Mind MAPPING

Challenge & selection: As I was working for a large FMCG company, I was asked to establish our main  brand as a leading player in the digital world, in my country. The mission looked challenging and I  was just starting with the new role. I had to find a way to define the strategy together with some key  company leader. Therefore, I used the Mind Mapping method to start shaping the strategy and the  action plan. I choose the mind mapping tool, because I wanted to connect participant ideas to a  central challenge we had. I wanted to favour creativity, find a method that allow people to work  together et get the best of the participant experience and mix all sort of enterprise background.

Application: First of all I have displayed on the wall in front of all managers the central question /  challenge we had to solve and I have phrased it the following way: How can we make our brand the  most accessible and profitable online luxury brand for everyday enjoyment and indulgence, within 5  years? I gathered about 12 of the best managers in a room and I have asked them to write on sticky  notes, all possible answers to the question in a very concrete manner, when possible with a verb,  action and very solution oriented. Then, we have reviewed all proposed notes together to make sure  we understood them correctly, sometimes we have rephrased them to make them clear.

Then we started the mind mapping exercise. Silently every participant was connecting all sticky notes  within each other starting from the central question, and we were grouping ideas based on affinity  and logic. At the end of the exercise we had a couple of grouped solutions emerging from the mind  map. Finally, we asked each participant to vote for their preferred grouped solution and suggest who  was the most appropriate person to lead the task. After adding up all marks, we had our solutions  prioritized in front of us.

Insights & Approach: At that moment I realized the method was immensely powerful, but It was also  depending on the quality of each participant’s contributions. Regarding the participants, I realized  how important this was to select a variety of different job function, roles, hierarchy level in order to  get the richest combination of action-oriented solutions. This also was important not to let the most  influent participant take the lead or try to influence others. I believe working in silence is a  particularly good idea and I recommend it.

The main insight for me was the power of working in group. Since the beginning of the exercise, we  were discussing, reviewing, correcting each sticky note, so we had a common base until we started  working in silence. This has massively helped to create a common understanding of the solution with  a sense of solidarity.  The end, the solution was the result of a group rather than of an individual.  Following up the exercise we had a clear view of the most important actions, priorities, perfect  understanding of each sub-action and who was the most relevant person to lead it.

I also found that the displayed central questions (or challenge) presented at the beginning of the  mind mapping exercise was essential. To work well, it must be ambitious, clear and cover a real  challenge. The central question must be interesting to get the best possible ideas and to motivate  participants to think hard. This is important to prepare the people to work hard for 2-3 hours without  long interruptions and keep disciplined, this is not always easy, because participant tend to start  arguing or discussing what is right or wrong. Therefore, I recommend working in silence. I found the  method particularly useful to make people coming from different teams with different perspective  working together.


Mind MAPPING Challenge & selection : As I was working for a large FMCG company , I was asked to establish our main brand as a leading player in the digital world , in my country . The mission looked challenging and I was just starting with the new role . I had to find a way to define the strategy together with some key company leader . Therefore , I used the Mind Mapping method to start shaping the strategy and the action plan . I choose the mind mapping tool , because I wanted to connect participant ideas to a central challenge we had . I wanted to favour creativity , find a method that allow people to work together et get the best of the participant experience and mix all sort of enterprise background . Application : First of all I have displayed on the wall in front of all managers the central question / challenge we had to solve and I have phrased it the following way : How can we make our brand the most accessible and profitable online luxury brand for everyday enjoyment and indulgence , within 5 years ? I gathered about 12 of the best managers in a room and I have asked them to write on sticky notes , all possible answers to the question in a very concrete manner , when possible with a verb , action and very solution oriented . Then , we have reviewed all proposed notes together to make sure we understood them correctly , sometimes we have rephrased them to make them clear . Then we started the mind mapping exercise . Silently every participant was connecting all sticky notes within each other starting from the central question , and we were grouping ideas based on affinity and logic . At the end of the exercise we had a couple of grouped solutions emerging from the mind map . Finally , we asked each participant to vote for their preferred grouped solution and suggest who was the most appropriate person to lead the task . After adding up all marks , we had our solutions prioritized in front of us . Insights & Approach : At that moment I realized the method was immensely powerful , but It was also depending on the quality of each participant ’s contributions . Regarding the participants , I realized how important this was to select a variety of different job function , roles , hierarchy level in order to get the richest combination of action - oriented solutions . This also was important not to let the most influent participant take the lead or try to influence others . I believe working in silence is a particularly good idea and I recommend it . The main insight for me was the power of working in group . Since the beginning of the exercise , we were discussing , reviewing , correcting each sticky note , so we had a common base until we started working in silence . This has massively helped to create a common understanding of the solution with a sense of solidarity . The end , the solution was the result of a group rather than of an individual . Following up the exercise we had a clear view of the most important actions , priorities , perfect understanding of each sub - action and who was the most relevant person to lead it . I also found that the displayed central questions ( or challenge ) presented at the beginning of the mind mapping exercise was essential . To work well , it must be ambitious , clear and cover a real challenge . The central question must be interesting to get the best possible ideas and to motivate participants to think hard . This is important to prepare the people to work hard for 2 - 3 hours without long interruptions and keep disciplined , this is not always easy , because participant tend to start arguing or discussing what is right or wrong . Therefore , I recommend working in silence . I found the method particularly useful to make people coming from different teams with different perspective working together .