The Lumière Observership Program: re-discovering mind maps

musings from an observer's diary

Introduction

My first session of the Observership program was a session on mind maps. Deepa introduced me to the concept by drawing a mind map of an elephant. While she got pulled into a client call, she asked me to continue building on the mind map. "Don't give it much thought, put down whatever comes to your mind", she said.

A serendipitous choice or coincidence? I chose to build a mind map about the Sun, instead of continuing with the one on the elephant. It was unlike me- I would think a million times before choosing B if I was suggested to do A. Is it just a coincidence that the Sun aligns with Lumière's tagline of Light & Insight and a picture of beaming sunflowers greet you as you log in to the Lumière Business Solutions website? Did I think about this when I chose to make the mind map of the Sun- a big NO. These connections emerged in my head many days later.

As a kid, I remember seeing my father bow to the sun as he stepped out to work. During the pandemic, when I was in self-isolation, I would spend long hours staring out of my window observing the sun at different times of day. My fascination with the sun grew post-COVID as the importance of sunlight in our everyday well-being became crucial.

First attempt

I had used mind maps very briefly in a previous workplace, but it had been completely wiped from my memory. That day, I put pen to paper, and the mind map just flowed. So many aspects that were not even conscious thoughts in my mind just emerged. Sun

• as a life-force

• as an enigma

• worshipped as God in the Asian culture Did I have all of these thoughts about the Sun at the back of my mind?
  

I was amazed at how the mind map just branched out, and I started unlocking the multiple facets of this mysterious entity.

Mind map-first attempt-an observer

The Minds behind the Mind Map

At the end of the session, Deepa handed me "The Mind Map book" by Tony and Barry Buzan. I wasn't confident I would even attempt it. It had been ages since I had picked up a non-fiction, and it felt heavy to be carried around during travel.

The exercises

Yet on the subsequent Sunday, when I found myself completely immersed in the world of mind maps, excitedly attempting exercises, little did I know that over 4-5 hours, I was already halfway through the book. With its simple explanations, visual aids, and the step-by-step initiation to the exercises, it enabled me to set aside my apprehensions about sketching/drawing and also about non-fiction.

In practice @fieldwork

Almost two weeks later, since that Sunday, on a field visit for a customer interview, when the project manager suggested that I attempt a mind map on the user journey, I felt a few jitters in my stomach. The familiar voices started chattering- will I be able to recall the conversation, will I have to go through the recording (I had yet to discover the usage of AI in recording and transcribing), I have another project call now - will my short-term memory give up on me? Well, you get it, I had conveniently forgotten the "faith over fear" conversation.

However, the "responsible" person that I am, once I reached home and made myself a strong cup of coffee, I opened my laptop to begin my first "official" mind map. It was an intense exercise (for me). It took over two-three hours, and after multiple rearrangements of the branches, and thoughts of abandoning the exercise mid-way, I finally did manage to put a mind-map together, and my memory did serve me well.

The next day, in the project huddle when I presented it to the team, the attempt and exercise did turn out to be a comprehensive and productive one.

Now need to pick up that book and continue the journey of discovering mind maps.