Visual Language: Why You Should Map

The Power of Visual Language

Mapping is a VISUAL LANGUAGE – and you need to learn it if you want to improve your personal and team performance.

If you haven’t yet read Brain Rules, by John Medina, I highly recommend it. For all of you who work in “cubical hell,” the first chapter will speak to you immediately – and you’ll laugh knowingly. What Dr. Medina explains in chapter 11 is the power of visual thinking and communication. Think about it, why do we love pictures and use so much PowerPoint in business?  It’s the later that can truly illustrate the need for a better way to use visual tools to develop and communicate thoughts and ideas. For example, we’ve all seen “bad” PowerPoint slides – the ones that are filled with text. Why do we hate them? They are not visually interesting and do not invite nor engage our brains in a language of creativity. Furthermore, PowerPoint as a medium does not allow us to see the sum of parts within the whole. This is an important point in crtical thinking and creative thought. Our minds search for meaning and relationships between and among objects. The trick is you have to provide the visual ability to do so. This is where visual mapping or “mind mapping” is so effective and superior to other presentation mediums whether you are working on your own or in a group.

In the map above, you “read” each major topic beginning at the one O’Clock position and work clockwise. Each topic may have subparts which are read top to bottom.  It does take some getting used to at first, but it quickly becomes second-hand.  It is a powerful medium for everything from brainstorming to strategic planning.  There is even more power in visual mapping when used in real-time.  You can conduct true collaborative sessions from anywhere and with anyone in the world using online, real-time mapping applications.  The effect is an idea and critical thinking platform that really works.

If you’d like to explore some visual mapping resources, check out Chuck Frey’s website at http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com/

In future posts, I’ll discuss some effective business processes using the technologies and features in some of my favorite mind mapping software applications.