!

Idea Map #89 - TQS

On Monday of this week I introduced you to Matt McKibben who is the Program Services Director for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL). This is Matt's second idea map around TQS. This map is an entire day's worth of lecturing on a new system being implemented over the CIS network. TQS will utilize research-based practices to ensure that the best possible services are being provided to students and families served through CIS.

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Client Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (TQS) of the map.

Idea Mapping Workshop - Palm Beach, Florida

It's that time again! Join Jamie Nast on April 21-22, 2008 for a fun-filled two days of learning at The Palm Beach Hotel which is conveniently located 2 blocks from the beach and surrounded by restaurants.

This Spring's class is part of a larger 5-day instructor certification course. There are veteran instructors returning for review, and new candidates (who have already taken this 2-day workshop) coming from companies like Franklin Templeton and as far away as Macedonia. This means that 2-day Idea Mapping participants will have the advantage of being surround by a wealth of knowledge. It's not confirmed yet, but Vanda North may be joining us as well!)

Advanced registration is required and is limited to 20 people. Payment must be received by March 21, 2008 in order to get materials ordered and shipped to the hotel in time for the course. For a course abstract and registration information click here. Looking forward to seeing you in the Florida sunshine!

Idea Map #88 and Hint #18 - Converting a Linear Document to an Idea Map

In December of 2007 I had the privilege of teaching a 1-day workshop for an organization in Tallahassee, FL called Communities in Schools of Florida (CISFL). Matt McKibben is the Program Services Director, and was a participant in that event. This idea map is the first of three that Matt will be sharing in this blog.

Hint #18 is to starting practicing your mapping skills by converting a linear document into a map. There are several advantages to this. One - you don't have to think about content, two - you get get a 1-page visual of a multi-page document, and three - this may lead you either re-organize the document or see connections that were not apparent previously.

Matt took their State Director's Report that is given to the CIS State Board Members and converted it to a map. This condensed 2-page report reflects the work that the State Office has done over the last quarter. However Matt's map includes much more information than the 2-page report. I look forward to sharing more of Matt's work over the next few weeks.

You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website under "Client Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or title (State Director's Report) of the map.

Portrait Drawing #5

In my 2-day courses titled "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop", participants are taught a learning model and then apply that model to learning a variety of new skills. Drawing a portrait of a human face is one of those skills. For more on the purpose of this activity see the June 27,2007 posting where I share the first portrait drawing. Search this blog for "portrait drawing" to see more.

Michael Panebianco, a captain at Southwest Airlines, attended a workshop in December 2007. This self-proclaimed nonartist drew this beautiful portrait of Anthony Hopkins, and was kind enough to share it. Mike has also contributed several idea maps to this blog around aviation emergency procedures in the September 4 and September 6, 2007 postings.

Idea Map #70 - Client Training Needs

This Idea Map was created by Glenn Stennes during a brainstorming session to identify 2007 training needs of companies supported by an international donor funded assistance program. The initial map was created in real-time while projected on a screen for all participants to see. Imagery was added during pauses which helped stimulate the flow of ideas. Following the meeting, some additional formatting was done. The map was then exported to a pdf and sent to all participants. The information recorded on the map formed the basis for developing the project training plan. You can see a clearer pdf version of this map on my website. If you click on any column it will sort the maps alphabetically and you can then search by author or title, etc.

Glenn Stennes is a Business Consultant presently living and working in South East Europe and a MindManager user since 2004. Last April he attended the 2-day Idea Mapping workshop in the UK taught by Vanda North. Glenn shared that applying the fundamentals taught during the workshop while using MindManager has helped make a good tool a great tool!

Vanda's next workshop in the UK will be held February 20-21, 2008. See course info and abstract for more details.

Idea Maps #63 & #64 - Christmas Shopping Extravaganza

Tammy Sookthis has participated in both the 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop and the 1-day Memory/Speed Reading Workshop offered through ACH. Last week she sent me this series of idea maps which she created to get organized for her Black Friday shopping spree. The original copy has everything you see on 1 sheet of paper, but I'll describe this series from the bottom up.

She started out with a list of who she was going to buy for and what she might get them. The first map (with the colorful "Tammy") was her initial sale "spottings" from the paper for each store. She mapped out everything she saw that was a good deal that she wanted to either purchase or look at. The scribbles and boxes around certain items reflected the thought process she went through, and she realized this was too much to get through in a few hours. She boxed in the things she wanted the most. The idea map at the top of this posting is the final map Tammy used on Friday after she re-grouped her plans.

Tammy - Thanks for sharing your idea mapping shopping experience! For the pdf version of these maps go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Hurricane Wilma Evacuation Plan (Idea Map #60) & Jamie's Monthly Column in the Mindjet Newsletter

Today this idea map is featured in my monthly column in the Mindjet Newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to the monthly Mindjet Newsletter, click here to fill out the subscription form.

The theme of the November newsletter is "Teams." In October of 2005, I was teaching a two-week idea mapping certification and advanced certification workshop in Palm Beach, FL for 28 people from 12 countries. Mid-way through these courses, Hurricane Wilma came flying through. It was a week full of adventure and creativity! This is the evacuation plan that the team created for this emergency. See a post-hurricane photo of the people who bravely experienced this event amongst some of the aftermath. For the complete story see the Mindjet Newsletter (or read archived Mindjet newsletters for more valuable tips and information.)

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc.

Needless to say, this year's 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop in Palm Beach, FL will be held December 3-4, 2007 to avoid any possible hurricanes! There are still 12 openings if you would like to join us. Email us at info@IdeaMappingSuccess.com if you would like more information. For our next open workshop in the UK (Feb 20-21, 2008), email Vanda North at Vanda@TheLearningConsortium.net.

Idea Map #57 - Did We Read the Same Article (Map 6 in the Series)?

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each idea map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007, the third on September 26, 2007, the fourth on October 2, 2007, and the fifth on October 10, 2007. This idea map was created by Derek Roberts - a product design engineer who attended a recent workshop at ACH.

For the pdf version of this map go to my website. If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically and you can then search by author or map title, etc. See Derek's other idea map from a design meeting on the October 15th posting.

Idea Map #48 - Did We Read the Same Article (Map 5 in the Series)?

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007, the third on September 26, 2007, and the fourth on October 2, 2007. This posting features a map from Idea-Mapping Instructor Debbie Showler from Whitby, Ontario in Canada. Her maps are filled with color, details, and imagery. Hope you enjoy her work.

Idea Map #46 Did We Read the Same Article (Map 4 in the Series)?

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007 and the third on September 26, 2007. This posting features a map from Karen, who participated in one of my ACH workshops. She used a color-coding strategy by using the same color for the main branches and another color for the second level of detail.

Idea Map #45: Did We Read the Same Article (Map 3 in the Series)?

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. The second example was posted on September 22, 2007. This posting features Kaizad Irani's map of this subject. Search for other maps from Kaizad in this blog.

Idea Map #44: Did We Read the Same Article (Map 2 in the Series)?

On September 16, 2007 I started a series called "Did We Read the Same Article?" Professionals attending the Idea Mapping workshop each create a map from an overview of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Each map ends up looking quite different, and I'm sharing a series of these maps so you can see how people capture similar information in drastically (yet beautifully) different ways. This example was created by Denny Sikkila from Mindjet -- and yes, he actually drew it by hand!

Did We Read the Same Article? Idea Map #43. Hint #15

I'm starting a series of idea maps that were created by participants of my workshop titled, "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop". These professionals each create a map from an overview of Covey's "7 Habits". Each map ends up looking quite different, has different main branches, different levels of detail, and varied amounts and types of images. In a recent workshop during the debrief of this activity, I had someone ask, "Did we read the same article?" I thought that comment was profound and that there was a lesson and a hint in its content.

The hint is that despite reading the same information or hearing the same speech or being part of the same project, each person has unique ideas and associations which make their maps one-of-a-kind. This is the first map in the "Did we read the same article?" series. The lead idea map comes from Alan Wall of ACH. Enjoy!

P.S. The Idea Mapping Squidoo Lens is ranked #7 in Business and #148 Overall today!

Idea Map #38 - Back to School After 48 Years

Next month I will be heading to MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) to teach 3 workshops for the 5th year in a row. Each year Dr. Carol Ann Baily (Director of Adult Services) gathers nearly 150 students for two 3-hour Idea Mapping Workshops and another 30 or so faculty for a workshop the following day. Last year Darlene Houston was one of the student participants. Her first map from last year is above. Here's her story in her own words:

"I was taking 15 credit hours as a full-time non-traditional student. Those first few weeks I felt overwhelmed by college Algebra since it had been 48 years since I'd taken it in High School. I was letting self-doubt for conquering Algebra take over my mind and it was effecting all my work. It was apparent that if I didn't change my thought patterns I would be defeated in my quest for a college degree before I really began. I needed to let "I Can" explode through the 'can't'.

After the Idea Mapping Workshop the previous week, I decided to prepare for an upcoming Stagecraft test by turning my linear notes into an idea map. My test score was 96 using the map. I thought I was too busy to map for the next test, but I sure found using linear notes did not produce the same result. That score was 69.

Weeks after I did my map, I looked at it again and drew an exploding "I Can" coming up through the middle. There were several things I drew that were essential to know on the test. I can still see the "I Can" visual in my mind, and I draw upon that mental image to carry me through when the task looks too difficult."

Need To Plan a Project? Make a Map!

Congratulations to the 23 new idea-mappers, jugglers, learners, memorizers, visionaries, and drawers! Last week 23 ACH employees attended the 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop. Attached are a few photos from the class.

We were all entertained by Glenn's dynamic "Make a Map" presentation.

I'll share their portraits, idea maps, and stories in future blogs.

Idea Map #23 by Linda Rex

Linda Rex attended the 2-day "Idea Mapping: A Learning Workshop" held at ACH in June. She was asked to do some purchasing training on two processes/procedures, and thought this was a perfect opportunity to try mapping her lesson plan for this training. She used FreeMind 8.0 for this application.

Learning To Learn - Portrait #1

In each 2-day Idea Mapping Workshop, "learning to learn" is a real experience -- not just a bunch of theory. Professionals are taught several skills which many think to be impossible! One of the exercises teaches participants how to draw a portrait of a human face (no tracing allowed). You may think, "Well that's nice, but so what? I don't plan on becoming an artist." The point is to face your disbelief, understand the impact disbelief has on learning, and then with some instructions, improve in each skill. This then becomes an analogy for learning other skills -- skills that you may otherwise have not attempted. This workshop includes many valuable skills including Idea Mapping.

So just so you can see for yourself, I'm going to show you several typical results of this exercise. This first example, drawn by Madhu, is from a recent workshop I taught at ACH.