Collaborate Globally with MINDMAP and Skype

Watch videos on how to use ConceptDraw MINDMAP with Skype.

Hopefully you've heard the news about ConceptDraw MINDMAP's new integration with Skype. This new integration opens up the advantages of mapping to the estimated 250 million monthly Skype users. Our little, lovely pearl just got even a little smaller.

English is the Lingua Franca: Take Advantage of It.
The thing that continues to shine through is that mind mapping is simply the most effective and, really, the most pleasant way to convey information--across the office or across the world.

I talked to an in-house education specialist at a global firm who told me how effective mapping is at improving communications among people with different native languages. It's a pretty amazing concept--one that I doubt the creators of mind mapping ever contemplated. But it makes so much sense--especially in this age without national borders.

As this person pointed out, much of the confusion between languages has to do with how each language constructs a sentence. In one language it's subject, verb, object. In another, its the opposite. Some languages use articles. Some, like English, have a staggering number of irregular verbs and homnymns. The solution? Keep the key words of the sentence, but lose the sentence. This is exactly what mapping does. Using a combination of mapping and English as the common tongue, this company was able to significantly improve communication and participation with mapping.

Simple is Better, Clearer, Faster.
When you communicate in maps with single words or short phrases--rather than in sentences and paragraphs, it's easier for all participants to get the meaning. This is all the more true because of the way the maps put each piece of information in context.

You simply have to put yourself in the shoes of someone from another culture trying to deconstruct a text-filled page of information written in English. Think about what a challenge it would be. Then think about that same information captured in a ConceptDraw map. Your foreign colleagues and clients will love you for making their life easier.

With the combination of MINDMAP and Skype, you can hold global meetings centered on a map you can walk through slowly and deliberately--making sure all participants understand each point as you move around the map.

Do Faster, More Productive Meetings
Two big advantages of mapping are clarity and speed of communication. This new integration makes it possible to be quick and clear with your colleagues--whether they're located across town or across the ocean.

Using Mind Maps to Lower Language Barriers

A recent article by Steve Barth (Managing Knowledge across Borders), reminded me how useful mind mapping can be as a way to lower language barriers. I have talked to many companies--from technology giants to small landscaping contractors--about how they use mind maps to make information more useful to non-native English speakers. It's one of those things that makes them feel like they have a hidden advantage over the competition.

In the first place, maps use single words or phrases instead of sentences and paragraphs. It is often syntax, not words, that make other languages hard to decipher. So by chunking out ideas in a mind map, users can capture and communicate meaning with simple words and the relative position of words. Graphic images help too. While it's true that the meaning of some images change from society to society, there are lots of symbols and images that can cross cultures (the international "No" sign, for example) and add another level of meaning to the information in the map.

Anyone have any stories about using maps this way? Doing business on a global level is common these days. Next time you need to communicate with someone in another country, try replacing that 10-page document with a mind map. See if it makes communication easier.