Management with Mind Maps

Use the 80:20 Rule to focus your attention on the things that matter most. Management is about cutting through masses of information so that you can see and work with what really makes a difference.

Maps and Tools can help you to gather information in such a way that you get from your team the right intelligence at the right time to prove that you have a credible grasp of the basic facts of your role and working environment.

Very basic introduction to the Traffic Lights Tool for keeping an eye on the key indicators in your business and to avoid any unwanted surprises.

Use your Maps and Tools to keep focused on a reasonable and comprehensible number of measures because you can not cope with every single point of data.

Suggested metrics within your Traffic Lights depending on your business type. Further investigation and co-ordination with other teams may be required as you customise these metrics for your specific circumstances.

A picture is worth a thousand words - use basic graphics to keep your work with metrics simple.

The commonly available mind mapping software comes with excellent graphics tools as standard. Simple to use for effective presentation of your performance and ideas.

PEST - a simple tool for prompting you to consider the major forces which will be at play in your Future. PEST is a good structure to guide your forward thinking.

The 5 Forces are an academic attempt to isolate the forces which impact growth / decline in business.

A beautifully simple tool to capture critical factors and assign weight to them at the same time on a single page.

Overview of the Maps and Tools which will demonstrate that you are credible in your role and win the initial confidence of others

Outline of the Maps and Tools which will help you to work out where you are, where you could go and how to get there when you are facing a problem. Others will be impressed to see you address problems with a structured technique.

Identify the single biggest "rock in the road" - deal with that first after you are sure it is the biggest of the issues facing your team.

Check the amount, quality and reliability of sources of data before you take your first steps.

Step back from the problem and work with others to creatively consider possible solutions until a repeating theme emerges and you have about three possible solutions from all your idea generation.

Subject your ideas to a simple acid test to avoid putting time, energy and resources into an idea that will fail to deliver.

Explore the Crossing the Chasm Model to gauge if your position on the Product Lifecycle Map gives you clues about what you could do in your current circumstances.

A clever idea from "Be your own strategy consultant" for stimulating fresh thinking about possible solutions.

Working with Symbols is a great way to access your  deep inner sub-conscious creativity and excite your inherent problem solving skills.

Overview of the Problem Solving Tools. When others recognise that you have a route map out of a problem and that they are valued in finding the solution you will build strong team spirit and confidence in your leadership.

Quality of Life is Quality of Communication.

These softer skills are vital to management but often ignored in corporate training.

A simplified version of the Chimp Paradox Model for ensuring that you learn to avoid very rapid emotional reactions which can appear very unprofessional and alienate your team.

A simple way to spot changes in your physiology and buy some time to avoid over-reacting.

A sophisticated tool for really difficult situations when a lot is at stake and feedback is more emotionally charged than normal.

A top level view of how people can be broadly categorised which can be put into use quickly without having to learn a lot of psychological jargon. Good enough for most situations.

Ask for the vital clues which others will display especially under stress. You will only find this out by asking.

Nobody listens to what you say but everybody remembers how you made them feel. These tools will help you to make people feel great about your management style.

The importance of taking care of and personal responsibility for your own Professional Development.

Do not identify deficits which need correction. Discover your assets and build on them.

Begin by using the Mild Stress Model to decide which of the 4 main "types" you are. There is no need to be more detailed than a top level categorisation.

Aim to be very competent in the skills that you are naturally good at and marry them up with areas in which they are the most important to the role.

Determine how you and others rate your competency so that you have a more objective view. Spot deviations that might require some adaptation on your part.

Logical options - build on what you have, be "good enough" where the skill is required but you are not excellent and finally seek a better fit.

Simple mnemonic device to organise your steps on the CPD journey.

Resources mentioned so far which will help in rapid assimilation of Managerial competencies.

Continuous ranking and rating will always provide the data you need to take the best next steps.

Understanding and Meeting needs to develop your recommendability links well to the need to be self aware.

Take control. Face up to your reality and work towards the perfect fit for you and your skills.

The basis for building emotional resilience, empathy and alignment with your values.

Building self awareness is your responsibility. Firms will offer training but still bias their budgets to hard skills.

It is imperative to spend time analysing what happens immediately before your get triggered into unhelpful emotional states.

Keep it very simple because flares happen in milli-seconds.

Capture your story and tell yourself the TRUTH about what makes you tick.

If you want to manage others you must first learn to manage yourself. To manage yourself you have to face the two primal fears - losing what you have or not getting what you believe is due to you - the essence of survival. Tough to face but the best route to great management.

In the end we all have no choice but to accept our Fate.

If our objective is serenity then we must develop courage, wisdom and discretion.

For things to change, we have to change.

It is in your enlightened self-interest to face your fears because without doing this you will not grow as a person.

On any journey of self development it helps to have access to the simple maps which others have used to reach their destination.

Thank you for taking this course.