By Peter Andrues
Success is the image you have in your mind of your ultimate goal in life. This goal can be achieved by climbing a series of steps, each of which has been developed to build on the previous one. The following steps are necessary in order to achieve your ultimate goal of success.
S - Solo Focus
Your must have a laser like focus with no distractions. If you want to build your business to a massive size, it requires a constant focus on your goal. When you focus on your goal 3 things will happen:
1) You will become magnetic, radiate your presence, and people will be attracted toward you.
2)You will have conviction, the start of passion, and people will feel your conviction and get excited.
3) You will birth leadership, people want to follow someone who is focused on success.
There has never been a successful leader that lacked focus.
U - Unlocked Imagination
You must dare to dream. Most people have limited thinking and are programmed to think small. Dreaming will unlock creativity, and allow unlimited growth. You must get away from people with no imagination and negativity and radiate toward big thinkers and successful people.
C - Crystal Clear Path
You must know what the path to success is, and you MUST be able to TEACH this path. A logical progression of steps 1,2,3... are required to be successful. This path must be clearly marked to allow people to walk with you to your goal. You must know where you are going or success will be elusive. A clear, concise path allows you to teach others the way to success and that's were duplication comes in.
Success leaves footprints in the sand that you can follow. If you can't follow the footprints you may be on the wrong beach. A group of successful people is much stronger than any individual.
C - Connection to the Heart
Your heart is your success driver. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to if your emotion and heart are in it. You will inevitably fail if your heart is not in it. Ask yourself what do you value most in your life and connect that to the reason you are striving toward your goal.
E - Extraordinary Energy
Hype comes from the mind, energy comes from the heart. To be successful your whole presence must be energized. You can tap this energy by connecting to your heart, emotion, creativity, and faith. An energized, creative person who exudes positivism will draw a crowd of people looking to follow in their footsteps.
S - Skill Set
Most marketers have an inadequate skill set. If they were less than successful in the corporate world their skill set must be changed for success to occur in their own business. To be successful you must have strong skills focusing on; prospecting, presentations, following up, people skills, and communications. When you invest in personal growth a natural side effect of that will be development of your skill set.
S - Stop at Nothing
You must have a burning desire to succeed. No matter what people say, do, or think, you must remain positive and avoid negativity. Stay determined, focused and resolved to be a successful marketer and you WILL achieve your goals.
Position yourself in the $64 Billion Personal Development Industry. Thomas Hunter is an Internet marketer, author and publisher and has helped hundreds of people become successful Online Marketers. Give me 10 minutes of your time and I'll share with you the secret to generating over $3,000,000 in only 27 months online at: http://SixFigureRiches.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Andrues
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Create Your Own Luck And You Will Never Fail
By Jaz Lai
Why is it that some people succeed at things while others fail? Is there such a thing as creating your own luck?
The answer is quite simple, those who succeed chose to 'do something' and do it now rather than later.
For example, imagine that 100 people read the exact same book that I did. I benefited from what was written and implemented the information in it to my advantage. Yet the other 100 people managed to come up with 100 different reasons why the book either wouldn't work for them or how it didn't fit their situation. The point being, everyone has choices available to him or her. They can choose to make money or choose to make excuses, it's really as simple as that! People who make excuses just leave more opportunities open to those of us who do want to succeed. Those who don't sit idly by and use golden opportunities to their best advantage all have one thing in common, they just got started and don't make excuses about why they can't!
There are thousands of reasons why you can't make a start today. The timing may not be right or you may be too busy today to make a start. Most people who do succeed are usually at the busiest time of their lives, so the real question here is, are you too busy to make money? Or maybe your computer is too slow or needs updating? Possibly the software you are using isn't right to start your internet business? People like that keep telling themselves "once I get this new software or computer then I'll start.... " and go along on their merry way looking for even more plans. All the while they are waiting, they are letting golden opportunities pass them by. These people are never going to make money with that attitude because the time will never be right. So once again the real question here is when is the right time to start making money?
Others wait until every one around them is making money from working hard on a realistic plan, then call them 'lucky'? There is no such thing as being 'lucky' in this situation. We all make our own luck by taking an opportunity with both hands and 'doing something' with it! How many books have you read this year? How many ideas have you implemented from your newfound knowledge? Be truthful now! If you buy a book, make it your goal to implement at least one idea you have found.
Take some responsibility for yourself. If you don't 'do something' nobody will jump up and do it for you. By being responsible for your own success, you will find that your goals and ambitions aren't really that far from you. Ask someone who is successful and they will tell you the same thing because it's true. If you are having trouble being successful, be aware that you have the tools and opportunities. All that you need is to 'do something' about it. Create your own luck.
Jaz Lai is an Online Home Business Expert where he created $10,045 sales just by sending out 5 emails without any list or product. For further recommended resources, Click here http://www.onlineearningmakeeasy.com/free-report, http://www.jazlai.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaz_Lai
Why is it that some people succeed at things while others fail? Is there such a thing as creating your own luck?
The answer is quite simple, those who succeed chose to 'do something' and do it now rather than later.
For example, imagine that 100 people read the exact same book that I did. I benefited from what was written and implemented the information in it to my advantage. Yet the other 100 people managed to come up with 100 different reasons why the book either wouldn't work for them or how it didn't fit their situation. The point being, everyone has choices available to him or her. They can choose to make money or choose to make excuses, it's really as simple as that! People who make excuses just leave more opportunities open to those of us who do want to succeed. Those who don't sit idly by and use golden opportunities to their best advantage all have one thing in common, they just got started and don't make excuses about why they can't!
There are thousands of reasons why you can't make a start today. The timing may not be right or you may be too busy today to make a start. Most people who do succeed are usually at the busiest time of their lives, so the real question here is, are you too busy to make money? Or maybe your computer is too slow or needs updating? Possibly the software you are using isn't right to start your internet business? People like that keep telling themselves "once I get this new software or computer then I'll start.... " and go along on their merry way looking for even more plans. All the while they are waiting, they are letting golden opportunities pass them by. These people are never going to make money with that attitude because the time will never be right. So once again the real question here is when is the right time to start making money?
Others wait until every one around them is making money from working hard on a realistic plan, then call them 'lucky'? There is no such thing as being 'lucky' in this situation. We all make our own luck by taking an opportunity with both hands and 'doing something' with it! How many books have you read this year? How many ideas have you implemented from your newfound knowledge? Be truthful now! If you buy a book, make it your goal to implement at least one idea you have found.
Take some responsibility for yourself. If you don't 'do something' nobody will jump up and do it for you. By being responsible for your own success, you will find that your goals and ambitions aren't really that far from you. Ask someone who is successful and they will tell you the same thing because it's true. If you are having trouble being successful, be aware that you have the tools and opportunities. All that you need is to 'do something' about it. Create your own luck.
Jaz Lai is an Online Home Business Expert where he created $10,045 sales just by sending out 5 emails without any list or product. For further recommended resources, Click here http://www.onlineearningmakeeasy.com/free-report, http://www.jazlai.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaz_Lai
Monday, August 07, 2006
The Top 10 Steps to Extraordinary Personal Wealth
By Philip E. Humbert
I recently came across startling figures about the average American’s finances. Only 4% of us have significant savings when we hit age 65, and a majority of Americans have less than $1000 in savings. Perhaps even more troubling, nearly one-fifth of us have a negative net worth, meaning that we owe more in debt than the total value of our combined assets. In a land of wealth and opportunity, and in an age of unlimited freedom, attaining wealth is primarily a matter of choice and determination. The following are my suggestions for rapidly increasing your personal income and wealth.
1. Develop a healthy awareness of money. Most of us either ignore our cash flow and don’t have a budget, or we think of money as a "problem". Instead, begin thinking of it as energy, as a resource and as a tool to be managed and used wisely.
2. Develop a healthy desire for money. Money is neither evil nor the source of happiness. It is a tool that can be used well or badly, but most importantly it can be used to achieve many of life’s dreams and priorities. Having more of it increases your choices, and your responsibility.
3. Develop a healthy personal foundation. It is difficult to attract or keep money if your life is in chaos. To achieve significant wealth, pay attention to your attitude, your relationships, your values and your integrity. Money tends to flow to those who are prepared to handle it well.
4. Resolve ALL addictions. Substance abuse will obviously undermine any real ability to attract and manage large amounts of money, but other addictions are equally dangerous. Addictions to shopping, drama and excitement, to power or sex or a need to have the newest gadget will all destroy freedom of choice, and your ability to handle money responsibly.
5. Spend less than you make. An obvious point that most of us ignore. Have and use a budget, track your cash flow, decide what you need compared to what you want. Unless you use credit cards as a tool to monitor your spending, avoid using them at all. If you’re living on credit, juggling one card against another, get professional help!
6. Save a significant amount. Most experts recommend paying yourself first and saving anywhere from 5% to 20% of your income. The amount or percentage that you save is probably not as important as the principle. If at first you only save 1%, make that deposit every single week, do it without fail, and congratulate yourself! Even 1% is a great beginning!
7. Cut your spending by 25%. That’s a huge amount! For most of us, it’s also entirely possible. Take your lunch, buy less junk, rent a movie instead of going to the theater, make a picnic instead of dinner at a restaurant, re-cycle and repair rather than throwing things away and buying new. Live cheaper, simpler and closer to the earth.
8. Learn the principles of investing. Most community colleges have courses on investing in stocks, real estate, commercial property and even collectibles. Pick your preference, study hard, buy smart, and let your money work for you rather than you always working for money. But, never try to get rich quick! We’re talking about investing, not speculating.
9. Develop long-term passive income. Whether this is interest from bonds, profits from a business, or residuals from your last TV commercial, develop assets that will generate positive cash flow for years to come, whether you are working or not. Rental property has been a favorite, but so are stocks and mutual funds.
10. Develop wealth consciousness! This is a conscious, specific desire to be aware of money, to have money, and to use money to reflect your values and your priorities. Some of us virtually choose poverty because of our refusal to take responsibility for how we handle money. Others, live as misers and never use money to expand their horizons and develop their lives. You can decide to have a healthy, exciting and profitable relationship with money. Choose wisely. Start today!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_E._Humbert
I recently came across startling figures about the average American’s finances. Only 4% of us have significant savings when we hit age 65, and a majority of Americans have less than $1000 in savings. Perhaps even more troubling, nearly one-fifth of us have a negative net worth, meaning that we owe more in debt than the total value of our combined assets. In a land of wealth and opportunity, and in an age of unlimited freedom, attaining wealth is primarily a matter of choice and determination. The following are my suggestions for rapidly increasing your personal income and wealth.
1. Develop a healthy awareness of money. Most of us either ignore our cash flow and don’t have a budget, or we think of money as a "problem". Instead, begin thinking of it as energy, as a resource and as a tool to be managed and used wisely.
2. Develop a healthy desire for money. Money is neither evil nor the source of happiness. It is a tool that can be used well or badly, but most importantly it can be used to achieve many of life’s dreams and priorities. Having more of it increases your choices, and your responsibility.
3. Develop a healthy personal foundation. It is difficult to attract or keep money if your life is in chaos. To achieve significant wealth, pay attention to your attitude, your relationships, your values and your integrity. Money tends to flow to those who are prepared to handle it well.
4. Resolve ALL addictions. Substance abuse will obviously undermine any real ability to attract and manage large amounts of money, but other addictions are equally dangerous. Addictions to shopping, drama and excitement, to power or sex or a need to have the newest gadget will all destroy freedom of choice, and your ability to handle money responsibly.
5. Spend less than you make. An obvious point that most of us ignore. Have and use a budget, track your cash flow, decide what you need compared to what you want. Unless you use credit cards as a tool to monitor your spending, avoid using them at all. If you’re living on credit, juggling one card against another, get professional help!
6. Save a significant amount. Most experts recommend paying yourself first and saving anywhere from 5% to 20% of your income. The amount or percentage that you save is probably not as important as the principle. If at first you only save 1%, make that deposit every single week, do it without fail, and congratulate yourself! Even 1% is a great beginning!
7. Cut your spending by 25%. That’s a huge amount! For most of us, it’s also entirely possible. Take your lunch, buy less junk, rent a movie instead of going to the theater, make a picnic instead of dinner at a restaurant, re-cycle and repair rather than throwing things away and buying new. Live cheaper, simpler and closer to the earth.
8. Learn the principles of investing. Most community colleges have courses on investing in stocks, real estate, commercial property and even collectibles. Pick your preference, study hard, buy smart, and let your money work for you rather than you always working for money. But, never try to get rich quick! We’re talking about investing, not speculating.
9. Develop long-term passive income. Whether this is interest from bonds, profits from a business, or residuals from your last TV commercial, develop assets that will generate positive cash flow for years to come, whether you are working or not. Rental property has been a favorite, but so are stocks and mutual funds.
10. Develop wealth consciousness! This is a conscious, specific desire to be aware of money, to have money, and to use money to reflect your values and your priorities. Some of us virtually choose poverty because of our refusal to take responsibility for how we handle money. Others, live as misers and never use money to expand their horizons and develop their lives. You can decide to have a healthy, exciting and profitable relationship with money. Choose wisely. Start today!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_E._Humbert
Saturday, August 05, 2006
How To Increase Your Mind Power
By Steven Gillman
You can increase your mind power starting today. There are conditions that are conducive to better thinking, and plants that increase blood flow to the brain. There are little "tricks" that can give you an immediate brainpower boost, and habits you can develop for a more permanent improvement in brain function. Here are six things you can try right now or over the coming days to prove to yourself that improved mind power is possible.
Exercise Helps The Brain
Long term exercise can boost brainpower, which isn't surprising. Anything that affects physical health in a positive way probably helps the brain too. Recent research, though, shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise. If you need a brain recharge, walk up and down the stairs a few times.
Temperature And Mind Power
Many people have noted that they think better at certain temperatures. In general, it seems that being slightly cool, but not uncomfortable, is most conducive to good thinking. Try experimenting on yourself to see what temperature works best for you.
Become A Problem Solver
Just use a problem solving technique for several weeks and it will become a habit. Redesign everything you see for a while, and that will become a habit. Choose any of the many problem solving techniques and train yourself to use it, and you'll have a more powerful mind. Many good thinking habits take some effort to develop, but then you will be more resourceful effortlessly from that point on. Use the power of habit to improve your mind power.
Develop Your Intuition
Einstein relied heavily on intuitive hunches. Because of his intuitive grasp of the game, Gary Kasparov can beat the best chess computer even though the computer can calculate positions many moves further ahead. Experience allows him to combine analysis with a "sense" of which move is best.
Your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential effectiveness of your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. When enough good information is in your mind, it will go to work for you with or without your conscious participation, so feed it well. Also, watch for intuition to encourage it.
Sniff Roses or Rose Oil
This is relaxing for some people. The idea here is that sometimes you are too "wound up" for effective thinking. Relaxing can bring you back to a state where you can start again on a mental challenge, this time with more clarity. Again, I haven't seen any studies done on this, but it seems safe enough to try.
Adjust Your Mind Power Beliefs
Believe you are smarter, and you'll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is seeing evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own mind power and you'll start to experience more of it.
Steve Gillman wrote the e-book, 100 Ways To Increase Mind Power. For more information on this and other reports full of useful insider information, visit: http://www.99reports.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
You can increase your mind power starting today. There are conditions that are conducive to better thinking, and plants that increase blood flow to the brain. There are little "tricks" that can give you an immediate brainpower boost, and habits you can develop for a more permanent improvement in brain function. Here are six things you can try right now or over the coming days to prove to yourself that improved mind power is possible.
Exercise Helps The Brain
Long term exercise can boost brainpower, which isn't surprising. Anything that affects physical health in a positive way probably helps the brain too. Recent research, though, shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise. If you need a brain recharge, walk up and down the stairs a few times.
Temperature And Mind Power
Many people have noted that they think better at certain temperatures. In general, it seems that being slightly cool, but not uncomfortable, is most conducive to good thinking. Try experimenting on yourself to see what temperature works best for you.
Become A Problem Solver
Just use a problem solving technique for several weeks and it will become a habit. Redesign everything you see for a while, and that will become a habit. Choose any of the many problem solving techniques and train yourself to use it, and you'll have a more powerful mind. Many good thinking habits take some effort to develop, but then you will be more resourceful effortlessly from that point on. Use the power of habit to improve your mind power.
Develop Your Intuition
Einstein relied heavily on intuitive hunches. Because of his intuitive grasp of the game, Gary Kasparov can beat the best chess computer even though the computer can calculate positions many moves further ahead. Experience allows him to combine analysis with a "sense" of which move is best.
Your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential effectiveness of your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. When enough good information is in your mind, it will go to work for you with or without your conscious participation, so feed it well. Also, watch for intuition to encourage it.
Sniff Roses or Rose Oil
This is relaxing for some people. The idea here is that sometimes you are too "wound up" for effective thinking. Relaxing can bring you back to a state where you can start again on a mental challenge, this time with more clarity. Again, I haven't seen any studies done on this, but it seems safe enough to try.
Adjust Your Mind Power Beliefs
Believe you are smarter, and you'll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is seeing evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own mind power and you'll start to experience more of it.
Steve Gillman wrote the e-book, 100 Ways To Increase Mind Power. For more information on this and other reports full of useful insider information, visit: http://www.99reports.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
An Extraordinary Person
By Hifzur Rehman
I am not going to tell you the story of an extraordinary person, who did remarkable things in life. Why should I? Are you not an extraordinary person? What do you think about yourself? You possess all the assets of an extraordinary person but, unfortunately, you are not an extraordinary person because you don’t think so.
Your low belief level about your own capabilities is blocking your way in achieving extraordinary success in life. Your Creator gave you the equal opportunity of becoming an extraordinary person in your own individual manner. He equipped your body with the same tools and gadgets as he equipped the body of any other extraordinary person. No extraordinary organ has been implanted by God in the bodies of those people who are living or have lived an extraordinary life.
You must be working hard to maintain a reasonable standard of life for yourself and your family. Is it enough? Can you become an extraordinary person just by doing 9 to 5 jobs? Absolutely not! Don’t walk on the off-beaten tracks paved for the ordinary people. Don’t follow the crowd and don’t copy others. You are not an ordinary person.
There is an extraordinary person within you. Give that person a chance to lead you. The more you seek guidance from your inner-self, the more you feel confident about your capabilities as an extraordinary person.
Being an extraordinary person, with a strong belief level, you can go to the peak of success, beyond any person’s imagination. Raise up your arms in the air, smile and let the world praise you as an extraordinary person.
Do you need any extraordinary skills to become an extraordinary person? Not necessarily! A little guidance from your inner-self and the wise management of your time is all that you need to bring a positive revolution in your life. But most importantly, you must enhance your belief level to become an extraordinary person.
Are you an extraordinary person? Still undecided!
Hifzur Rehman is the editor his website http://www.selfimprovement.ch which is a great source of FREE self-improvement related material, thoroughly scrutinized for its practical importance and positive impact on human life.
Hifzur Rehman © 2004 – All Rights Reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hifzur_Rehman
I am not going to tell you the story of an extraordinary person, who did remarkable things in life. Why should I? Are you not an extraordinary person? What do you think about yourself? You possess all the assets of an extraordinary person but, unfortunately, you are not an extraordinary person because you don’t think so.
Your low belief level about your own capabilities is blocking your way in achieving extraordinary success in life. Your Creator gave you the equal opportunity of becoming an extraordinary person in your own individual manner. He equipped your body with the same tools and gadgets as he equipped the body of any other extraordinary person. No extraordinary organ has been implanted by God in the bodies of those people who are living or have lived an extraordinary life.
You must be working hard to maintain a reasonable standard of life for yourself and your family. Is it enough? Can you become an extraordinary person just by doing 9 to 5 jobs? Absolutely not! Don’t walk on the off-beaten tracks paved for the ordinary people. Don’t follow the crowd and don’t copy others. You are not an ordinary person.
There is an extraordinary person within you. Give that person a chance to lead you. The more you seek guidance from your inner-self, the more you feel confident about your capabilities as an extraordinary person.
Being an extraordinary person, with a strong belief level, you can go to the peak of success, beyond any person’s imagination. Raise up your arms in the air, smile and let the world praise you as an extraordinary person.
Do you need any extraordinary skills to become an extraordinary person? Not necessarily! A little guidance from your inner-self and the wise management of your time is all that you need to bring a positive revolution in your life. But most importantly, you must enhance your belief level to become an extraordinary person.
Are you an extraordinary person? Still undecided!
Hifzur Rehman is the editor his website http://www.selfimprovement.ch which is a great source of FREE self-improvement related material, thoroughly scrutinized for its practical importance and positive impact on human life.
Hifzur Rehman © 2004 – All Rights Reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hifzur_Rehman
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Mind Maps - Brainstorming for Business Success
By Michael Russell
In the business world, people often hear the term "Think outside the box", with little or no explanation as to how to actually do that. Everyone is just expected to know how, figure it out, or find another job. Brainstorming sessions often lead to a slew of ideas from a group, but with little or no structure, it's difficult to tell what ideas are worth pursuing and which are wasting space.
There is a brainstorming strategy that, when used with a couple of other follow-up methods, will allow for creative thoughts to come from the group and still home in on the ideas that will actually benefit the overall goal. The three steps of the strategy are mind maps, t-analysis and action plan creation. Let's look at the first step, mind maps.
This step does a couple of things for a group brainstorm: it acts as an ice breaker, it gets people's brains pointing in the right direction and it can produce ideas that might not otherwise surface during just a normal call and response brainstorm session. Break your group up into smaller groups of at most 4 or 5. With each group should be a large sheet of paper (lecture board paper will do fine) and several different colored markers. The groups should be instructed to write the focus of your brainstorm in the middle of the paper and draw a circle around it. So if you were interested in brainstorming new ways to market a particular product, you'd write the product name in the middle of the paper. If you wanted to brainstorm on ways to control costs, you'd write Costs in the middle of the paper.
Once this is done, instruct the groups to draw lines branching out from the center and to write down anything that relates to the central thought. Remind them several times during the exercise that it doesn't matter how relevant or not it is, simply write down what comes to mind. As groups write down different items, they should circle those and branch off these sub-topics as well. What ends up happening is groups will get a large network of ideas branching off the central thought, some of which may interconnect as well (and if they do, instruct the groups to draw a line connecting the two sub-topics). While the initial sub-topics will be things that are likely already being done or are an obvious connection, the branches off the sub-topics are where the true ideas start to emerge and some new thoughts are likely to present themselves here.
Once the groups have completed their mind maps, open up discussion and have each group step through their mind map. Highlight new ideas and encourage discussion on items that may initially seem unrelated, to be sure there isn't a potentially great idea hidden in there. Also highlight common sub-topics listed between groups, as this indicates things that are either already in place, or things the group thinks should be in place. Discuss the effectiveness of these items and what will ultimately happen is a list of actionable items will begin to surface through discussion. Between the mind maps, the discussion and the list, your group will have their minds actively engaged in coming up with action steps to put some of the new ideas into place. Once this is done, your next step will be to conduct a T-analysis on the topics.
So to lead a powerful brainstorm session, it's important to have a game plan in place. Mind maps help focus the group in the right direction and enable discussions that will help everyone as a group "think outside the box".
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Brainstorming
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
In the business world, people often hear the term "Think outside the box", with little or no explanation as to how to actually do that. Everyone is just expected to know how, figure it out, or find another job. Brainstorming sessions often lead to a slew of ideas from a group, but with little or no structure, it's difficult to tell what ideas are worth pursuing and which are wasting space.
There is a brainstorming strategy that, when used with a couple of other follow-up methods, will allow for creative thoughts to come from the group and still home in on the ideas that will actually benefit the overall goal. The three steps of the strategy are mind maps, t-analysis and action plan creation. Let's look at the first step, mind maps.
This step does a couple of things for a group brainstorm: it acts as an ice breaker, it gets people's brains pointing in the right direction and it can produce ideas that might not otherwise surface during just a normal call and response brainstorm session. Break your group up into smaller groups of at most 4 or 5. With each group should be a large sheet of paper (lecture board paper will do fine) and several different colored markers. The groups should be instructed to write the focus of your brainstorm in the middle of the paper and draw a circle around it. So if you were interested in brainstorming new ways to market a particular product, you'd write the product name in the middle of the paper. If you wanted to brainstorm on ways to control costs, you'd write Costs in the middle of the paper.
Once this is done, instruct the groups to draw lines branching out from the center and to write down anything that relates to the central thought. Remind them several times during the exercise that it doesn't matter how relevant or not it is, simply write down what comes to mind. As groups write down different items, they should circle those and branch off these sub-topics as well. What ends up happening is groups will get a large network of ideas branching off the central thought, some of which may interconnect as well (and if they do, instruct the groups to draw a line connecting the two sub-topics). While the initial sub-topics will be things that are likely already being done or are an obvious connection, the branches off the sub-topics are where the true ideas start to emerge and some new thoughts are likely to present themselves here.
Once the groups have completed their mind maps, open up discussion and have each group step through their mind map. Highlight new ideas and encourage discussion on items that may initially seem unrelated, to be sure there isn't a potentially great idea hidden in there. Also highlight common sub-topics listed between groups, as this indicates things that are either already in place, or things the group thinks should be in place. Discuss the effectiveness of these items and what will ultimately happen is a list of actionable items will begin to surface through discussion. Between the mind maps, the discussion and the list, your group will have their minds actively engaged in coming up with action steps to put some of the new ideas into place. Once this is done, your next step will be to conduct a T-analysis on the topics.
So to lead a powerful brainstorm session, it's important to have a game plan in place. Mind maps help focus the group in the right direction and enable discussions that will help everyone as a group "think outside the box".
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Brainstorming
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
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