Creating a Mind Map for Project Management
Do you remember Sherlock? One of the most influential pieces of literature, Sherlock Holmes has been not only a masterful character in Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant novel series. But also has turned into a TV Show back in 2010 and managed to reach out to a modern audience as well. Using the technique of deduction, Sherlock was already smart enough to observe and come to conclusions. However, he was also capable of remembering every single observation of his. This is making him almost invincible when it comes to solving a muscle. His secret was an ancient method of utilizing our intelligence efficiently, named “mind map.” What is a mind map though? And wat are the mind map examples and how can we form a mind map template?
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What was the main thing that people love about Sherlock though? Was it the artistic cinematography, clever plot, or actors who made wonders in delivering their parts? Even though all those were essential parts of the BBC series, we feel like the way Sherlock Holmes was thinking was the one key element.
What is a mind map?
A mind map is a way to collect and organize your ideas, analyze them and boost your efficiency in life. Even though it is ancient knowledge, modern life and its busy nature often cause us not to focus on our minds per se, which causes such knowledge to fade away. Still, we feel like characters such as Sherlock Holmes are perfect in signifying the importance of reviving the knowledge of mind maps and utilizing it in our own lives.
In forming a mind map, it is a must to have a concept or a phrase that will be placed in the center that will lead us to the main thought which will lead to all the particulars. In other words, a mind map is an organization starting from a center and expanding through that point, which looks like a network or a web in the end. This is a perfect model to use our minds competently since it suits how our minds work normally. Our minds remember things based on associations.
That is to say, we connect all the information we have to one another, and thus, whenever we come across a point in these associations, it leads us to the main idea easily. While the ancient wise men were visualizing their mind map within their minds, just like Sherlock does, in modern life, it is often created more concretely. Modern businesses, especially the project management teams usually lean on mind maps so that they can organize their ideas and see the links between them.
Road to build a template
The first step in creating a mind map template is to determine the main concept. It is essentially referring to the purpose of your project. This concept, which is usually a phrase, is the central point of your template. And the rest of the map will grow out of it. While determining this phrase, one might focus on the issues they have to solve. And other can focus on projects they have been working on. Or a lecture that they are trying to memorize. For instance, as a mind map example, if you are managing a project as a team regarding global warming, global warming is the main concept.
Mind map template:
Then, it is time to expand your main concept by determining some subtitles that are directly related to your phrase. Determining subtitles (or sub-categories) refers to organizing and categorizing the information. You will need in making that Project real. In other words, you need some broad concepts that outline some of the most important parts of your Project vaguely but also efficiently. So, look back at our mind map example. When you are working on a project on global warming, you might come up with subcategories such as deforestation, sustainable energy, or burning of fossil fuels.
Then, you can expand your mind map template even more by adding other aspects of the topic. Or enriching the context of the subcategories. The key in expanding your template is to make sure the most essential topics are being placed closer to your main phrase while the details are placed further away so that you can visualize what matters most for your project. To make your template more visually appealing and memorable, you may add some images and colors. Such efforts enable your mind to remember and analyze the map more easily.
Advantages and disadvantages for project management teams
Mind maps are often in use for coming up with easy-to-follow roadmaps. Also, solving puzzles, and enabling effective brainstorming sessions by laying out all the objectives. It enables us to link all the ideas together through a visualized map while organizing and categorizing all the information we have efficiently. These templates are particularly useful for the teams. Since it enables all the members of a team to visualize the steps of a project easily. While paving way for an efficient assignment of the duties.
These templates are often praised for their easy-to-use structure and efficient outcomes. They can also cause some negative effects albeit it is a rare occasion. If the scope of a template is not clear, it might go out of hand and expand beyond comprehension. This is making the project even more difficult to grasp. Thus, it is often recommended to determine the scope of a mind map before taking things under control.
Overall, a mind map is a savior for not only the individuals who are having trouble to see the big picture in a complicated task but also the companies and teams who are responsible for coming up with new ideas and projects.
She is a content-creator of ProjectCubicle. She keeps you updated on the latest developments in AI, cryptocurrencies, data science, and more. She lives in Istanbul, Turkey. She is a graduate of Boğaziçi University’s Political Science and International Relations department. She had her Masters’ Degree at Boğaziçi Univerity’s Social Policy department. She is an enthusiast of the tech world with an endless passion for writing on related topics.
