Your Creativity Toolkit: Tools to Map Problems and Ideas
Part 1: Identify two professional challenges
Briefly describe five professional challenges that you currently face or anticipate facing soon. Then, rephrase each of those challenges as questions.
Choose the two questions from your list that you feel are the most robust and challenging for you. Provide rationale for your choice of questions.
Part 2: Create your mind maps for each question
Use a mind map to create a separate map for each question. You may refer to your MindTool mind map resource for an example. Your mind maps should be as expansive as you can make them. Each of your questions should branch into at least four related components and/or issues. Expand on each of these branches using as many sub-branches as needed to explore the complexity and connective possibilities available to each question. To create your mind maps, you may use Microsoft Word or another format of your choice. However, if you are planning to use a non-standard piece of software, be sure you can save the file in a format that you can insert into a Word document. You should also check with your instructor to make sure that you will be able to submit the file in the online classroom and that your instructor will be able to open the file.
Insert your mind maps into your Word document as an appendix.
Part 3: Analyze your results
After reflecting on the mind-mapping exercise and examining your mind maps:
Provide your analysis of the clarifying process and role mind maps play in helping you clarify your professional challenges. Evaluate your experience using the mind-mapping tool to identify, organize, and clarify factors that need to be addressed to meet your professional challenge. Explain whether you think you would have learned as much about your professional challenges if you had not used this tool.
Explain how you might use this process for other professional or workplace applications.
Guidance on Assignment Length: Your Week 3 Assignment should be 3–4 pages (1.5–2 pages if single spaced), excluding a title page and references.
