Reflection – Mind Mapping

Challenge & Selection

As a project manager, the first great tool of design thinking I utilized to understand a

problem in managing my project and my team effectively was the mind mapping tool. I often use

this tool since it develops my project management skills, leads the team much more efficiently,

and problem-solves by integrating it into my business projects. I have used this versatile

technique which has stood the test of time in my project management. The technique enabled me

to gather ideas and improve my productivity, memory, and creativity since from planning to the

execution, effective management of the project required a combination of productivity,

organization, and leadership with a dash of innovative thinking for good measure. Therefore, the

technique acted as a catalyst in drawing my mind's most creative ideas that I captured in

something tangible, taking the project I was working on to the next level.

Application

I begin by determining the scope of a project. I will let a team fill out the project's

conditions, deliverables, requirements, and assumptions to establish the project's scope. Drawing

a colorful graphic for the project might be especially helpful in determining the scope of the job.

If necessary, I will break down the project's scope into precise tasks, assigning individual tasks to

my team and myself with deadlines connected to each component. To save time and efficiently

exchange ideas through presentations, I will hold meetings as the project manager and use the

strategy of highlighting the needed information for the project in minutes instead. I will use the

tool since it is ideal in presentations instead of using slides with heavy text in engaging the team,

thus making it more valuable.

The tool will assist me in properly managing my team. For example, I will assign

different people to different responsibilities and establish an organizational structure that will

allow me to choose who should be reported. It will make it easy to reference and arrange

resources in all project phases for the project's resource repository. Instead of uploading many

resources and papers, this will make each part easy to access.

In the problem-solving activity, I will use the tool to address and fix the arising issues.

This will be easy through the simplification of the problems. Using the tool will understand

problems easily and relevant information to be collected more easily for informed choices in the

decision-making process.

Insight & Approach

I have learned from this activity that mind mapping allows you to successfully brainstorm

and sketch the key elements that make up any business project's fundamental idea. A manager

can merge thoughts, resources, and ideas into a mind map diagram in an easily digestible and

well-organized manner. It also aids in establishing a project's scope, resolves challenges, creates

precise tasks, successfully manages a team, and makes decisions.

Since I learned that the most beneficial component is the shared insights, I would use the

mind mapping technique as a jumping-off point for a series of design thinking exercises the next

time. The project management exercise can be used as a work reference.

