Tap into your inner Thomas Edison...Don’t think you are creative?  Well, think again!  The fact is, most REALTORS are quite creative otherwise they would never last in this very demanding, ever changing industry. It’s not the lack of ideas that’s the problem; it’s just a matter of using the right process to access them.  And here’s one of the most powerful methods there is to turn on your inner Thomas Edison and tap into the creative well of others too…

Harvesting Great Ideas via Bubble Charting

The quickest way to turn off your creative flow is to try to make a list of ideas.  Why is this so bad?  Because by its very structure a list has an enforced priority (i.e. 1st item, 2nd, and so on…), which causes your mind to evaluate ideas rather than just let them come out.  Ideally you want a way to capture your ideas as quickly as they appear without interruption or judgment getting in the way.
Bubble charting is a very simple mind-mapping method I learned in a writing class 25 years ago that has absolutely transformed how I generate ideas and organize my thinking.  It is so powerful that I use it many times each week to help me run and grow my business.  Here’s how it works:

  1. Take a blank piece of paper and draw an oval in the center.  Then put the name of the topic in this oval for which you want to generate tons of ideas;
     
  2. For each idea you think of (never mind if it’s any good or not –remember, no judgment at this stage of the process) simply put it anywhere on the page and draw an oval around it an arrow from it to the central topic oval;
     
  3. When you have ideas that relate to other ideas just do the same as in step 2. above except draw the arrow so it connects the two ideas.

When you are done, your page might look something like this:

 

Bubble Chart Example

 

In the real world however, if you are using pencil and paper, or a white board, it is more likely to look like this:

 Real world bubble chart example

 

It’s not about being “pretty”, rather getting as many ideas (good, bad or otherwise) out as quickly as possible.  While paper and pencil or white board is fine for bubble charting exercises, these mediums don’t make it particularly easy to edit, share or even store your creative work.  Thankfully there are tools available that make the bubble charting process much easier and even “pretty” when you are done!

Bubble Charting and Mind-Mapping Tools

I never thought a computer-based mind-mapping tool could ever replace the ease and free flowing nature of paper and pencil —boy, was I wrong!  After using some of the tools mentioned below my bubble charting / mind-mapping capabilities have exploded with additional speed, ease, sharing and storage for future use…

  • MindGenius – (www.MindGenius.com) this is my absolute favorite mind-mapping tool, and unfortunately it is the most expensive (over US $200).  This is a PC based software that you download and install.  Once you get the hang of it you will be able to generate bubble charts and mind-maps at lightning speed.  By exporting your mind-maps as images or PDFs you can easily share them with others.
     
  • MindMeister – (www.MindMeister.com) similar to MindGenius but is Web-based instead and much less expensive (there is even a free version).  However, this particular solution is a case of “you get what you pay for” as it is a bit clunky and slow when generating mind-maps —not a good thing when ideas are flowing like the Mississippi.
     
  • LovelyCharts – (www.LovelyCharts.com) this is a very elegant and well designed Web-based flow charting and diagramming solution that can easily be adopted for bubble charting.  In fact, we use this in my company when bubble charting ideas for our students.  And with a free version, the price is right.
     
  • Virtual-WhiteBoard – (www.Virtual-WhiteBoard.com) this is the least elegant of these tools since you have to literally draw your bubble-charts manually.  However, what makes this particular solution unique is the ability to have real-time collaboration among different people each of whom can add to the bubble-chart with everyone seeing the results.  Once again, there is a free version of this service to try out.
     
  • MicroSoft Office 2007 – both Word and PowerPoint give you the ability to create “smart charts” that resemble bubble charts.

The above are just a few examples of the many computer-based mind-mapping tools that are available to you.  However, the key to using a computer-based tool to help you bubble chart or mind-map is that you don’t want to think about how to use it during the process.  With this in mind, MindGenius is the hands-down winner.  You simply type your ideas, and it creates the mind-map for you.

Whether you bubble chart / mind-map with a pencil and paper or use a sophisticated software tool, you can greatly enhance the results by inviting more people to the party…

Throw a Brainstorming Party to Generate Tons of Ideas

By adding more people to the brainstorming process you will have access to ideas, solutions and strategies that you could not even imagine otherwise.  But like everything else, there is a process to get the most from your group brainstorming without it turning into a fat-chewing session:

  • Gather a group of friends & associates who truly want to help you (30 minutes max)
     
  • Assign one person as the “Recorder” (i.e. will create the bubble chart as the ideas are voiced)
     
  • Provide plenty of beer / wine and pizza (lower inhibition lubricates the creative process —just don’t allow anyone to drive home under the influence however!)
     
  • Give the rest of the “rules” to your group:
    • Keep a rapid fire pace
    • No editing or criticizing! (nothing shuts down a brainstorming session faster than this)
    • The more “out of the box” the ideas are the better.

You want to make the above process fun and fast-paced.  By doing so, you and your group will likely generate more ideas in just a few minutes than you could do by yourself over six months!  And remember, not all the ideas will be good.  In fact some will be quite awful.  That’s okay, because you can always edit the ideas and select the best ones after everyone goes home.

Speaking of “ideas” here’s a clever one that one of our students came up with to use social networking to help him brainstorm an idea.  He simply went on Facebook and started a “contest” for all his Facebook friends to come up with the best ideas for a particular problem he was working on.  In short order, the ideas just came flying in and he didn’t even have to buy beer or pizza.

Innovative ideas, when properly implemented, is what typically sets one person apart from the rest of the pack.  Using the methods described above you will have an endless supply of great ideas to choose from.  And once you have them the only thing left to do is brainstorm how you plan on putting them into practice…

NOTE: Mr. Internet®, RUSSER Communications, its staff and officers receive no compensation whatsoever from any third party vendors (unless he/they are directly involved with the creation and/or improvement of a vendor service or product), and make no recommendations as to the suitability of the products or services mentioned in this article. Always thoroughly investigate any product or service before trying or purchasing.

Mr. Internet is the alter-ego of Michael J. Russer, an internationally recognized Internet speaker, trainer, author, and strategic consultant to the real estate industry. He’s dedicated to helping real estate professionals leverage their people skills into profit on the Internet. Send your Internet questions to help@askmrinternet.com or you can visit his Website at http://www.russer.com

This article is reprinted in its entirety from the November 2009 issue of REALTOR® Magazine by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved other than mentioned above. Mr. Internet® is a registered trademark of RUSSER Communications