re-Setting your business? Now there’s a map for (learning) that…

How do you make the most out of a few hours with some of the biggest thought leaders around?

Make a map...

Seth Godin would say, "there is no map" (Linchpin, pg 174), but I beg to differ. One of the best tools I have found to handle complex and rapidly changing situations is mind-mapping. My tool of choice is Mindjet's MindManager (especially the CPA edition).

It is mind-mapping software, collaboration and communication tool extraordinaire . Let me show you how I am using it to make the most out of the upcoming session. Actually, Seth might like this map as a form of "art" for engaging, leading, and in this case learning, and because it is "my" map.

I created this map Download Re-Set Business Map for the upcoming re-Set Business conference in NYC on April 20th. Since it features and all-star line-up, I wanted to "link and leverage" all of the learning opportunities with these business thought leaders. Seth Godin will be moderating a panel with Tom Peters, Gary Vaynerchuk, Michael Eisner and Anna Bernasek. I also just found out that our (MACPA's) blog coach, Debbie Weil, author of The Corporate Blogging Book, will be attending as well (thanks to twitter). I hope she will sign my book :).

Ok, so what's the big deal?

I already have been following a few of these folks on social media with their blogs and twitter, but this map allows me to capture all of them and others who might write about them in one place. That is where the "map" comes in. Click on the Download above to get the re-Set Business map. Notice the icons on the branches (link, +, and a notepad)? Click on those icons to expand each branch (or close it back up), get right to hyperlinks, and access notes embedded in the map.

Check out the related blog posts, the conference social media sites, and the thought leaders blogs, twitter, and even links to buy their books. During and after the conference, I can add more notes and send back out to share (and remember) all of my learning.

Next time you need to create a quick reference for a killer conference, create a map for that!

You can follow the action from this conference on Twitter with hashtag #resetbiz and check back after the conference - I will post an update with more notes and insights...