Thinking Tool Published March 30, 2018 ยท 2 minute read
Mind Map
Nancy Hale, Luke Watson, & Jenn Roche
A mind map is a visual diagram used to organize information by connecting related ideas/goals/tasks around a central theme. It can be used to:
- brainstorm an idea;
- solve problems and make decisions;
- set goals;
- take notes in a meeting;
- write a memo;
- develop a communications plan;
- write a constituent letter;
- get a better sense of the environment in which you are working;
- summarize a bill, etc.
What you will need
- A marker
- Blank sheet of paper (Any size, but the bigger the better)
The process
Start in the center of your page, and ask yourself, what is your central theme? A central theme is the purpose of creating a mind map. It can be the topic of your constituent letter, or a big picture goal you want to achieve by the end of the year. Write your central theme in the center of the page and a draw a circle around it.
Next, draw branches out to create the first level of sub-themes and draw a circle around each sub-theme. The branches are like roads, connecting your smaller themes/ideas/goals/tasks to the central theme. Each sub-theme is a necessary component of the central theme. It can be questions you need to answer in your constituent letter, or big steps you need to complete in order to achieve your goal. Try to have at least 3 sub-themes from your central theme, in order to unpack your central theme. From there, continue out to the granular tasks.
