Agendas, Lists, Mindmaps
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
In business it is critical to manage or have someone manage the details. Success is in the details.
Anyone can have a big dream and paint a wonderful picture but until all the details are handled, there is little chance of success.
The marches on Wall Street and other centers are failing to make any real impact because while the idea of the protests is sound, there is no real focus. No one knows what is happening or why? The protest could simply be a form of flash mobs - a group that spontaneously comes together, does something special and then disperses.
For many business owners, they talk big but without a list or agenda, the idea wallows and never gets momentum. Its why ideas are cheap.
Successful business owners either act as or have project managers who handle the details. Details like:
- all known steps that need to be undertaken
- who will do what and what do they need in order to do it
- when do the different parts need to be done and what resources will need to be on hand to do it and what needs to be completed to do it
- what happens if any part does not happen
- what can be done in sequence and what can be done simultaneously
- Where will resources come from
- Exceptions, meetings, authorities and responsibilities
- the costs to proceed and the resources to proceed at each stage
When you are creating something, create your list, mindmap or agenda. Whatever you create can be flexible and change as you learn new things or find things that are unworkable.
A business plan, a meeting plan, a schedule are tools used by successful people. Mindmaps are a picture plan that are useful for creatives. Lists help people ensure that tasks get done.
The 10 to 15 minutes spent creating a list each day can be the most valuable time you spend and if you are unable to organize yourself, get yourself a good assistant and listen to them when they tell you to move to next task or what task, meeting or phone call needs to be done next.
Make a list and work with it rather than stick to it.
Roberta
Simplifier, Presenter, Mentor
#13 Mind Map Your Ideas
Image via Wikipedia
If you have never done a mind map, today is a good day to learn. It will simplify your life, allow more colour and help you plan more effectively.
I use this FREE software - FreeMind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
But my favourite tools for mind mapping are coloured pencils and a BIG sheet of paper.
One advantage of a mind map is to help you think. Most people do not think linearly. We seldom think of one sentence then another sentence and then another sentence. We think in words and pictures and one thought often gives rise to several other thoughts.
Mind mapping allows you to capture all those different thoughts. A mind map allows you to add more information later or easily update information when you learn more information.
Over the last 12 days, you have looked at a lot of information. This time is critical to your business future so before you start another week, let the mind map show you what you have discovered and thought.
Take each section and write the key points as a separate string. That means you will have at least 12 events coming off the central bubble called “My Business“. The number of strings that come off each node will vary with your thought processes. Feel free to add more thoughts too. Put down words or concepts, grammar is unimportant in a mind map.
Once you have created your mind map you will start to see relationships between the different areas. Now you can start to look at your next action steps.
Highlight or underline your key words, words that matter to you.
Tomorrow you will be using all the words you highlighted so be colourful.
Have fun.
Roberta
Simplifier, Presenter, Mentor
This blog is part of the 30 minutes 4 30 days successful business start-up
Maven Connect
CommentLUV
Guest Blogging with Jon Morrow
