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A Guide to Mind Maps

Olivier Serrat2014

Thinking as a Skill

Intelligence is a potential, and thinking is the operating skill through which it acts upon experience.

Outside highly technical matters, perception is the most important part of thinking.

If most errors of thinking are errors of perception—that being colored by emotions and values—thinking as a skill can be improved by practice and education.

Sundry Tools for the Job

Numerous straightforward yet powerful tools encourage creativity and flexibility, and help optimize different styles of reasoning (including analyzing, integrating, planning, and problem solving). They include APC (A stands for Alternatives, P for Possibilities, and C for Choices), OPV (Other People's Views), PMI (P stands for Plus—the good points, M for Minus—the bad points, and I for Interesting—the interesting points), brainstorming, lateral thinking, and mind maps.

Of Mind Maps

We usually write notes as sentences that we break into paragraphs, lists, or bullet points.

In lieu of the list format conventionally relied upon to take notes, a mind map structures information visually: it develops from a single word (or short text), placed in the center of a sheet of paper, to which associated information is added in the form of sub-branches.

The Mind Mapping Process

The process of drawing a mind map can be described in a few steps: (i) start at the center of a page (rather than from its top-left corner), (ii) adopt an open, creative attitude, (iii) associate and link keywords and images freely, (iv) think fast, (v) break black-and-white boundaries with different colors and styles, (vi) do not judge, (vii) keep moving, and (viii) allow gradual organization by adding relationships and connections.

The Mind Map Advantage

Mind maps are compact, with no unnecessary words; easy to draw; very flexible; and can summarize pages of information.

Mind maps help identify gaps in information and shine clarity on important issues.

The visual quality of mind maps allows users to identify, clarify, classify, summarize, consolidate, highlight, and present the structural elements of a subject more simply than with a standard set of notes. (It also assists review.)

The Mind Map Advantage

Mind maps facilitate recall because the clear association and linking of ideas mirrors the way the brain works—keywords and images are remembered with lesser effort than linear notes.

The process of drawing a mind map is more interesting and entertaining than writing a report, or drafting a standard chart or table.

Overcoming Challenges to Learning for Change in ADB: A Mind Map

Source: ADB. 2009. Learning for Change in ADB. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/learning-change-adb, pp. 26–27.

Overcom ing Challenges to Learning for

Change in ADB

R espond to donorsÕ agendas on know ledge m anagem ent and learning

D eliver on Strategy 2020 's com m itm ent to provide know ledge solutions to clients

Ensure leadership support and encouragem ent for know ledge m anagem ent

and learning

O vercom e organizational ÒsilosÓ

M obilize know ledge from inside and outside AD B

C reating a vision of know ledge m anagem ent and learning that em phasizes their critical im portance to

developm ent effectiveness

R aising the profile of know ledge m anagem ent and learning

D eveloping a learning charter for AD B

C ontributing to w orkshops and sem inars

Targeting publishing and dissem ination

Aligning know ledge m anagem ent and learning w ith Strategy 2020

Prioritizing learning and developm ent program s related to Strategy 2020 and its drivers of change

Surveying AD B clients ' know ledge requirem ents

O rganizational culture

Leadership com petencies

Building psychological safety and trust

Sharing and rew arding learning from successes and unexpected outcom es

Building an organizational culture that clearly values w ork quality as w ell as quantity

Enabling m em bers of diverse groups to better understand each others ' professional m indsets

D eveloping recognition that everyone in AD B is a know ledge w orker

Articulating the learning behaviors that AD B values in its staff

D eveloping coaching and m entoring skills

Strengthening expertise in leading learning

U sing creative inform ation and com m unications technologies to im prove lateral com m unications across form al structures

M aking greater use of team s w ith diverse professional m em berships

D eveloping and using staff profile pages

D eveloping them atic com m unities

M aking greater use of w orkshops and sem inars

Inside AD B

O utside AD B

D eveloping a toolkit for running com m unities of practice

D evising learning and developm ent program s for com m unities of practice

Strengthening com m unities of practice by providing regular opportunities for face -to -face m eetings

Supporting the developm ent of inform al com m unities of practice

Ensuring that staff profile pages are kept up -to -date

M onitoring the use of publications and m ultim edia

C arefully targeting publications and m ultim edia to specific audiences at the planning stage

Valuing clients as sources of know ledge and partners in learning

D eveloping the know ledge hub concept

O pening m em bership of com m unities of practice to others

Strengthen links am ong the know ledge services of AD B

Position and resource know ledge m anagem ent and learning as a crosscutting issue

C reate incentives for staff involvem ent in know ledge m anagem ent and learning

M axim ize learning from evaluation

Build understanding of and capacity for know ledge

m anagem ent and learning

Establishing regular coordination m eetings involving know ledge m anagem ent specialists

C ollaborating on publications

C oordinating research agendas

Positioning the know ledge m anagem ent center to em phasize the im portance of

know ledge m anagem ent and learning

Increasing resources for know ledge m anagem ent and learning

Investing in know ledge m anagem ent and learning -related learning and developm ent program s

Appointm ent of specialist professionals

Learning and developm ent program s

Support to form al and inform al com m unities of practice

D evelopm ent of know ledge hubs

Tim e allocation to individuals for reflection and know ledge developm ent

Acknow ledging contributions to know ledge m anagem ent and learning

R ecognizing learning and know ledge developm ent as core activities in the tim e - and perform ance -m anagem ent system s

Providing tim e and perform ance recognition for people w ho serve as coaches and resource persons and shoulder responsibilities in

com m unities of practice

M axim izing the use of evaluation reports by targeting specific issues to specific audiences

Allow ing adequate tim e for identifying lessons from m onitoring and evaluation

M aking greater use of after -action review s and retrospects

Em phasizing learning from achievem ents

D eveloping and using indicators for m onitoring and evaluating know ledge m anagem ent and learning

M aking effective use of m eta -evaluations

Project planning

Encouraging the use of peer assists

Incorporating requirem ents for regular reflection in project planning

M aking m ore creative use of questioning at concept developm ent stage

Strengthening the use of project com pletion and technical assistance com pletion reports for

know ledge m anagem ent and learning

M aking effective use of exit interview s to strengthen organizational m em ory

Ensuring that the staff induction program introduces AD B 's approach to know ledge m anagem ent and learning

Enhancing the professional developm ent curricula for key areas of com petence

Achieving professional accreditation for learning and developm ent program s

Introducing concepts of know ledge m anagem ent and learning into existing learning and developm ent program s

Inform ation and com m unication technologies

People

D iversifying the range of the inform ation and com m unication technologies used

D eveloping the use of online collaborative spaces for team s , projects , and com m unities of practice

Providing learning and developm ent opportunities to encourage creative use of inform ation and

com m unication technologies

D eveloping com petencies in reflective practice

D eveloping storytelling com petencies

Enabling use of tools , m ethods , and approaches for know ledge m anagem ent and learning

Strengthening team w orking com petencies

Further Reading• ADB. 2008. The Reframing Matrix. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/reframing-matrix

• ADB. 2009. The Five Whys Technique. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/five-whys-technique

• ADB. 2009. The SCAMPER Technique. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/scamper-technique

• ADB. 2009. Drawing Mind Maps. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/drawing-mind-maps

• ADB. 2009. Wearing Six Thinking Hats. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/wearing-six-thinking-hats

• ADB. 2009. Learning for Change in ADB. Manila. Available: www.adb.org/publications/learning-change-adb

Videos• ADB. 2012. The Critical Incident Technique. Manila. Available: vimeo.com/67185516

• ADB. 2012. The Five Whys Technique. Manila. Available: vimeo.com/67185517

• ADB. 2012. The Reframing Matrix. Manila. Available: vimeo.com/67186254

Olivier SerratPrincipal Knowledge Management Specialist

Regional and Sustainable Development Department

Asian Development Bank

knowledge@adb.orgwww.adb.org/knowledge-managementwww.facebook.com/adbknowledgesolutionswww.scribd.com/knowledge_solutions

www.twitter.com/adbknowledge