Example Reflection  - Mind Mapping

Challenge & Selection  I am a leader for digital transformation of a material development and testing organization.  We  struggle with legacy IT infrastructure and routinely perform significant aspects of our daily job  by emailing MS Excel spreadsheets to one another.  This includes scheduling evaluations with  our lab technicians, managing test samples, and gathering the material data.  We’ve studied  various Evaluation Management System applications but concluded everything requires  significant customization to meet our unique requirements; as-such we could never secure  project budget.  We were perpetually stuck in a planning rut unable to chart a path forward.      Our team is relatively inexperienced with design thinking processes and had been struggling to  break through the traditional business mindset of speadsheets and ROI calcuations.  We  inherently knew there had to be a better way to manage our testing but were unable to  effectively convey this to upper management.  Collectively we had many ideas of what an  Evaluation Management System could do for our organization, so we decided to adopt a design  thinking approach and use mind mapping to get a fresh perspective on the initiative.

Application  We gathered a diverse group of experienced and new engineers, managers and technicians to  launch the mind mapping activity.  At first, we allowed a short amount of time for the group to  vent their frustrations at the current situation, but quickly pivoted to a more forward-looking  discussion of “what could be”.  This is when the fresh ideas and positivity began pouring out.   We created a spider diagram with Evaluation Management System in the center, and the main  business processes as branches.  These branches included evaluation scheduling, material data,  technician training, and test chamber management.    Over the course of several sessions we discussed each business process individually;  brainstorming each group members’ perspective on that process.  On the topic of evaluation  scheduling, for example, engineers were concerned with their individual test requests while the  technicians were more focused on managing everyone’s test requests collectively.  The  interplay between these viewpoints prompted many “what if we did this?” moments that were  then captured as floating topics on the spider diagram.    Once the group was satisfied that all the ideas were gathered on the diagram, a final round of  organizing the floating topics around each main business process took place and the mind map  diagram was completed.  With the group’s collective ideas for each business process fully  explored, the system requirements for an overall Evaluation Management System had become  crystal clear, and a fresh proposal was successfully shared to management.

Insight  By breaking down the concept of an Evaluation Management System into its sub-processes, and  by focusing mind mapping activity on each of them, the team gained tremendous clarity in its  collective idea for how to move forward with digital transformation of the organization’s  evaluation activities.  The mindset shifted from “there has to be a better way” to “this is the  better way”.     By including a variety of engineers, managers, and technicians in the mind mapping activity,  each group member could see how their activity affected one another.  The engineer could  grasp how their sudden, urgent test request to finish by COB Friday impacted the technician  who had planned to complete 5 other test requests that week.  A greater feeling of mutual  respect was achieved among the team.    Through open discussion and gathering each group members’ ideas on the diagram, there was  also the sense that each person was contributing to a greater good and that their ideas  mattered.  As a result, the collective enthusiasm to move forward was amplified.

Approach  Allowing some brief time period for the team to “vent” to one another didn’t yield any  productive ideas, however it did help forge a common bond that “we are all in this together”.  If  “venting” is inevitable, it is probably best it happens first, and finishes as quickly as possible so  the negative energy doesn’t persist throughout the rest of the mind mapping activity.    Due to the sudden remote work requirements from COVID-19, this mind mapping activity was  held 100% virtually.  The communication was strong from all team members, however it would  have been stronger through in-person discussion, and the ability to walk around the test lab  and see the processes from each other’s viewpoints.  Mind mapping software was used through  online meetings to gather everyone’s ideas quickly and fluidly, however hand-written post-it  notes on large posters would have allowed even more free flow of ideas.  Nevertheless, this  mind mapping activity was a breakthrough for the team to define the system requirements of a  new Evaluation Management System.


Example Reflection - Mind Mapping Challenge & Selection I am a leader for digital transformation of a material development and testing organization . We struggle with legacy IT infrastructure and routinely perform significant aspects of our daily job by emailing MS Excel spreadsheets to one another . This includes scheduling evaluations with our lab technicians , managing test samples , and gathering the material data . We ’ve studied various Evaluation Management System applications but concluded everything requires significant customization to meet our unique requirements ; as - such we could never secure project budget . We were perpetually stuck in a planning rut unable to chart a path forward . Our team is relatively inexperienced with design thinking processes and had been struggling to break through the traditional business mindset of speadsheets and ROI calcuations . We inherently knew there had to be a better way to manage our testing but were unable to effectively convey this to upper management . Collectively we had many ideas of what an Evaluation Management System could do for our organization , so we decided to adopt a design thinking approach and use mind mapping to get a fresh perspective on the initiative . Application We gathered a diverse group of experienced and new engineers , managers and technicians to launch the mind mapping activity . At first , we allowed a short amount of time for the group to vent their frustrations at the current situation , but quickly pivoted to a more forward - looking discussion of “ what could be ” . This is when the fresh ideas and positivity began pouring out . We created a spider diagram with Evaluation Management System in the center , and the main business processes as branches . These branches included evaluation scheduling , material data , technician training , and test chamber management . Over the course of several sessions we discussed each business process individually ; brainstorming each group members ’ perspective on that process . On the topic of evaluation scheduling , for example , engineers were concerned with their individual test requests while the technicians were more focused on managing everyone ’s test requests collectively . The interplay between these viewpoints prompted many “ what if we did this ? ” moments that were then captured as floating topics on the spider diagram . Once the group was satisfied that all the ideas were gathered on the diagram , a final round of organizing the floating topics around each main business process took place and the mind map diagram was completed . With the group ’s collective ideas for each business process fully explored , the system requirements for an overall Evaluation Management System had become crystal clear , and a fresh proposal was successfully shared to management . Insight By breaking down the concept of an Evaluation Management System into its sub - processes , and by focusing mind mapping activity on each of them , the team gained tremendous clarity in its collective idea for how to move forward with digital transformation of the organization ’s evaluation activities . The mindset shifted from “ there has to be a better way ” to “ this is the better way ” . By including a variety of engineers , managers , and technicians in the mind mapping activity , each group member could see how their activity affected one another . The engineer could grasp how their sudden , urgent test request to finish by COB Friday impacted the technician who had planned to complete 5 other test requests that week . A greater feeling of mutual respect was achieved among the team . Through open discussion and gathering each group members ’ ideas on the diagram , there was also the sense that each person was contributing to a greater good and that their ideas mattered . As a result , the collective enthusiasm to move forward was amplified . Approach Allowing some brief time period for the team to “ vent ” to one another did n’t yield any productive ideas , however it did help forge a common bond that “ we are all in this together ” . If “ venting ” is inevitable , it is probably best it happens first , and finishes as quickly as possible so the negative energy does n’t persist throughout the rest of the mind mapping activity . Due to the sudden remote work requirements from COVID-19 , this mind mapping activity was held 100 % virtually . The communication was strong from all team members , however it would have been stronger through in - person discussion , and the ability to walk around the test lab and see the processes from each other ’s viewpoints . Mind mapping software was used through online meetings to gather everyone ’s ideas quickly and fluidly , however hand - written post - it notes on large posters would have allowed even more free flow of ideas . Nevertheless , this mind mapping activity was a breakthrough for the team to define the system requirements of a new Evaluation Management System .