In this exclusive interview, Martine shares some fascinating insights:

• How he utilizes mind mapping software to create topic outlines for information products (e-books, online courses and more),
• Why it’s the “fastest, easiest “brain-to-content process” he’s ever seen, and
• How he utilizes it to brainstorm and prioritize ideas for his blogging and consulting business.

Click here to access this exclusive interview (membership in the Mind Mapping Insiders group is required).

“The problem that the average worker faces today is overload. They have too many e-mails, too many phone messages – just too much to read and do. They don’t know how to manage either themselves, time or the information. And that is one of the advantages of the mind map. The mind map cuts out 90 percent plus of the rubbish that most people unnecessarily deal with. What the brain needs for thinking and creativity and memory and all its major thinking processes is the key ideas, the key elements, the key words, the key concepts.”

In Buzan’s mind, linear note taking and left-brained forms of communications are relics of the past, and don’t help us to effectively cope with the torrent of information we face today:

“The normal ways of making notes and transferring information drown key ideas and words in reams of useless grammar and syntax… The modern worker is fundamentally using the wrong tools. They’re using information age tools, industrial age tools in the age of intelligence, where you have to be far more flexible, adept, fast and essential. You can’t waste time with all of the unnecessary information that is thrown at you.”

Where does power come from today? According to Buzan, being a creative and flexible thinker and problem solver. And the tool that is ideally designed for this modern age is, naturally, the mind map:

“The modern worker is in a different position than any worker in the history of the human race. It’s the most exciting time, because suddenly all of the information is available on the web. (Access to) information used to be the way in which you became powerful. The rulers of the past had information that other people didn’t. Then came the knowledge age, which said that knowledge is power…

“Now we are in the age of intelligence, where intelligence is power. If you can think, solve problem and are fast on your mental feet, if you are original, if you are flexible, if you have control of the strategic and the analytical elements of any situation, then you are a leader. The mind map allows you to do all that in a way that the brain is naturally designed to do.”

My interview with Tony Buzan covers a lot more ground, including details on the new ThinkBuzan system that he is introducing during his trip to the States next week, and what’s next for his firm’s highly successful iMindMap software.

Click here to access this exclusive interview (membership in the Mind Mapping Insiders group is required).

One small Chicago area company has found a way that has literally transformed its business. Gary Klaben, president of Protinus in Glenview, IL, is using mind maps in some very smart ways to add value to client relationships and generate additional revenue in the very tough, competitive independent financial services market.

One of the biggest challenges that independent financial advisors face today is getting paid for what he calls “shadow work” – the behind the scenes research and strategizing that creates the greatest value for its high net worth clients, but which is very hard to charge them for. Essentially, if clients can’t see the value, they won’t pay for it. At the same time, financial advisors are faced with increasing commoditization of the financial instruments they have to sell their clients. That means it’s getting harder for advisors to differentiate their offerings. That’s where mind maps made a tremendous difference in his business.

Klaben and his staff started using mind mapping software several years ago to create simple, at-a-glance visual summaries of their clients’ estates. The “wow factor” was unmistakable, he recalls. “If you look at the way most financial information is presented to clients, it’s very tabular and hard for the average person to understand. In contrast, the mind map shows them all of the key information about their assets and investments in a well-organized visual format, and how their various investments are related to each other,” he explains.

Klaben emphasizes that high net worth individuals are usually very pragmatic and left-brain oriented. So he and his staff wisely resisted the temptation to embellish their mind maps with colored branches and icons, which would probably overwhelm its clients – the dreaded phenomenon of “map shock.” His staff produces bare-bones, black and white mind maps are just right for the needs of their clients. Each map contains only the essential amount of information the client needs to see the current status of their estate.

“What we found is that people don’t have all of this information in one place. They may not even know all of their account numbers for their investments, 401K, and so forth. They forget the details. So when we put it all in a single view for them, they’re really impressed by that,” he said. More importantly, they get the unmistakable impression that Klaben’s firm takes a unique and valuable approach to their needs – which clearly differentiates them in the client’s mind versus competing advisors, who by and large are still offering the same old services. “Our clients can see the thinking that went into these maps, and therefore they are more willing to pay for the ‘shadow work’ that’s behind them.”

These visual reports also create a more constructive environment for discussion of future opportunities that Klaben’s staff has uncovered, which are also presented in visual form, and are invaluable in moving from a one-time transaction to more of an ongoing, consultative relationship. Ultimately, this visually-focused philosophy of partnering with its clients has paid off handsomely in generating additional revenues for his firm.

Klaben shared another example that many readers of this blog can undoubtedly relate to: Selling a house, which usually involves a mountain of paperwork. A single mind map contained branches for the property being purchased, loan details, collateral, information on the person’s old house, and other loan-related data. Relevant documents were attached to these branches as needed. Such a mind map helped one of Klaben’s clients to close on a home worth several million dollars in record time. With all of the key documents organized in one place, the closing process was quite streamlined compared to the usual back-and-forth process with agents, appraisers, banks and other parties that selling a house requires.

Mind maps have become so effective in Klaben’s business that he recently launched webinars and workshops to teach his successful techniques to other independent financial advisors. He showed me the workbook for his workshop, and it’s obvious that he has put a lot of thought into helping these independent businesspeople to manage the change that mind mapping initially requires.

“Remember, these are financial experts, who are accustomed to working with numbers. They’re very left-brained people, and mind mapping is very foreign to them at first.” So Klaben eases them into the practice of it, starting with worksheets where workshop participants first identify their biggest clients and the challenges they face, then place this information into a blank, printed mind map template. “They need something they can take back to the office on Monday and begin using in their businesses. We give them the hands on training and reference materials they can use to effectively integrate mind maps into what they’re doing,” he adds.

What about you? What are you doing to integrate mind maps into your customer-facing business processes? Where can you add value to your customer relationships by clarifying complex bodies of information or data with simple mind maps?

For more information on Klaben’s upcoming workshops and webinars, please visit the Protinus website.

• How I got started in the world of mind mapping software
• Five features a mind mapping software program must have to be a credible tool for personal productivity
• What buyers should expect from mind mapping software in the free, low-mid price and high-end price ranges.
• 5 key business productivity applications that mind mapping software can be used for

You can download and listen to this interview here (18.3 MB MP3, approximately 40 minutes; to save to your computer, right click the link and select “save as”).

I hope you enjoy it. Michael audio taped this interview for his new mind mapping software e-course, The Business Profit Productivity Blueprint.

I recently interviewed Wallace about the challenges facing information managers today, and how a VMBOK can help to meet them:

Frey: What are the challenges facing visual mapping today?

Tait: Before I address this question, I’d like to clarify the definition of visual mapping, because that will frame our discussion. Visual mapping includes but is not limited to mind mapping, concept mapping, flow charting, argument mapping and many newer approaches to information management. It may be a single or multiple graphical formats used to create, manage and exchange information.

John England of MindSystems recently stated, “Mind mapping is not the center of the universe as some would have us believe… The center of the universe is ‘data’ which becomes ‘information’ which then can become knowledge.”

I fully agree with John’s statement and would further state that knowledge is only significant by the relevancy of contextual information. The overwhelming challenge facing visual mapping products today is the contextual management of relevant information that builds knowledge.

For further information relating to contextual information management, I suggest you visit www.contextdiscovery.com. There you’ll find Context Organizer, a stand alone information management product that’s also an add-in for Mind Manager. This excellent product will open up a whole new understanding of contextual information management to you.

There are other challenges of course, but I have merely focused in on the contextual issue, and I know we’ll see some very interesting developments regarding the integration of contextual engines to future information management products.

The challenge is no longer all about mind mapping; it’s much more about information management.  A few of the mainstream mapping products such as Knowledge Link, Personal Brain and MindManager have moved in the direction of visual mapping, breaking away from the constraints of forced non-linear formats. Visual mappers need more than a mind map view. These products have come a long way in developing a user environment where information can be expressed in multiple graphical formats.

Integrating linear and non-linear formats enables these two opposites to be a part of a whole-brained approach to information management.  I have found that data, information and knowledge can embody both linear and non-linear characteristics. Those who have grasped the fundamentals of information management within a visual mapping environment acknowledge the need to converge the linear and non-linear perspectives.

At the time of this article, Mindsystems is completing the initial development phase of a new software program named Amode which represents a revolutionary approach to the future of visual information handling. Mindsystems is actively seeking serious beta testers up until the end of March, so if you’re interested, please contact John England, Executive Director of Mindsystems at jce@mindsystems.com.au.

Frey: You’re a big fan of author Dan Pink’s emphasis on “whole brained” thinking. Why is that important today?

Tait: Dan Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, gave me many “a-ha” moments, as well as moments where I felt like slapping myself on the forehead and saying to myself, “You dummy, didn’t you realize this, too?”

The book explains how we’ve been dumbed down by corporate decisions to outsource left-brained activities. Pink’s premise is that we are becoming either left- or right-oriented in regard to information and knowledge, and that we need to become whole-brained thinkers again to be more successful in the future. He really has an informed angle on the lack of whole-brained thinking within academia and business.

I believe whole-brained thinking is on its way to being realized, in part through the growth of visual mapping.

Frey: You’ve identified a problem with recent college graduates and the ways in which they’re taught to think. What’s missing, and how does that put them at a disadvantage in today’s business world?

Tait: Industry and corporate business must see the bigger picture regarding graduates released into the world of industry and business.

Have you ever been in this situation? You’ve just hired new graduates, and you then have to spend a small fortune to train them to understand your business operating system?  Graduates present themselves to industry and corporate business, thinking they are fully able to grasp business systems, as if one size fits all, and they’re so wrong in many cases. Graduates are not necessarily falling short; academia just hasn’t prepared them to fully grasp the reality of integrated linear/non-linear information management.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but I have found that a majority of graduates are ill-equipped to handle non-linear systems, or even understand the implications of integrating linear and non-linear regarding business processes and systems.

Frey: What are some examples of non-linear systems?

Tait: Two examples are software development (SD) and quality management systems (QMS).  SD programmers are those who understand the integration of linear and non-linear. While a software product is being developed; data, codes and algorithms are commonly expressed in graphical formats that look and act like mind maps and concept maps. The end product in most cases is expressed as a linear software product in relation to the user interface, but all or most of the actions taken to execute the functions of the software, are performed below the surface as non-linear associations and actions.

QMS is similar to the SD example.  Business systems function with the use of processes (what’s) and procedures (how’s). Process maps, value stream maps and flow charts are very linear, but it is clear to business management that a QMS is made up of independent and interdependent links, associations and process that are non-linear in their operation, expression and nature.

Frey: How will developing a Visual Mapping Body of Knowledge (VMBOK) help to solve this problem?

Tait: The development of a VMBOK would help to initially define the mindset of visual mapping. It can be a place where businesspeople can find relevant academic information and knowledge about the expanding arena of visual mapping.

Academia, in general, does a great job of teaching the regulated curriculums.  The issues are that the teaching facilities such as colleges and universities are constrained by established linear practices relating to information, knowledge, process and system.

I believe there is a great gap between what academia produces and what industry and corporations require. I firmly believe that corporations should be proactively involved and supportive of the academic systems that produce the next generation of information managers. Working closely with each other is the key to creating curriculums that speak to the issues and needs of today’s businesses.

Organizations such as Motorola, IBM, GE, Toyota and others recognize the importance of integrating linear and non-linear processes into their management systems. Add in contextual relevancy and you have a sound foundation of definitions, processes, systems and practices that produce next-generation thought leaders.

Frey: How can the Body of Knowledge help people who are already in the workplace and are struggling with today’s business challenges?

Tait: I believe the tools and techniques of visual mapping can benefit any user exponentially. The challenge is to provide a knowledgebase of best practices that will help users to realize bottom-line results – which is what matters to businesses, now more than ever. I firmly believe that the database of information contained within a visual mapping BOK will help individuals and companies to realize tangible results with it and therefore will help to drive greater acceptance of it in business applications.

Frey: What are the benefits of having a body of knowledge in place? How can that lead to certification, for example?

Tait: The information and practices submitted to a BOK may be vetted by recognized thought leaders and other contributors such as, professional consultants who work within the information management fields. This helps to ensure that it  contains high-quality information and best practices that are agreed upon by experts in that field. That’s where its value comes from.

Those who are interested in obtaining a recognized and standardized certification to the VMBOK would benefit by way of membership to a Visual Mapping Institute (VMI).  We have PhD’s, MBA’s, and other professional bodies that offer industry and corporate graduates the academic recognition they require to move forward with validated professional certification.  There’s no reason why a BOK existing within a VMI shouldn’t work with academia and corporate to certify graduates who are required to be integrated thinkers and information managers with the skills to handle process and system more effectively.

The role of a VMI would be similar to the roles of organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the American Society of Quality (ASQ). These institutions interact with colleges and universities in offering a knowledge base contained within their respective BOKs. The information contained within a BOK is in and of itself a training and knowledge database, offering a potential self-directed teaching and learning process for graduates.

Frey: Ultimately, how will a BOK help to drive change at the academic level?

Tait: Such a BOK would be invaluable to academia and corporations when they see the bigger picture of integrated thinking, and decide to collaborate and contribute to the BOK and VMI. The drive for responsible change is equally divided between academia and business. Both groups need to work together to fully realize the benefits of whole-brained thinking that Dan Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, envisions.

Frey: How does the process work to create such a body of knowledge? What elements are needed?

Tait: A Visual mapping Body of Knowledge (VMBOK), modelled on the Project Management (PM) BOK and American Society of Quality (ASQ) BOK may be ideal models for the framework of a VMBOK.

I have recently viewed an excellent Wiki developed by Roy Grubb, who has vision to see that a BOK is indeed useful and needed to standardise for future use.  IMO, I don’t see a Wiki (free for all approach) being the answer to the creation and further development of a VMBOK, Roy’s work shows us that it’s already being done in the Wiki sense.

For best results, I believe that the proposed Visual Mapping Body of Knowlede (VMBOK) should mirror the previously mentioned models of the PMBOK and ASQBOK.

The information submission process to a VMBOK hasn’t been clearly defined and agreed upon by my colleagues and peers. I do, however, see this process as being confirmed by consensus, and I recommend that we benchmark the two institutions I mentioned earlier to standardize the submission process.

Frey: Why do we need to do this now?

Tait: If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. I firmly believe a VMBOK and VMI is a winner for academia, industry and corporate business. There’s absolutely no loss in creating opportunities for visual thinkers to be formally recognized as whole-brained thinkers. They will become the thought leaders and motivators of the future.

I believe it’s critical that we get moving on this BOK now. Many of my professional colleagues are already supporting me on this initiative, especially Patrick Baker of Mindlogik and John England of Mindsystems, who are are being equally involved with me in getting the VM BOK off the ground. Let’s get this done!

For more information or questions about the Visual Mapping Body of Knowledge. Please contact Wallace at visualmapper@gmail.com.

When I prepare for these Q&A interviews, I take great care to craft questions that will be informative to you, the reader, and which highlight the interviewee’s unique strengths and will draw out some interesting insights. When it all comes together, it’s a beautiful thing. This is one of those interviews, where Jamie took the questions I gave her and used them to hit a “home run!”

Chuck Frey: You conduct workshops on idea mapping on a regular basis. What are the most common misconceptions that attendees have about idea mapping?

Jamie Nast: I think there are several:

• Idea Mapping is a right-brain skill. No, idea mapping is a whole-brain skill that leverages the natural way the brain associates information.
• You need to have drawing skills. There are definitely people who create beautiful maps, but they can be sloppy and ugly and still fulfill the purpose for the creator.
• Never heard of this kind of tool and wish I’d learned this when I was in school.  It’s not really a misconception, but it’s a very common response – especially if it is the first workshop for a new client.
• Using color and imagery is unprofessional. No, using color and imagery leverages both sides of the brain and makes the idea map more interesting and memorable.

Chuck Frey: What are they most surprised to learn from your workshops?

Jamie Nast: This can take multiple forms. I have extremely different activities to help people overcome their disbelief that they can learn new skills. These include 3 drawing activities, 3 memory activities, 10-12 idea mapping activities, and learning to juggle. Once someone has that “ah ha” moment in any one of these areas, it’s like watching a light bulb go on. They are very surprised when they learn to count to 100 in Chinese or draw a portrait of a human face.  In the last year or so I’ve added a rather intense activity which results in an idea map of their life vision/mission. That also has a powerful impact.

If I had to summarize the biggest take-away, it would be opening their eyes and mind to a world of possibilities.

Chuck Frey: What is challenging executives today, and how can idea mapping help?

Jamie Nast: At every level of the organization the challenge is how leaders can get their arms around an overwhelming amount of information, make sense out of it, and then take the appropriate actions. Professionals are often immobilized at the thought of tackling major tasks.  An idea map can become an image that houses all the necessary data on one piece of paper. This enables the brain to see connections between ideas that would not be apparent in a linear document. Once the map is created, you can step back and “think about your thinking.” You may decide to re-organize or move things around now that all the information is out of your head and on the map.

Executives are responsible for an incredible amount of communication. An idea map can not only clarify the executive’s thinking, but it can also be a much clearer and memorable way to share ideas.  The other constant challenge is making processes, people, and organizations more productive and efficient. Through my experience and also your research we know that idea mapping can help in all of these areas.

Chuck Frey: What is the risk if executives don’t use whole brain thinking in their work?

Jamie Nast: The results from successful whole-brain thinkers speaks volumes. The risk? It’s everything – the company, the people, the clients, and ultimately their job. Competitors will bury them.

Chuck Frey: Why isn’t idea mapping more widely accepted today? Do you think it will ever reach mainstream executives? Or will there always be a “great divide” between linear thinkers and visual thinkers?

Jamie Nast: To this day the majority of people have not heard of mind mapping or idea mapping. So it’s not so much a lack of acceptance as much as it is a lack of awareness. That being said, the lack of acceptance stems from several things:

Resistance to change. We’ve all been trained to take linear notes. Most brains are wired neurologically to continue with this habit even though it doesn’t reflect the natural associative nature of the brain. In order to adapt idea mapping, it means changing how I think, and taking the time to create a new habit. Many people don’t like change or claim they don’t have the time to learn.

Minimal excellent training resources. There are pockets of training organizations that teach various mapping tools, but frequently it’s a 30-minute introduction or a half-day at the most. In my experience that is not enough time to help people understand why idea mapping works, how they get created, some of the road blocks (and how to overcome them) and allow people to experience that “ah-ha” moment.

Not understanding how to apply idea mapping. Much of the earlier writing on this topic didn’t take the applications into the business world to a great degree. Professionals wanting to try mapping had to take a lead from seeing an example of planning a garden or a trip to tackling a strategic plan or solving a problem as an organization via this technique. I felt like this was a major missing piece. That’s why I included business examples in my book from 21 professionals around the globe – all different applications.

Fear of being viewed as the person who takes weird notes. There are some people out there that don’t want to be alone in their mapping, but I think most of that is behind us now. The pioneers have paved the way.

Idea mapping has started to hit mainstream executives. Bill Miller from Nationwide is a good example of this. Larisa Brigevich, Director for Franklin Templeton, is another. I’m sure there are many others, but I’m definitely seeing a shift. For many years I felt like I was pulling people along – proving to people that this is an excellent tool. Finally about a year ago, I was teaching at a large automotive company here in Michigan and I had a participant say, “I’ve been on the wait list for two years. I’m so excited to learn these skills because I feel like I’ve been missing out.” Now people are waiting to get into classes. Last time I checked, there were over 100 people on the wait list.

Because most individuals were trained to write in a linear fashion, they continue to believe they are linear thinkers. Every time they say they are linear thinkers they reinforce that belief. The truth is that all of us are visual thinkers to varying degrees. The divide comes from an unwillingness to look at the visual side. Just as it is critical to use both left and right brain in combination, the most successful people will learn to blend the linear with the visual.

Chuck Frey: Your career includes a stint with the Buzan organization. How did that influence your thinking as you wrote your book, Idea Mapping?

Jamie Nast: Vanda North is the Founder and former CEO of the Buzan Centres. She was and is a great mentor. The most influential thing she taught me was that when we are teaching, it’s all about the participant and creating the best learning environment for them to gain the maximum from the material. It was with that in mind that I wrote the book. It was all written with the reader in mind.  I pulled from all my experience in teaching over 16,000 professionals world-wide and asked myself “how can I make this clear, complete, simple, and yet powerful for the reader?” I wanted it to feel like I was bringing the idea-mapping portion of my workshop right to the reader.

Chuck Frey: In what ways have you moved beyond the “traditional” Buzan of mind mapping?

Jamie Nast: There is still a rich heritage in mind mapping, but we’ve moved away from the laws that govern mind mapping and frustrate users. For example, one of the laws states that a branch should hold only a single key word because a single word can generate more thoughts (sub-branches) than a phrase. Although this is true, it doesn’t transfer into the practical business world. I can’t remember any client ever creating a map around a single word. Instead, the central words/image needs to clearly depict the topic/dilemma/project, etc. This same thing applies to any branch in the map.

Chuck Frey: Where does mind mapping software fit into what you teach?

Jamie Nast: It’s crucial. I demonstrate MindManager in every class and also follow-up with links to freeware. It completes the puzzle and gives options other than hand-drawn idea maps.

Chuck Frey: Are there certain applications where hand-drawn maps are preferable to software-produced ones, and vice versa?

Jamie Nast: Absolutely! The major benefits of hand-drawn over software is the kinesthetic element that engages memory in a greater way. You also have more freedom with the imagery. Others have said that there is a level of enjoyment that comes from the drawing – something they don’t get to express in other aspects of their work.

The benefits of the software are also numerous. Editing without redrawing, hyperlinks, attachments, virtual collaboration, and integration with Microsoft products are not possible when drawing by hand. Whether it is hand-drawn or created using software, the bottom line is that the purpose for creating the map will help determine the best method.

Chuck Frey: Tell us about your Idea Mapping Kit. What does it include, and what does it enable people to do?

Jamie Nast: The Idea Mapping Kit was designed primarily for my workshop participants, but I’ve also made it available to the public. It is half the size of a normal binder that includes a set of 10 Staedtler markers (they are the best in the world), heavy blank card stock to eliminate bleeding markers, a zip-locked plastic pouch for extra supplies, a 4-color pen, a back pocket, and a business card slot. It enables idea mappers to have all their tools for hand-drawning together in one location.

Chuck Frey: How has your thinking about idea mapping evolved since your book was published in 2006?

Jamie Nast: Converging on “the trio” and the value of partnering. Let me explain. The trio is Idea Mapping + MindManager + Microsoft. I suppose every author of a book focused on teaching a skill wonders if people will “get it” without you standing over their shoulder. I’m humbled to say that many people have shared how it has benefited them.

A single-dimensional user is familiar with one leg of the trio. For example, there are many software users that don’t really understand the brain theory behind why it works so well. Software users also don’t leverage the availability of imagery and color, because they haven’t been taught about how it impacts memory and communication. When writing the book I considered myself a 2-dimensional user because I used idea mapping + software. In the words of Kaye Nightingale, a Microsoft Master Certified Instructor from the UK, “it wasn’t a light bulb that turned on – it was more like a lightning bolt.” Kaye’s lightning bolt experience brought the third piece of the trio into the light. By combining the use of these three, there is a synergy that occurs that doesn’t happen in the one and two-dimensional worlds.

During the writing of the book I never had a website, didn’t know what a blog was, and Facebook, Squidoo, and many of today’s social networks hadn’t been invented yet. I was a technical and internet novice. I wrote the book pretty much focused on teaching others to learn idea mapping with some emphasis on the use of software, and I included a trial version of Mindjet’s MindManager. They were a crucial partner in this book. Together we have been able to introduce organizations to a much more complete picture.

My thinking about idea mapping now involves how to teach and share via webinars, my blog, and other internet-based training avenues. Partnering with people like Kaye and other organizations around the world make us all better and enhance learning for everyone.

Chuck Frey: Your blog seems to be heavily focused on examples of mind maps. How important are examples or case histories for people who are learning how to do this type of visual mapping?

Jamie Nast: I think it is one of the most important learning advantages. Very early on in my teaching which began in 1992, I started collecting examples from participants. Whenever possible I would have guest speakers come and share how they applied idea maps and other learning from the workshop to their work and life. The credibility that the stories brought into the classroom gave people practical as well as unusual ways to apply idea mapping. As they saw more examples, it sparked ideas of how they could implement the tool for themselves.

Chuck Frey: What excites you, as you look at how mind mapping is evolving and growing in acceptance?

Jamie Nast: Several things excite me:

I’ve believed this tool could have a major impact since 1992. I can finally say with confidence that it is here to stay, and I’m blessed to continue to make a serious impact on people both personally and professionally.

This will provide more opportunities for my Certified Idea Mapping Instructors around the globe.
It is extremely rewarding to witness people have break-through learning experiences. It may seem like I would get bored teaching the same material over and over again. But each experience in different, each organization is different, and every individual is different. What a rush!

I enjoy unmarked territory. I can’t wait to see new applications and examples of idea maps, and share them with the world for our mutual gain.

I always anticipate my next workshop which at the moment is back to Boeing. For information on my next public classes in the UK (October 6-7, 2008) and Palm Beach, FL (December 8-9, 2008), please see my website.

After perusing his blogs, I was convinced that Michael had a lot of great insights to share about how mind mapping fits into today’s business world, how it helps today’s information worker to manage information overload, and why mind mapping isn’t taken more seriously as a productivity tool by businesses. So I asked him for an interview, and he enthusiastically obliged. Here is my conversation with him:

Chuck: Michael, your training and speaking engagements are aimed at helping people to become better managers of their time, talents and projects. What made you decide to include mind mapping as part of your focus?

Michael: Well, first of Chuck I think it is vitally important to understand that no one really wants mind mapping.   Let me explain.  Millions of drills are sold to people every year who do not want a drill.  What they want is the hole and of course the drill is the route to that. But ultimately it is the hole they are after.  In other words, they don’t care about the tool as much as the benefit that the tool provides. It’s the same with mind mapping.  In my professional past I was seeking ways of improving my performance and through my reading and research I discovered the joys personal development.  I wanted to improve my thinking, be more creative, learn faster, be a better communicator, manage complex tasks more effectively – these were my “hole,” so to speak.  It just so happened that my “drill” turned out to be mind mapping.

I think the biggest impact that this had on my process was the sudden elevation of my thinking and learning skills to a much higher plane than I had been used to.

The inclusion of mind mapping as a core strategy in helping people become more productive is purely based on the experience I have  had in it helping me become more effective.  So I am just teaching what I know, rather than what I have read in a book. Of course, it’s not the only strategy I use but it is the one that underpins all the rest and is probably the foundation of my thinking success.

How mind mapping helps today’s knowledge workers

Chuck: What are the unique challenges that knowledge workers face today, and how can mind mapping help?

Michael: All of the core thinking tasks that any knowledge worker needs to be proficient at can be enhanced by using mind mapping. My favorite analogy for this is a computing one.  Imagine that your brain has been designed to (Apple) Mac hardware standards. But when you went to school, you were programmed with a Windows operating system, because your school didn’t know the Mac software was available.  I like to think of mind mapping as being the Mac operating system for the Mac hardware of your brain. As soon as your brain is suddenly thinking using a process completely in harmony with the way it’s structured and operates, then you are no longer held back by the “wrong” operating system. So the first point is that mind mapping helps any knowledge worker because it is the right “software” for your brain, and that has been true since Buzan unleashed the concept of mind mapping on the world in 1974.

While it’s not necessarily the perfect answer, mind mapping allows for efficiencies, because one word can carry the meaning of an entire page of text, and speed, because writing one word takes far less time than jotting down a full page.  In today’s knowledge environment speed and efficiency are necessary just to survive.

Why mind mapping is an ideal tool for business

Chuck: One benefit you cite for mind mapping is that it makes knowledge workers “better equipped to learn and update their professional knowledge and expertise to keep pace with the changes in their industry.” How does it do that?

Michael: Continuing professional development has been around for a long time, but for many industries and professions only now is it being mandated as part of a career development. Updating skills – the “how” of your industry – and extending your knowledge – the “what” of your industry -  maintains your competitive advantage and of course that of the organization you work for. So in essence the skill of learning is one that is vital for that environment.

The trouble is, very few of us were taught the skill of learning at school.  We were given the “what” to learn but I certainly never remember getting the “how” of learning.  Fortunately I found ways that got me my grades. But imagine my frustration when I discovered how effective mind mapping is and how much easier it is to use to learn and recall new-found information.

So mind mapping is an ideal learning tool for a variety of reasons – primarily because the very process of using the tool forces you to think, and does so in a way that is more in tune with our brains than the way we have been taught.

Let’s look at how we have been taught to write as an example of what I mean. In school, our note taking strategy essentially evolved as a note “gathering” strategy because of the heavy emphasis on copying as a means to teach the skill. Sure, over time we stopped copying everything, but even noting key sentences and key words was still just a more refined form of copying. So our note taking skills are firmly rooted in the gathering of content.

Now this is where mind mapping differs significantly from conventional note taking. First of all, you have to think more deeply just to create a mind map.  You have to analyze, categorize, summarize and organize the data and show the relationships and hierarchy of the content.  In essence, you are getting to the bottom of the meaning of the information and not just capturing what it is.

When it’s time to recall that information, your memory of it is far superior, because of the deeper level of understanding you have of it, because you have got far more involved in it by applying the tool of mind mapping.

So when you combine that understanding of how mind mapping is so powerful with its efficiencies you suddenly have a potent learning and thinking strategy.

Your own surveys, which are excellent by the way, support this. In the survey you did in February 2007, you asked about the major benefit people got from using mind mapping software.  A staggering 66 percent said that the main benefit was helping them to clarify their thinking.  That is because it is a brain-friendly device and because of the process necessary to complete a mind map forces you to think.

Chuck: Is using our brains more efficiently the only practical way to tackle information overload? How can mind mapping help us to do this?

Michael: No, we need to use more than just our brains.  We need to leverage the brains of others to avoid duplicating effort and we need to harness technology effective so that it serves us.

The internet and the communication advances of recent years have made it so easy to collaborate these days that, even as I sit here in my office in the middle of the countryside, I am just seconds away from any expert in any field in any country in the world. If they were so inclined, I could collaborate with the leading experts in my niche without even leaving my home but be able to see and hear them instantly and be able to share vast amounts of information at the click of a mouse.

And we are starting to see the blend of technology, collaboration and mind mapping come together to support this.  As you know from the survey you did in September 2006, 42 percent of mind mapping software users often share their mind maps with others because collaboration is at the heart of the way they work.

So mind mapping helps us deal with information overload in the way that we think and, when used in the form of software, it extends those efficiencies from our mind and into our mouse.

Mind mapping software still in early adopter phase

Chuck: You’re convinced that mind mapping is still in the “early adopter” phase of acceptance by education and business. Why is that?

Michael: I think it has been really badly taught over the years and has not achieved the critical mass it should have reached, because of the lack of understanding about what mind mapping is all about.

Unfortunately the focus of its promotion has all been about the drill and not the hole. As I said earlier, people don’t really want the drill they want the hole. They don’t want the tool, they want the benefit that the tool provides.

Much of the early attention focused on this colorful diagram that was so far from the norm that it created a lot of interest just because of that.  An expanding interest in the brain at that time meant that instead of citing the benefits and just how big a “hole” it could provide, the message got diverted onto the importance of the grey matter that sits between our . While the brain is a fascinating subject, it doesn’t really help convert  the benefits of mind mapping to the bottom line. Because it has its roots in education and studying, it was probably dismissed as a good idea for revision and memorization and little else.

Chuck: I saw some figures in your blog about the number of people who you have talked to who are either barely aware of what mind mapping is, or don’t know about it at all. That’s astounding!

Michael: It amazes me all the time! Back when I used to do a lot of work in education it always staggered me that there were teachers who had never heard of it.  These weren’t newly qualified teachers either, but long in the tooth, been around for years types.

Generally about 10% of my audiences use it regularly, 45 to 55 percent are aware of mind mapping and the rest have never heard of it. Occasionally there are pockets of greater awareness but usually that is where they have had mind mapping training.  But even then I still find that people don’t understand its true power and potential.

Growing the acceptance of mind mapping in business

Chuck: In your opinion, what has to happen for mind mapping to achieve critical mass in business?

Michael: I don’t think that will happen until it has achieved a critical mass in education.  But I don’t really want mind mapping to achieve critical mass in business as such because that is once again focusing on the drill.  I want to help people be more confident in their natural abilities and access more of their latent potential for them to achieve great things in their lives for them and for the people around them.  That means giving people the skills to learn, be creative, solve problems, communicate ideas, manage their productivity and so on.  Mind mapping just happens to be one of the drills and there are lots of them out there.  In my humble opinion, mind mapping is a great place to start because it gives all of the other techniques a better chance and a stronger foundation.

Chuck: How big of a hurdle to the acceptance of mind mapping is the predominant Western focus on linear, logical thinking?

Michael: I think it is a big obstacle if you approach that issue head on.  However, if you drop a few crumbs here and a few crumbs there you will start to get some attention.  Slowly educating people on understanding how we think and then giving people a tangible experience of the power of mind mapping such that they see, feel and hear what it means is the way to do it.  I think it is really about the marketing of the benefits and it comes back to focusing on the hole and not the drill. If you talk to a CEO about helping their people become more creative, faster learners, clearer thinkers and so forth, and then you will have their attention.

I think the biggest hurdle to mind mapping is people’s misguided beliefs that you have to be able to draw really well to create a mind map and they can’t draw, have never been able to draw and never will be able to draw.  And time and time again I see it as a convenient excuse for them to say, “mind mapping is not for me.”

The other challenge that does stop people from really trying to come to terms with using mind mapping is the fear of failure.  Copying everything by taking notes in the standard linear, left brain way is a safe bet because we have got all the data.  As soon as you begin mind mapping you have to summarize and categorize and make judgments about what is important and what is not.  That puts us in the place of possibly getting something wrong by making the wrong choices.

A time-saver at work

Chuck: How, specifically, can mind mapping save people time in their work?

Michael: I think the simplest answer is that the clarity of thinking resulting from the application of the tool, as confirmed by your survey, means any thinking tasks take less time. We all have to think at work and anything that can focus our attention more efficiently in what we do will give time savings.  Over half of your survey respondents claimed an average of 20% efficiency savings.  That is a day a week – what would you do with that extra day?

Chuck: What’s your feeling on hand-drawn vs. computer-produced mind maps? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?

Michael: I’m a big fan of both and think that they are both essential.  Anyone doing one without the other is missing out on its benefits and where it strengthens and supports their chosen methodology.

Hand drawn mind maps are much more personal, spontaneous and involve far more of you, making them a powerful learning and creativity device.  They are also extremely portable and don’t rely on any equipment other than a piece of paper and a pen, ideally a multi-colored one.  I generally take my notes from books, tapes and live events using hand drawn mind maps as it allows me to put my own mark on what I am hearing.

Software generated mind maps are better suited to the handling, manipulation and management of large amounts of information.  They are also far better for interfacing with existing software suites and of course much easier to store.  I use software mind mapping for planning, product design, project management, creation of courses and knowledge management.  I don’t think it is worth exploring their weaknesses because if you have and use both, these are accounted for by the strengths of the other.

You will also find that your use of each depends on where you are working.  If I am at my PC for much of the say then I flash up the software.  If I am out meeting clients or running a course I will use hand drawn mind maps.

My daily and weekly plans are always written out using a hand drawn mind map because my day may include a mixture of PC and non-PC time and I need to have the plan constantly at my finger tips.  There is also something more satisfying about crossing something off my mind map plan when it is done than just pressing the delete key.

Visit Michael’s mind mapping blog.

Frey: Your title is “visual strategy expert.” What does a visual strategist do?

McFarlin: A visual strategy expert provides coaching services to individuals and organizations looking to use maps as persistent execution tools. I mainly coach entrepreneurs and executives. Occasionally, I coach people who want to use visual tools to achieve balance in life as well. There are four main areas of coaching that I’m focused upon:

How to live in your maps. This is a minority of mappers, yet a passionate one. How to use visual maps as tools for execution. I’m also there for you if you’re trying to do strategic planning, negotiations and maintain client relationships. In addition, I’m a Gyronix Certified Trainer. As a Gyronix Certified Trainer, I teach MindManager, the visual mapping tool, and ResultsManager, a tool to create Project Dashboards from multiple visual maps. ResultsManager is an implementation tool for David Allen’s Getting Things Done. So I have some experience talking about the 2 minute rule.

Frey: What are the most common kinds of problem-solving things you do for your clients?

McFarlin: One common problem I see is that maps seem to breed like rabbits for most people. They have too many maps, or else they have just a few very large maps with everything under the sun stored in them. A lot of what I do is helping people identify the maps worth keeping, and those worth archiving. Of those worth keeping, I help them make decisions about which ones should be consolidated, and which others should be divided into sub-maps.

I also serve as a business advisor to some of my clients. They come to me because they feel like their business activities are out of control. I’ll often work with a client to put the essentials of their business into one “dashboard” map.

The third thing I do is help clients to align their files and folders with their maps.

Frey: What do you wish more businesspeople understood about mind mapping software?

McFarlin: First, that it goes beyond creativity. Creativity is essential. But they need to realize these maps can be persistent business resources for driving their strategy and operations.

Secondly, that visual maps aren’t just for “far out” creative types. Businesspeople see a spider-looking thing and think it’s far out. At its core, a mind map is just a radial outline. It gives creative people the linear structure they need to become efficient, which means that a lot of people who used to float in the organization can become very proficient at execution – at getting things done very efficiently. Likewise, people who are linear thinkers get a nice, easy to navigate structure to be creative within.

Lastly, people need to be aware that mapping compliments your current productivity tools. There is a school of thought that mind mapping replaces traditional thinking, but in fact it enhances it – because you get both the right and left sides of peoples’ brains engaged for the price you’ve always been paying. You get the text like you would in any outliner. But you also get the images for the creative people. That, by the way, is a feature which is sorely lacking in most collaborative and note-taking tools.

Frey: What prompted you to create the Visual Strategist Solution (VSS) template set? How can people benefit from it?

McFarlin: It was partly selfish, because I wanted to consult at a higher level, and I got tired of answering the same basic questions over and over, which means I was never able to get around to having some higher value-added discussions with most of my clients. Seriously, I got tired of being “Bob the Builder” – helping my clients to set up their mapping system from scratch – and I wanted to talk as if buildings were already there.

It was partly timing. In mid-2007 I was courted by a number of organizations for potential employment. So to an extent, I was thinking that this would be my swan song, my last big idea before I went to work for an organization. Then I put the templates out, and for the past 6 months I’ve consistently had business find me, without any need to sell it. It really bore out the theory that if you give away some great content, people will recognize your authority in the field and will want to work with you.

Another reason I created the templates was I wanted them for myself. I knew that a great way to reconcile all of the best practices I had floating around my head in one place would be to create something that was a high enough quality to show others. Also, I created the VSS template set from the framework of my own personal files and folders, which I’ve been honing for the better part of 10 years.

The templates are designed to be used with MindManager for Windows. You can also utilize them with ResultManager (an add-in program for MindManager that enables you to implement David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology), yet it’s not required. People who use MindManager with Microsoft Outlook will experience a robust environment for embedding their Contact, Task, Calendar and E-mail map parts.

Frey: What is the benefit of aligning your files and folders with your core maps? What’s the downside if you don’t do this?

McFarlin: If someone takes the time to use the folder structure which accompanies the VSS template set, they get the added benefit of having a visual overlay of their Files & Folders within the relevant VSS map.

For example, if I’m in my Life Operating System map, and I want to see the files and folders that support it, all I have to do is Shift+F5 to refresh the MindManager map’s File Explorer map part. This displays the files and folders that I utilize in conjunction with this part of my map. Why is that important. Because it eliminates a great deal of the manual hyperlinking people had to do before they started using the VSS Templates.

For ResultManager users, it’s essential because it gives them automatic hyperlinking to maps, which used to be tedious because you had to handle the hyperlink for each individual map.

The main downside to not using the VSS folder framework is you miss out on the benefits of using an extremely simple, ultra-elegant filing system that represents best practices derived from tens of thousands of hours of work and consulting. In addition, most people have filing systems that afford them no peace of mind, because they tend to be extremely disorganized. Based on what I’ve seen from consulting with my clients, I estimate that at least 9 out of 10 people have digital filing systems that have evolved accidentally overtime, not from any kind of higher level thinking and planning.

Also, ResultsManager users are stuck manually hyperlinking if they don’t use the folder framework. And any ResultsManager user will tell you that manually managing your hyperlinks is about as cool as a trip to the dentist knowing a drill is waiting for you.

Frey: What’s next for the world of mind mapping software? What trends are you keeping your eyes on?

McFarlin: Wallace Tait is right: Mind mapping must join forces with concept mapping and flow charting to provide users with the flexibility they need. I think the software companies which embrace his foresight will prosper. Also, I’m watching virtual reality very closely: Second Life and the Croquet Project are at the top of my list, because of the opportunities to potentially map your ideas and knowledge and manipulate them in 3-D space.

One thing that surprised me about this conversation is that Tony openly welcomes the growing popularity of mind mapping software. I always assumed that he viewed it as somehow bastardizing his basic principles for mind mapping (i.e., users of mind mapping software often neglect to include images and color in them, which Tony says helps to stimulate creativity and recall). But that doesn’t seem to be the case. He implied that mind mapping software can be a powerful catalyst, that can help us to “more easily and naturally explore the limitless possibilities of human thinking.”

When asked about his decision to develop iMindMap, Tony indicated that he set out to have his software development team to “design a perfect marriage between the computer and the infinitely associative organic nature of natural human thought… The object, which many had said would always be, and up until that time had been, impossible, was to blend the two worlds so that the human brain could, with an infinitely explosive tool, more easily and naturally explore the limitless possibilities of human thinking. iMindMap is the first software in history to accomplish this goal. I believe that the team who accomplished this will go down in history alongside Gutenberg, and the inventors of the radio, television, the telephone and the computer itself.”

While this last statement may sound like hyperbole, I think that Tony is geniunely excited that his development team has succeeded in creating a mind mapping program that doesn’t get in the way of creative thought, and is designed to closely mirror the experience of hand drawing a mind map. For example, in iMindMap, you drag lines for new topics out from the existing one, rather than clicking the “insert” key to add a branch. The result is much more organic, and according to Tony, supportive of the way that our marvelous brains work.

For all the details, be sure to read this fascinating interview!