Strategic Planning with Mind Maps (+Free Templates)

Strategic Planning with Mind Maps (+Free Templates) Mind maps are a great tool for strategic planning as they enable you to conduct all kinds of analyses and evaluations of your company, your products, and the market. A SWOT map  will quickly show you strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; with a growthâ€"share map  you can get an overview of your products’ life cycle; and the Four Ps of Price, Product, Promotion and Place will help you determine your offer. Using mind maps for your strategic planning enables you to: Involve all team members in your strategic planning:  Everyone can contribute to the mind map simultaneously. Discover connections and correlations:  Mind maps help visualize links between seemingly unrelated items and provide a birds eye view of problems and opportunities. Adapt as you go along:  Mind maps are flexible and can easily be edited and updated  during subsequent review meetings. In this post we will walk you through a detailed  SWOT analysis using a mind map and afterwards introduce you to a few other popular templates you can use for analyses. All  templates are available in the MindMeister template library. You can also maximize all of the embedded maps in this article  and then clone them to your MindMeister account. Not signed up yet? You can create a free MindMeister account here. Strategic Planning with a  SWOT Analysis This effective planning method helps businesses and other types of organizations evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This helps them to: determine whether their objectives are reachable find their competitive advantage decide on a business strategy How to conduct a SWOT analysis using a mind map Step 1: Get started Clone our handy SWOT map template to your account or quickly create a new mind map with the following layout: Your browser is not able to display frames. Please visit SWOT Analysis on MindMeister. Step 2: Share the mind map with your team members You can  invite people via email or simply send them a secure link to the map. As soon as everyone has accessed the map, you can start the analysis together. Step 3: Generate meaningful information for each category Start with your strengths. Strengths are characteristics of your business or project that provide you with an advantage over competitors. Examples  could be things like an exclusive access to certain resources, insider information, patents, or an in with the press. Write all your findings  into the strength-branch of your mind map. Try to stick to individual keywords rather than writing whole sentences. This will keep the map from getting too cluttered. To add additional information to topics, use the sidebar on the right. You can add notes, links, comments and attachments to topics. After strengths come weaknessesâ€"basically all things that put you at a disadvantage relative to others. Examples of weaknesses could for instance be a bad reputation, a high cost structure, or a lack of patent protection. Opportunities are openings you can exploit to your advantage, such as beneficial changes in the law, the arrival of a new technology or an unfulfilled customer need. Threats are elements in the environment that could have a negative impact on your business, such as new regulations, the emergence of a substitute product, or a shift in consumer taste away from your product. Step 4: Analyze the map Now that your mind map is filled with information its time to analyze it and build/adjust your strategy accordingly. You can use icons or colors to highlight important factors, use  arrows to show connections  between internal and external  features, and note down ideas that arise during your  discussion. So this is how you conduct a simple SWOT analysis in a mind map. But this isnt the only thing you can use visual diagrams for when it comes to strategic planning. Take a look at the templates weve embedded below, and if you find them useful, feel free to clone them to your MindMeister account! The 4 Ps  Method First proposed in 1960, the 4 Ps method is a business tool used  by marketers to decide how best to take a new offer (service or product) to market. The 4 Ps stand for  Product (service), Place, Price, and Promotion. Your browser is not able to display frames. Please visit The 4 Ps on MindMeister. The AEIOU Framework AEIOU stands for Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects and Users. This framework is often used by researchers and designers to guide and structure observational research. Your browser is not able to display frames. Please visit AEIOU Framework on MindMeister. The BANTR Approach This approach is more commonly known as BANT, which stands for  Budget, Authority, Need and Timing. Its a method used by sales people to determine  the value of an opportunity or lead. In our template weve added Relationships as a fifth category. Your browser is not able to display frames. Please visit BANTR (Sales) on MindMeister. If you found this article useful, you might also like  4 Ways to Map Out Your Business Strategy

Poem Analysis The Soldier by Ruper Brooke - 772 Words

â€Å"The Soldier† is a poem about a generic, yet ideal soldier, which is indicated by Rupert Brooke’s use of the word â€Å"The† instead of â€Å"A† when describing the soldier in the title. The usage of â€Å"I† and â€Å"me† in the poem suggests a first person point of view, which makes the poem more personal and realistic to the reader. This poem is a sonnet because the first stanza contains eight lines and the second stanza contains six. Throughout â€Å"The Soldier,† the repetition of â€Å"English† and â€Å"England† shows how important his homeland is to the soldier and his high level of patriotism. In line five, England is personified, and although England is not a living thing, the soldier sees his country as his creator and as a sort of mother figure. Brooke’s use of alliteration throughout the poem helps it flow; the use of caesura breaks up the lines. Perfect external rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter are used throughout the poem, which both give the poem flow and rhythm. The â€Å"dust† in lines four and five is a metaphor for the soldier’s life; England created him and he will become â€Å"dust concealed† when he dies and is buried. The first stanza of â€Å"The Soldier† uses various lines of imagery: â€Å"some corner of a foreign field†¦ In that rich earth a richer dust concealed†¦ flowers†¦ Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.† These forms of imagery emphasize the soldier’s death and how his death will cleanse him of any wrongdoings he had done in his time on earth. The â€Å"rivers† and â€Å"suns† are personified as

My Sister s Keeper By Jodi Picoult - 1421 Words

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult is related to what we have studied in AP Biology because the book explored the issue of genetics. In AP Biology, we discussed the different kinds of genetic diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis. We learned about each disease’s inheritance pattern, either recessive or dominant. In the book, Anna’s older sister, Kate was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, which she has many immature white blood cells in her body. Inevitably, this led to a deficiency of healthy blood cells to fight off foreign pathogens or diseases. Other than the fact that the book is related to the genetics unit, it is also relevant to the discussion we had in class about a person who underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat his cancer. Similarly, Kate eventually received a bone marrow from her sister. I would recommend this book to others because the book is very interesting and suspenseful. My Sister’s Kee per is center around Anna, her sick sister Kate, their family and their struggle against leukemia that changed their lives forever. At first I thought that the book was kind of dull because the beginning was all about Kate’s diagnosis with leukemia and the treatment she received. But the story took a turn and the reader is introduced with Anna’s lawsuit against her parents. This led me to think that Anna donated her bone marrow and blood against her will. Unexpectedly, in court Anna revealed that she filed the lawsuitShow MoreRelatedMy Sister s Keeper By Jodi Picoult979 Words   |  4 PagesMy Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult beautifully illustrates many different legal, ethical, and moral dilemmas that can accompany a possible terminal illness diagnosis within a family especially that of a young family. Ultimately the book causes you to re-examine any stance you may have had between that of what is legally and ethically right and what is morally right. Brian and Sara Fitzgerald have two small children who seem healthy and happy. Suddenly their daughter Kate falls sick, and after manyRead MoreAnalysis Of Jodi Picoult s My Sister s Keeper Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pagesliterary works. Among these literary works is Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, a novel in which the theory of existentialism is actively present and found in many elements of the story. These elements, upon further observation, exhibit the six major concepts or existentialism: existence, freedom, facticity, despair, absurdity, and atheism. It can be noted therefore, that the critical theory of existentialism is evident in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, as all of the aforementioned concepts areRead MoreMy Sister s Keeper By Jodi Picoult1216 Words   |  5 PagesReading Response – Kaitlyn Baker My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult Sad novels have never really appealed to me. I’ve never been drawn by their sombre and depressing tone, often leaving me in a state of wondering, what now? This novel didn’t excite me at first. The storyline of ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ by Jodi Picoult, follows Anna Fitzgerald as she takes her parents to court so that she could be emancipated from medically supporting here leukaemia ridden sister, Kate. But as I read through, there wereRead MorePersonal Narrative : My Sister s Keeper By Jodi Picoult1424 Words   |  6 PagesReading is my life. I enjoy every book that I pick up. I have many favorite authors from all types of backgrounds and all types of genres. My five favorite books are as followed: A Thousand Splendid Suns, My Sister’s Keeper, My Sister’s Keeper, The Secret Life of Bees and Act Like a Lady Think Like a Man. Each novel plays an important role in my life, they helped me get through some tough times. The books that I read whi le I was in high school helped me to find courage, to find faith, to find myselfRead MoreMy Sisters Keeper and Morality1345 Words   |  6 PagesMy Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult Where is the line with choices? How is a decision determined to be right or wrong? These are some of the questions that summarize the concept of the book My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Anna, the protagonist, files a law suit against her parents, Brian and Sara, because they forced her to make medical decisions that were not her own. Anna is sympathetic with her sister’s condition and has given all she can to ensure Kate’s recovery from leukemia. Yet theRead MoreDonor Babies : Grace Of God Saviors Or Last Resort Recyclables1226 Words   |  5 Pagessaviors or last resort recyclables â€Å"It made me wonder, thought, what would have happened if Kate had been healthy. Certainly, I would not be part of this family.† A quotation from the 2004 book My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. (My Sister s Keeper) A book about a girl who was born as a donor baby to help her sister not die. In the book Anna wants the rights to her body and goes to court to get them. Why shouldn’t she, how horrible would it be to have to always give a part of your â€Å"unwanted† body andRead MoreMy Sister s Keeper By Kate Fitzgerald1990 Words   |  8 PagesMy Sister’s Keeper follows the story of 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who unexpectedly sues her parents for medical emancipation. Medical emancipation is granted to a minor, where they are no longer restricted to the wishes of their parents and may make their own decisions regarding medical treatment. Now, the reason Anna seeks medical emancipation is because her parents expect her to give up one of her kidneys for her older sister Kate. Kate Fitzgerald has had leukemia since she was 2, and in theRead MoreRelationships, Fate, And Freewill Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pagestypes and forms have been hard because I usually am better at making conversation with adults. Making friends with people my own age is never something I’ve been too good at, keeping those relationships is very difficult. A novel that I think perfectly represents so many different relationships is My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. This novel shows the strong bond between sisters. Even though Anna was â€Å"made† to save Katie, Anna still feels so strongly connected to Katie that at one point she compares

Comparison of Essays by James Baldwin and Eric Foner Free Essays

The Identity American English What makes you an individual and an American? The idea of what qualifies a person as an American is very vague. Eric Foner, in his article â€Å"Who is an American? † describes the idea of what qualifies a person as an American has changed over the years. There once was a time where the only people who were American citizen were white males that later became that all people living in the United States had the qualification of becoming a citizen. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of Essays by James Baldwin and Eric Foner or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are several factors, including both underlying and overt, that affect idea who qualifies as a citizen. Overt factors such as if you are here legally or if you have your citizenship certificate to more underlying factors like what you look like or if you can speak English. James Baldwin in his essay â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is† explains how the English he and his people speak is what qualifies them as individuals. Going on to say that, with out the language that they used to communicate with each other their survival would not have been possible. Both Eric Foner and James Baldwin talk about individuality and identity in their articles and arguing that the identity of a person is what gives the person their freedom and liberty. Eric Foner states: Americans’ debates about the bases of our national identity reflect a larger contradiction in the Western traditions itself. For if the West, as we are frequently reminded, created the idea of ‘liberty’ as a universal human right, [West] also invented the concept of ‘race’ and ascribed to it predictive powers about human behavior (Foner 141). Foner implies America, as a whole, is a diverse country; the thought of each of all American belonging to a single, included group, is somewhat illogical. All American have different need and wants, different goals and ambitions, and can’t all enjoy the same â€Å"liberty† because of their â€Å"race†. Baldwin agrees with that saying, â€Å"The brutal truth is that the bulk of the white people in America never had any interest in educating black people, except as this could serve white purposes. Baldwin 3)† Baldwin gives a specific example of how a race oppressed another race and how the race alone was a factor of why there wasn’t equality in the freedom received by the people. The identity that Baldwin shows here is of a young black child who has lived to tough times in life. The only way he will be able to obtain the same freedom as a white child is through the education, that the black child can only receive from white adults, who only want to us e the black child for their own benefit. Even with the freedom the child was promised through the education he would still be a slave to someone or something else. Foner and Baldwin also agree on the fact that African American always excluded from the citizens of the eras. Foner stating, â€Å"Slavery helped to shape the identity, the sense of self, of all Americans, giving nationhood†¦ a powerful exclusionary dimension† (Foner 142). Slaves never had the same treatments as the owners. They were always the left out party who didn’t get the same â€Å"liberty, equality, and democracy† which are the main ideologies that a person needs to be an American (142). If all you need to be an American and enjoy the same liberty and freedom as all other people was to believe in liberty, equality, and democracy â€Å"†¦slavery could never have lasted as long as it did† (Baldwin 2). The fact that slavery lasted as long as it did show that the freedom one person get is not the same amount as someone else. Foner and Baldwin do not specifically talk about the rights of people and how unfairly they are shared in their article, but both do have an underlying implication of the rights of people. Baldwin, for the majority of his article, talks about the way language is spoken by the Blacks and then in the end states that an uneducated country with so many impurities cannot teach anything to its people. Foner, unlike Baldwin, talks about identity and correlates it with the idea of freedom and equality. In his conclusion stating the just like our identities are changing our belief of freedom and equality will always change. For Baldwin language had the connotation of freedom and equality while Foner used identity to connote the same thing. Both articles were written in the late 1900s, and the political and social struggle mentioned in both the articles still exists; the changed asked by both authors still needs to be implanted. Baldwin, James. â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is? † Readings for Analytical Writing. Third ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. Foner, Eric. â€Å"Who Is an American? † Readings for Analytical Writing. Third ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. How to cite Comparison of Essays by James Baldwin and Eric Foner, Essay examples

Realization Of Life Essays - Ancient Greek Medicine, Humorism

Realization of Life annon At one point in one^?s life, he will come to some realization, develop a higher understanding of himself, or have an epiphany of some type. This one incident can change a person^?s entire outlook on life including their beliefs and practices. There will be many notable events in one^?s life, but there will be only few incidents in which one will come to a profound comprehension of his life or life in general. These few incidents are what create adversity in one^?s self. The mental unease which comes along with these incidents is not usually long lasting, but embeds a dramatic concept to which one will often refer. A few years ago, I underwent one of these experiences in which I realized that life entailed no inherent meaning, but only that of which I could myself assign to my actions and despite this I must somehow find happiness in my life. One will always perceive life and its events differently. Because of this, two entirely similar events may influence two individuals in the exact opposite directions. Persons can usually be associated with one of the traditional temperaments, which are phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, and melancholic. These temperaments are representative of the four humors; phlegm, yellow bile, blood and black vile respectively. One will view and translate events based upon their own personal temperament. I find myself to be melancholic and in that, I find the most significance in seemingly insignificant events. During my freshman year, I was writing a paper for English Class late one night. I recollect the paper was based on the views of Ernest Hemingway. In my frustration, I asked myself, How important is this paper? This was the first time I had ever asked myself this question. In all the assignments prior to this point I had never questioned their importance. In fact, I surprised myself with the answer. At that moment, I realized that the essay was completely unimportant and would not effect me in the long run. Upon this, I began to exam all the events of earlier in the day. I could not find any real meaning in any of these events. Suddenly and horrifically I came to the assumption that not only my life, but life in general was seemingly meaningless in the scheme of the universe. With this conclusion I came to wonder, is life worth living? Up until this point I had found meaning in my life. In order to live productively, I understood that I must assign meaning to my life. In accepting this false meaning, I am able to survive. If one could not find any meaning in his life, it would be a depressing life that he would lead and probably seek suicide. When one dies, he is nothing. With death staring one in the face, one might ask himself was life at all important? If this individual was able to perceive meaning in his life, then the answer will be yes. Happiness is found in toiling with one^?s goals. After completing the paper I found happiness in my struggle of completing a meaningless task. Completing this paper put me one step closer in my ever-lasting goal of obtaining success. I feel that happiness is found in the effort to reach one^?s aspirations. Without happiness life is not worth living. All are condemned to death. No one knows exactly when the inevitable will come, but everyone knows it is inescapable. Knowing this, it is obviously difficult to ascertain meaning in one^?s life, and in knowing this, it is obvious that life is universally meaningless. Life is only bearable if one can find a faux sense of happiness and meaning in his life.

A Complete List of Oprahs Book Club Selections

A Complete List of Oprah's Book Club Selections Oprahs Book Club is a cultural force. Books that might otherwise be overlooked by the general public catapult onto the bestseller lists after being selected. The so-called Oprah Effect is estimated to have sold more than 60 million copies of the Book Clubs selections, and its made several authors into household names. It goes without saying that authors would cheerfully kill to have their books make the list, but dont bother submitting one for consideration. Oprah Winfrey is personally and solely in charge of selecting her Book Clubs books, and her decisions are reportedly based on what she likes and what has moved her. Her producers nonetheless receive literally hundreds upon hundreds of books and manuscripts every week as writers beg for consideration. Its said that she doesnt comb through them looking for one that strikes her fancy. Rather, she reads something and thinks, This is great and includes the work.   Oprahs Book Club has been credited with reviving a culture of literary discussion,  and it represents one of the most lasting legacies from the original Oprah Winfrey Show. The original book club took a hiatus for a period of time when The Oprah Winfrey Show went off the air, then it was revived as Oprahs Book Club 2.0 in 2012 and is now based on Winfreys OWN network. Oprahs Book Club Novels by Year of Selection 1996 The Book of Ruth by Jane HamiltonSong of Solomon by Toni MorrisonThe Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard 1997 The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill CosbyThe Treasure Hunt by Bill CosbyThe Best Way to Play by Bill CosbyEllen Foster by Kaye GibbonsA Virtuous Woman by Kaye GibbonsA Lesson Before Dying by Ernest GainesSongs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry MorrisThe Heart of a Woman by Maya AngelouThe Rapture of Canaan by Sheri ReynoldsStones from the River by Ursula HegiShes Come Undone by Wally Lamb 1998 Where the Heart Is by Billie LettsMidwives by Chris BohjalianWhat Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl CleageI Know This Much is True by Wally LambBreath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge DanticatBlack and Blue by Anna QuindlenHere on Earth by Alice HoffmanParadise by Toni Morrison 1999 A Map of the World by Jane HamiltonVinegar Hill by A. Manette AnsayRiver, Cross My Heart by Breena ClarkeTara Road by Maeve BinchyMother of Pearl by Melinda HaynesWhite Oleander by Janet FitchThe Pilots Wife by Anita ShreveThe Reader by Bernhard SchlinkJewel by Bret Lott 2000 House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus IIIDrowning Ruth by Christina SchwarzOpen House by Elizabeth BergThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara KingsolverWhile I Was Gone by Sue MillerThe Bluest Eyes by Toni MorrisonBack Roads by Tawni ODellDaughter of Fortune by Isabelle AllendeGap Creek by Robert Morgan 2001 A Fine Balance by Rohinton MistryThe Corrections by Jonathan FranzenCane River by Lalita TademyStolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika OufkirIcy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman RubioWe Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates 2002 Sula by Toni MorrisonFall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald 2003 East of Eden by John SteinbeckCry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton 2004 One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcà ­a MrquezThe Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullersAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyThe Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck 2005 A Million Little Pieces by James FreyAs I Lay Dying by William FaulknerThe Sound and the Fury by William FaulknerA Light in August by William Faulkner 2006 Night by Elie Wiesel 2007 The Measure of a Man by Sidney PoitierThe Road by Cormac McCarthyMiddlesex by Jeffrey EugenidesLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcà ­a MrquezThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 2008 A New Earth by Eckhart TolleThe Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski 2009 Say Youre One of Them by Uwem Akpan 2010 Freedom by Jonathan FranzenA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens 2012 (Oprahs Book Club 2.0) Wild by Cheryl StrayedThe Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis 2014 The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (this selection was actually announced in 2013, but the book was not published until 2014). 2015 Ruby by Cynthia Bond 2016 The Underground Railroad by Colson WhiteheadLove Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton   2017 Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue 2018 An American Marriage by Tayari JonesThe Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray HintonBecoming by Michelle Obama

Metal vs. Mettle

Metal vs. Mettle Metal vs. Mettle Metal vs. Mettle By Maeve Maddox At one time, metal and mettle were alternative spellings for the material or substance a thing was made of. Classical Latin metallum had the meaning of mine or quarry as well as the substances obtained from them. Metal is a hard, shiny, malleable material like gold, silver, or copper that is used in the manufacture of tools or artifacts. It’s shiny, malleable, and it conducts heat. The word metal can be used either as a mass noun or as a count noun: Saucepan handles are usually made from wood or plastic because they don’t transfer heat as well as metal. (mass noun) Metals play a critical role in the creation of contemporary jewelry by affecting appearance, durability and cost. (count noun) Mettle derives from the same source as metal and was once used in the same way. Since about the 18th century, however, mettle has been reserved for figurative use. It refers to what a person is â€Å"made of.† Mettle includes character, disposition, and temperament. It is often used with the verbs test, prove, and show, particularly in sports writing: Bruins Marchand shows his mettle Djokovic must prove his mettle against Nadal on clay Young runners test their mettle during Hy-Vee runs Kelso showed his mettle and won by three-quarters of a length. Shakespeare uses the word in Macbeth’s sexist compliment to his wife after she berates him for hesitating to kill Duncan: Bring forth men-children only; For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. –Macbeth, I, vii, 72-74. The adjective mettlesome describes a high-spirited, vivacious, lively person: In The Taming of the Shrew, Kate is Baptista’s mettlesome elder daughter. Mettlesome can also mean courageous: Là ¼ Kuang is fresh from his victories in the west, and his soldiers are vigorous and mettlesome.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œThe Art of War, XI. Applied to an animal, especially a horse, it means â€Å"lively, eager, spirited, frisky.† It can also be applied to an event: [The tennis players] delivered a mettlesome performance from start to finish, bringing the ultimate title under their names. Mettlesome from the noun mettle is not to be confused with meddlesome, the adjective that goes with the verb meddle, â€Å"to interfere.† Hillsdale College Chief Remark Pricks Meddlesome Bureaucrats How to Handle Your Meddlesome In Laws Meddle comes from a word meaning â€Å"to mix.† Meddlesome people mix in where they are not wanted. Mettlesome people are often fun to know. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†55 Boxing IdiomsHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk