MIND MAPPING MY WAY

In January 2009 I wrote these lines answering to Chuck Frey's call at his blog (look here, number 26). They somehow express my view on mind mapping. Let it be interesting to you!

THE PHOTO ABOVE SHOWS A MIND MAP SKETCH I PREPARED ON THE SUBURBAN THAT TOOK ME LAST MONTH TO GETXO, WHERE I WAS PRESENTING MY IDEAS ABOUT GETXOBLOG, A BLOGGERS' MEETING NEAR BILBAO

My name is Eleder Aurtenetxe (1969, BILBAO) and I´ve been caught in this nice trap that takes me to play and share a bit about myself… and how I´m mind maps in this recession time…

Let´s start saying I discovered mind mapping through Robert S. Winter (University of Chicago) in the late 90´s when I met him in the University of the Basque Country. I was a teacher and he came to head the Total Quality Management work… a difficult task indeed, but what a great teacher, Robert!

Mind Manager 5.0 came to my way in my next job in the Biscay Administration as an organization technician through Jon Doncel (thanks!). That was year 2003 or so.

Both two discoveries supposed paradigm changes in my life and career…

I´m delighted to say that I succeeded in “failing” the exams for the administration “for-ever” job… and this has pushed me to follow my dreams…

Mind mapping and Mind Manager are key in my way (I add now, in year 2010, that I'm quite more using XMind nowadays). Some hints to reinforce this statement:

- I´ve just started training people to MM. Really successfully.
- This is the first blog about MM in Basque language: http://www.burumapak.com. I started it 2 months ago.
- All my radio interviews (http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz) are based in a MM sketch.
- If you ask any of my 4 small children (uuups! not the 8 months old, yet) “What does dad love doing?” they´ll, all in one, say: “MIND MAPPING!”. So, they may have the good luck to acquire it from the cradle…
- Lots of creative projects come to me all the time and they take their place in a MM and serendipity often happens. This has made me free from fear…

In a word: thanks (partially) to MMing my life has changed from looking for a job to un-jobbing. From fear about my job to joy and play around work, around life. Anything more important could be said?

Eleder
BM31_ BILBAO: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity

• www.flowandshow.blogspot.com
• www.burumapak.blogspot.com
• www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com

Twitter: @Eleder_BM

Why do I attend OST Learning Exchanges? (by Jo Toepfer - BOSCOP)

I picked this lines by Jo Toepfer from OSLIST and posted them as I find them really interesting. WOSONOS 2010 will be taking place in May 12th to 15th. I think it is an important meeting point, whatever your life is like. Take a minute to consider your participation. More information here

I hope we will see each other in May!

Why do I attend OST Learning Exchanges?

Whenever an OST Learning Exchange (LEX) is going to take place in my
region I try to attend these type of events. And, I always try to
convince my co-workers and clients to do so. There are a couple of good
reasons for this:

First, I have a chance to be at an OST event as participant. This is a
rare chance for me as facilitator to be just a participant. But it
implies a massive learning opportunity to concentrate on my sensations
and feeling while I am just there. I also learn more about my own needs
how and when to apply the law of two feet. This gives me significant
food for thoughts for my work as facilitator.

Second, it is a brilliant opportunity to deepen my knowledge of OST.
Every single LEX is a practical exercise in Action Research. I discover
new countries, situations and fields where OST has been applied. I learn more about possible occasions where OST is appropriate. Colleagues tell
me about their experience and their ways of applying OST in different
countries, situations and fields.

Third, since a whole bunch of colleagues with different backgrounds show
up the LEX represents a chance to meet new and old friends. OST folks
are normally easy going people and it is very easy to get in touch. The
LEX itself transforms into a playground for new ideas and projects that
I would never ever have been able to create on my own. When I go home
and browse through the Book of Proceeding with all the projects and
agreements made I am normally surprised and feel gifted with a lot of
new opportunities.

Fourth, at a LEX I advance my facilitation skills. I have a chance to
reflect upon the way to facilitate OST events. This includes reflection
about pre- and after work and logistical aspects. We tell each other the
way we work and this is a tremendous rich resource of differences. This
includes not only behavioural aspects of the facilitation work but also
technical details of materials used, timing for set-up and take-down,
size of the team, type of paper used, computing and software applications.

Fifth, there is normally an issues like "One thing less to do" and I
love it. For me this represents a very productive mental exercise to
find out things that are not necessary to do and we can call the result
still an OST event. This makes life much easier for me.

Sixth, Every single LEX is a good chance to spread OST. Since the group
of participants is diverse it includes not only facilitators (which
would turn the event into a boring occasion) but also assistants,
helpers, sponsors, to name just a few. I walked never away from a LEX
without at least a prospect of a future assignment. It simply have the
chance to advertise myself for free and this supports my business.

I hope to see you at one of these events in future!
--

Jo Toepfer, boscop eg
Dolziger Str. 40, 10247 Berlin
++49-30-42018000
www.boscop.org

Eleder

BM31: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Sormena

• www.flowandshow.blogspot.com
• www.burumapak.blogspot.com
• www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com

TWITTER: Eleder_BM