The human mind has a peculiar way of gathering, processing, interpreting, and storing critical information. Research has it that it even does better when colors, diagrams, and pictographic illustrations are used in conjunction with or without text. This is the whole idea behind idea mapping. You remember the stickers, charts, and diagrams the famous TV detectives pin on the walls when working on a major investigation? If you’ve watched a couple of investigative movies or TV shows, you get the idea. Unbeknownst to many, this same approach can be used in just about any other business.
Especially when managing a team of salespersons or just a team of regular personnel in a flowing business, idea mapping can be a great tool. In its entirety, it is helpful in improving your team members’ creativity, productivity, memory, thought organization, thought clarity, and communication, as well as note-taking skills. But how can you go about it in your organization? Here are five tips for idea mapping with your team of employees.
Use Digital Mind-Mapping Tools
The whole idea behind idea mapping is the use of pen-and-paper systems to make flow diagrams that communicate or represent certain ideas or processes. Well, one way to take your approach a notch higher is to use digital mind-mapping tools. These are designed with pre-built elements and functionalities such as drag and drop, projections, and so on. These tools make the entire brainstorming process easier and even more interesting for you and your employees. Some of the most common digital tools include FreeMind, MindMeister, Mindjet, and Xmind, among others.
Set Rewards for Best Ideas
As much as your employees are obligated to bring their ideas to the table, sometimes motivation goes a long way to keep superfluous. When an employee comes up with a really rewarding idea, it makes more sense to recognize and reward their effort. This not only keeps that specific employee motivated, but it also fuels the other team members with the urge to become more creative and think outside the box. This brings about a win-win situation.
Try A Creativity Box
Well, diagrammatic illustrations do great in brainstorming ideas. They tend to be the best. But not all individuals in your team of employees may be comfortable to shoot their ideas plain and square in the meeting room. Some ideas may necessitate anonymousness. Why not include some creativity or the traditional suggestion box in which any of your team members can communicate anonymously through an idea they think is brilliant and helpful to the organization?
Add A Whiteboard Wall To Your Meeting Space
This should have been the number one point. If your idea mapping approach is to work, you need a reliable media on which to put your ideas down. Nowadays, there are so many ways you can go about it. The advantage of having a whiteboard wall to your meeting space is that you can always come back to your work and revisit the agenda in the next meeting. No one will have to struggle to remember what the previous matters were. It is also easier to track progress and be on par with any developments.
Make It A Norm
There are many different types and styles of management. If your business is to get the most out of idea mapping, you best make it a norm, routine, or culture in your organization to reap its fruits.
The above five tips can make your brainstorming meetings more successful and more rewarding. In addition to the above, however, you can make your meeting space even more fun by including some fancy whiteboard paint in the meeting room. It makes the room livelier, more fun, and cheaper than installing the traditional whiteboard.
