Here’s an interesting question that came up in an earlier online discussion today:
Which is the greatest benefit of mind mapping — the increase in your speed to delivery or the increase it the quality of your output?
I’m particularly interested in hearing how you’ve been able to measure the positive impact mapping has had on your individual and/or team performance.
Please share your comments below. Thanks, I look forward to your insights!
It was interesting to read all of the comments here – funny, I disagree with them taking more time.
Mind maps make me find what I’m looking for much faster. I like using them to create something: new ideas, new strategies. To get there alone in my head or on paper would take me more time. Sometimes I can only find what I’m looking for through mind mapping. And with mind maps it can literally be a question of minutes.
The greatest benefit? Mind mapping has always played an active role in helping me come up with something way ahead of the competition.
Once the communication strategy is defined and basic information obtained, MM are excellent for structuring key concepts on which the presentation will be based.
For me mind maps bring a visual clarity of thought that just wasn’t there writing out written words on a Word Document or even flowcharting them. It allows you to go from the Macro view to the Micro view all on one document map.
Basically it brings out the best in my thoughts.
Getting all your thoughts out — sort of a GTD thing. Being able to see the begging, middle, and end all at once as an overview and then to dive deep on any portion. Neil Larson, author of the great program MaxThink, wrote a great manual for the program that described all the different forms of critical thinking. Like MaxThink, mapping improves the thought process and your presentation of the information to others.
A complete picture, involving several senses.
I agree with Greg. Speed isn’t usually a resulting factor of Mind Mapping. Some of my Mind Maps take a while to piece together because there are so many unexpected associations that are generated.
In the end, the depth of content and knowledge I am able to piece together – as a result of these associations – is the key to the success of a Mind Map.
Definately quality of output. Mindmaps slow me down after the initial brain dump because I spend a lot of time thinking and structuring my on going thoughts. The outcome is that I have recorded the why of decisions and the subsequent how. Allowing me to see how my vision formed without losing the big picture. This means better quality and not repeating mistakes. In the end it can speed up delivery because I don’t look for or question the same data over and over but this to me is secondary since I value quality over speed.