Home › Forums › Cool Tools & Tips › Mind Mapping – The Swiss Army Knife for Critical Thinking!

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    • Phil Rouble
      Keymaster
      November 14, 2022 at 3:53 pm
      Post count: 18
      #3438

      Mind mapping software is a great productivity tool for brainstorming and analyzing complex problems and topics. They make it easy to collect, sort, distill, organize and synthesize a wide variety of inputs and ideas into organized and coherent ‘chunks’. You can also use mind mapping for presenting, explaining, planning, learning, and taking notes.

      For years, I have been using a free mind mapping tool called Xmind which is available at xmind.net. (I use the unlimited time free trial version.) I have used this tool for functional programming of spaces, real time facilitation of brainstorming meetings, developing org charts and departmental re-orgs, bringing structure to new complex planning projects with multiple inputs…

      Has anyone used other mind mapping tools?

    • Rich McEvoy
      Keymaster
      November 15, 2022 at 5:00 pm
      Post count: 65
      #3444

      This sounds like it has great potential but, I’m not sure where to start or what topic to apply this tool or how participants would interact. Is there a video/ demo you could recommend or perhaps would you consider hosting a demonstration for others?

    • Phil Rouble
      Keymaster
      December 7, 2022 at 6:23 pm
      Post count: 18
      #3466

      Lots of great questions, Rich.

      In terms of getting started, there is no one path. My best advice is just start.
      1. Download the free version of Xmind.
      2. The software is intuitive but to get oriented fairly quickly, spend some time (~50 minutes) going through the Xmind Tutorial on “They Call Me Hoz” channel
      3. Next, pick a simple problem or activity to map out:

      • Meeting agenda and notes
      • Notes for an article or book you are reading
      • Assembling notes for a new topic you might be researching or studying
      • Brainstorming a problem or project you are working on
      • Building a simple org chart for your team / department…

      4.Do a deeper dive by searching Youtube for additional videos on mindmaps or Xmind.

      In terms of a demonstration for others, I would be happy to run a lunch and learn session for OCFMA members if there was interest. Also, I will gladly respond to follow-up questions posted here on the Discussion Board.

    • cmcarthur
      Keymaster
      March 29, 2023 at 3:16 pm
      Post count: 22
      #3602

      Thank you Phil, I love the look and feel of the final visual! I will definitely use this tool.

    • Phil Rouble
      Keymaster
      February 29, 2024 at 11:00 am
      Post count: 18
      #4109

      On Feb. 8, 2024, I used Xmind to present an OCFMA Lunch-and-Learn webinar on “Implementing a Personal Productivity Toolkit”. I thought I would share the original Xmind file here for those who would might be interested in exploring a finished mind map used as a presentation tool. (The recording of the webinar is posted on the Past Presentations page.) I used the Xmind to build up the presentation sequentially:

      • I captured productivity ideas, research and links on a rough mind map
      • I organized my thoughts on a second mind map refinement tab
      • I polished the final presentation using a copy of this refined mind map

      Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

      • This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Phil Rouble. Reason: (Shared link to Xmind file instead of uploading attachment)
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