Mind Map Handbook: The ultimate thinking tool. Tony Buzan
forgotten and equally frantic calls from my husband reminding me of that important business dinner that yes, I had forgotten about). Then I heard about Mind Maps. I couldn’t think what on earth these could possibly be, but was sold on the idea that on one piece of paper I could map out our daily or weekly diary so that all of us knew just exactly what the other was doing and what was needed. This has quite simply transformed my life! I now have a Mind Map on our fridge door and can visually see what the week ahead holds. It goes up at the weekend and we all do it together and add to it as the week progresses. I don’t think my life has ever run so efficiently.’
What my friend has demonstrated is that a Mind Map is a wonderful way to note down, in an attractive and organized way, everything you have to do. You can either have one overall Mind Map or a series of mini-Mind Maps that cover the areas of your future activities. These Mind Maps will give you a good degree of control over your future, and will help you plan far more easily and effectively.
For an example of one of her Mind Maps see Plate 4.
Persuading People and Negotiating with Mind Maps
Persuading other people to see things from our point of view is necessary for survival.
In every walk of life and on a daily basis, we are all involved in persuading people. Whether it be deciding on where to go on vacation, bargaining for a better deal, attempting to sell something, or even applying for a job, the result depends on our ability to persuade.
In these communications you need to be prepared, and a Mind Map is an excellent preparation tool.
Before entering the ‘persuasion zone’, Mind Map out the entire situation, including as your main branches the big goals you have in the situation. Consider the arguments you want to put forward, and note them down in key words and images. You could, for example, use a Mind Map to argue for a raise. You could use the Mind Map to map out all the reasons you deserve more money, taking into account not just your strengths but your weaknesses, in order to pre-empt any objections. You could also use the Mind Map to highlight any particular successes you have had in your present role.
It is also a good idea to include other people’s points of views in your Mind Map. When you do this, it gives you a much better overall picture, and allows you to make your points in a spirit of mutual co-operation rather than one of mutual combat!
Mind Maps are especially useful when it comes to negotiating contracts. Getting that all-important ‘whole picture’ and proper perspective is far easier if you use a Mind Map. A Mind Map also helps you add as much detail as necessary without getting lost, because words, colours, symbols, and other Mind Mapping techniques concentrate the information while at the same time organizing it effectively for you.
Colour codes
Colour codes are especially useful. They can highlight areas that are negotiable, non-negotiable, or neutral while the contract is being negotiated. This allows you to concentrate on what is important and not waste time and energy on the irrelevant.
The more contract negotiations get bogged down, the more the Mind Map comes to the rescue. It enables you to see the ‘whole picture’ all the time and that you see relationships that might otherwise be invisible.
One lawyer, who was negotiating a long and complex case, used Mind Maps to keep track of everything over a period of six months. His memory of and grasp of the case was so immense, complex, and complete that his offices were raided by the opposition looking for the secret electronic equipment they thought he must be smuggling into court to give him such perfect control of the case!
Romantic Weekend Mind Map
Planning a romantic weekend can cause a lot of anxiety and stress, because it is so important that such events are wonderfully successful. As with any other form of planning, if any vital ingredient is missing or forgotten, the whole event could be a catastrophe. This is where Mind Maps can come to the rescue again! With your Romantic Weekend Mind Map you will radiate, from a suitably romantic central image, the main branches of the things you need to consider.
These will include location, travel, activities, food, drinks, equipment (including clothes, toiletries, books, and games), and special surprises, etc.
Perhaps the main advantage of the Mind Map for planning the romantic weekend is that it gives a much greater probability that the weekend will be a success, and simultaneously gives you more confidence and less stress.
The confident and relaxed individual is a much more attractive romantic partner!
For an example of a completed Mind Map on this subject, turn to Plate 5.
Telephone Calls Mind Map
Many people make notes during important telephone calls. Business calls, for example, can be extremely complicated and it is easy to miss information if you are not adequately prepared. Similarly, if you are planning a vacation, you may need to jot down details of your itinerary. A Mind Map is ideal for this purpose.
Begin with the central image that summarizes either the topic of the conversation or the essence of the person with whom you are talking. Your first main branch will include the person’s name and the date. You print each main subject on a branch radiating from the centre, adding details using single key words, codes, and images printed on the smaller branches.
As the conversation progresses, the information goes on the page in a way that helps your brain ORGANIZE, REMEMBER, COMPARE, and CONNECT very quickly. When the subject changes, add another branch using key images, codes, and words on the line as before. When the conversation goes back to an early subject, simply go back to the appropriate branch and add the new information.
The telephone conversation can regularly dance from topic to topic, often returning to particular points again and again. With the Mind Map, this is easy to handle because the information always ends up where it belongs. Normal notes simply record, chronologically (not truly logically) the flow of data. This means that the key information gets scattered and lost. You will often find that the information coming out of your telephone call Mind Map is a lot more organized than the information that originally came in on the telephone!
In telephone call Mind Maps, colour adds another useful dimension. You might use red for what you have to act on right away and blue for things you can deal with later.
Pre-drawing the branches for calls you initiate is a good way to keep things on track. This will allow the branches and key words and images to remind you of both what the conversation is about and your goals. People who use Mind Maps get more information across in less time. They are also much more organized and focused because they have a picture of what they want to talk about in front of them.
When you do pre-draw your Mind Maps in this way, it will avoid the incredibly frustrating experience of having to telephone people back because you have ‘just remembered’ (after you have hung up!) a vitally important topic that you forgot to mention. Telephone call Mind Maps save you time, save you embarrassment and save you money!
Starting a New Venture
As you have seen so far, Mind Maps are a fantastic planning tool. They enable you to see the ‘whole picture’ and ensure that nothing is left to chance. What better way, then, to plan a new venture?
Perhaps you are thinking of starting up your own business, like a store or a company. Or perhaps you want to do something on a smaller scale, like starting up a babysitting service or a social club. Whatever your idea, Mind Maps can help you plan smarter and be more successful.
There are so many things to consider when you are starting up a new venture. It can be a really daunting task. However, if you use a Mind Map you can make sure you have thought everything through carefully first. For example, where will you locate your business? Do you need your own premises or can you work from home? And what about staff? Do you need to employ other people or can you manage alone?