Incredibly Easy Mind Map Software & App

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I have found a new mind map software which is very easy and intuitive. If you have tried mind map software and given up because it was easier to go back to paper and pencil, you need to look at SimpleMind http://www.simplemind.eu/. Creating a mind map is a great way to organize your ideas quickly, or even describe a process as an easy-to-follow visual.
If you’re not sure what a mind map looks like, there is a picture below, as well as a short video I created to show you just how easy it is to create a mind map using SimpleMind. In the video, I create a mind map to organize my thoughts in preparation for a phone call to my Virtual Assistant.

What I love is that there is a free app for the iPhone, iPad, and android; and it is as simple as tapping the screen to create the nodes of the mind map. You don’t need to have the desktop version to use the free app, but if you do have the desktop version, you can sync from your iPhone to your desktop and visa versa. You can print your mind maps from your computer to save after you create them, in case you choose not to pay when the 30 days are up.
The desktop version costs about $35 [it’s priced at 24 Euros; I’ve converted the price to US dollars at today’s exchange rate], but they have a free 30 day trial, so check it out. There is a version for both the PC and the Mac.
Filed Under: business management, Delegation, System Development, working with a virtual assistant

Streamline Your Blog Maintenance

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Writing a daily blog post is time-consuming! There was one tool I used that definitely made this challenge easier: a simple spreadsheet. Without this tool, I would find myself writing posts without a plan for how the posts related to each other; with the spreadsheet, I was able to create a cohesive theme, and make sure I included a call to action in each post. I explain how it worked in this video:

Filed Under: business management, Delegation, System Development, time management Tagged With: ,

Meet Gmail’s New Inbox

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Concept of email filter in work.Dealing with email is one of the top complaints I hear from my clients. Gmail just came out with a terrific update that I love! It automates what I was doing manually by creating filters (similar to rules in other email programs), and you know how I love automation! Even if you are not currently using Gmail, watch their short video for ideas on how to streamline your own email overload. If you like what you see, remember that it is easy to forward your email from Outlook or another email provider into Gmail. That’s what I do. I explain how in my Inbox Simplicity program.

Filed Under: business management, personal organization, System Development, time management Tagged With: , ,

Always Agree and Say Yes: Tina Fey’s Rules For Improv

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My mother's music box: The Man in the Moon with cherubs

My mother’s music box: The Man in the Moon with cherubs

I’ve discovered that an improv class was great training for talking with my mother. Who better than Tina Fey to explain why:

The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When you’re improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created. So if we’re improvising and I say, “Freeze, I have a gun,” and you say, “That’s not a gun. It’s your finger. You’re pointing your finger at me,” our improvised scene has ground to a halt. But if I say, “Freeze, I have a gun!” and you say, “The gun I gave you for Christmas! You bastard!” then we have started a scene because we have AGREED that my finger is in fact a Christmas gun.

– excerpt from ‘Bossy Pants’

My mother, an intelligent and sophisticated woman, has Lewy Body Disease. Among other things, that means her cognitive abilities fluctuate. Last week she was clear as a bell; Tuesday night, when we had dinner, not so much.

That does not mean a conversation is impossible, just that it helps to stay agile and respond thoughtfully when she asks what Bart will do in the afterlife (her word). Bart is my cat. According to my mother, he often stops by her nursing home for a visit.

Agility is an important skill to practice for other reasons, too. Ever have an unsatisfactory conversation with a customer service rep?  Which company was more likely to keep your business: the one with the customer service rep who has the knee jerk reaction  ‘That’s not a problem” or the one with the rep who says “Yes. That is a problem” and begins to explore alternative ways to handle the situation? Companies create raving fans when they ‘agree and say yes’ when a customer reports a problem. These companies see the complaint as a gift that allows them to create an even better product or service.

And my mother’s gift is that she still is teaching me lessons that help me live my life (and run my company) with more grace.

 

Are you a business owner who finds yourself thinking:

I’m only one person…I can’t do everything!

I want to make more money.

Business is growing, but I can’t afford more staff.

Step One: Download Your FREE Business Systems Assessment:

Filed Under: business management Tagged With: , ,

A Checklist Can Literally Save Your Life

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ClipboardSome things are just so simple you wonder why no one thought of it before. In the article below, a surgeon talks about the complicated process of keeping patients alive and shares his simple solution for how that process might be streamlined. It’s easy to find applications for your business.

Two immediate take-aways from this article:
1. When introductions between team members were made before a surgery, the average number of complications and deaths dipped by 35 percent.

Why? A person, having gotten a chance to voice their name, was much more likely to speak up later if they saw a problem.

Apply this immediately to any team – you may get some insight into problems and/or solutions from people who would otherwise remain silent.

2. Ninety-four percent of surgeons wanted the checklist used if they were to have surgery.

Where could a checklist help you? How about daily tasks for new hires, a packing list you keep in your suitcase, a vacation checklist to make sure you change your voicemail and so on. Please share how you use a checklist to improve your business in the comment section.

read the full article:
Atul Gawande’s ‘Checklist’ For Surgery Success : NPR

Filed Under: business management, System Development, time management