Reflection – Mind Mapping

Challenge and Selection

A very helpful and critical tool in the process of design thinking that I use, is of Mind Mapping, for  allowing different stakeholders, including customers, to be a part of augmenting and co-creating the  design criteria formulation, which would set a foundation for the next steps. I use this technique  often (along with or without other techniques), to get on-board and on the same page stakeholders  from different functions (with conflicting KRAs), to understand the common goal of the problem as  well as the correlation and impact, within and between functions. The stakeholders generally are the  functional representatives of a retail banking institution, providing services to financial excluded  customer segment and problems revolve around new product/process development. I use a  technique called War-room, for achieving the mind mapping process execution efficiently, by the  diverse group coming together discussing the same challenge (enemy) and strategies for possible  solutions.

Application

I start the process by gathering as much data points, references, or related documents regarding the  challenge. This would include customer interviews, competitor intelligence, primary and secondary  market research articles, industry experts’ comments and new trends, operational SOPs, policy  documents, consultant’s views, etc. This would also include reports from the product team on the  current business trend and comments from key stakeholders (interviews mainly).

As mentioned in the Mind Mapping brief by Martina Garcia, I start the mind mapping exercise by  laying out all the data mentioned above in the form of pictures, videos, documents, etc. in a large  conference room, which helps them understand the lengths and breadths of the problem and goal at  hand. Then the participants (total count of 20) from different groups (functional representatives –  different levels, target customers, vendors, partners), are asked to think by putting on two hats – 1)  from the perspective of their own function and 2) from the perspective of other functions KRAs –  and note it on sticky notes and place them against the article/data on display. This is always a time  bound activity to cover the initial and most pressing insights that they can present. This activity can  be done preferably individually or within groups.

Once the responses are collected, all the stick notes are jumbled and presented on a common board.  Then the participants are asked to group the stick notes in some logical groups and name the  groups. Once the groups are formed each group description is discussed to add more points to the  group domain from any functions, if any. Once all the initial ideas have been scrambled in defined  groups, the definition of the group is broadened as to what insight it presents to the problem. Next  the insights are interconnected to see if a definitive pattern emerges. In the mind mapping tool, only  exploring the “what is” stage is carried out. However, I dwell a bit deeper in the “what if” stage and  ask the participants to form possible concepts of solutions to our problem using the insights drawn  earlier.

Insight and Approach

The activity has many learnings for the group as well as the coordinator. Bringing together a very  diverse group which would have been directly working on the solution in the latter part of the  journey, are on-boarded in the start of the solution planning. Also, their thoughts are discussed and  incorporated in the solution formulation, which gives a well-rounded solution as well as direction to  that aspect of the problem which would have been discussed in the latter stages. Getting to the

source of the problem and how will it affect the individual as well as other functions, helps them find  a midway solution to the problem. Also presenting the data to them in the a less formal manner and  open to interpretation and discussion allows the co-creation process to be multi-dimensional. They  also identify the new approach of strategic and innovative thinking, a different genre from their  functional one-dimensional roles.

I have learned that the key outputs from this exercise is collaborative thinking and empathizing with  various stakeholders, along with shared learning. I would, in the future, try to bring this collaborative  approach in all other smaller projects also.

