Business Start Up Basics
In the HBS Digest, we discussed getting a business up and running. We took a couple of steps a month and by the end of the year we had our grand opening for our business. In this article we will discuss nine succinct steps to put you on the path to success with your own business start up. First, you need to make up a plan and then pick out a couple of things to accomplish each month. Second, you need to  define your short term goals. Yes

Placement & Talent Management
Whatever happened to the concept of “placement?” I can remember, in the not too distant past, talking with client organizations about “selection and placement.” They still talk about selection, but placement is now largely ignored.Placement is critically important to both organizational and individual effectiveness. Placement is related to selection, but placement should be considered as a separate and distinct function in its own right.I am not sure that many sales people, managers, and small business owners really have a systematic way of planning their tasks and programs. I must be far behind but I discovered for myself recently a very good way of doing that. I have known about story boarding for a long time, however, I was not aware of the business technique of mind mapping.

Recently I have discovered this remarkable way of putting on paper or on your computer screen the ability to list all the ideas one might have on a particular task or program and then to plan out all the steps in a logical way. Doing so makes it a visual way of conceiving the project. Mind mapping does that for me.

Some people like task lists that can be date and time stamped or just making a list of tasks and the dates by which they need to be completed. Some like project management capabilities, but the mind map is the ability to brainstorm all the ideas and tasks that are needed for a project and then to visually show them through boxes or clouds or pictures or whatever you choose. It is also a great way to have your team have all their brainstorming placed coherently on a screen or computer program. It is a powerful way to move from A all the way to Z on a project or on an idea. It provides a way to do so for those of us who are "visual" people.

I used mind mapping when I worked on the production and marketing of my new book project. I placed a picture of the book in the mind mapping program and then from that picture I was able to list over a period of time all the tasks and their deadline dates, including the person responsible, to get the book to production as an eBook, print book and audio book. It was awesome to see the project and to have a ready handle on the whole project at hand.

Recently we decided to produce an upcoming series of podcasts on business and I began the same process with the podcast, going as far as listing desired themes and guests, and what all was needed to begin producing the podcasts in the first place. Mind mapping has really been a godsend for m

or on your computer screen the ability to list all the ideas one might have on a particular task or program and then to plan out all the steps in a logical way. Doing so makes it a visual way of conceiving the project. Mind mapping does that for me.

Some people like task lists that can be date and time stamped or just making a list of tasks and the dates by which they need to be completed. Some like project management capabilities, but the mind map is the ability to brainstorm all the ideas and tasks that are needed for a project and then to visually show them through boxes or clouds or pictures or whatever you choose. It is also a great way to have your team have all their brainstorming placed coherently on a screen or computer program. It is a powerful way to move from A all the way to Z on a project or on an idea. It provides a way to do so for those of us who are "visual" people.

I used mind mapping when I worked on the production and marketing of my new book project. I placed a picture of the book in the mind mapping program and then from that picture I was able to list over a period of time all the tasks and their deadline dates, including the person responsible, to get the book to production as an eBook, print book and audio book. It was awesome to see the project and to have a ready handle on the whole project at hand.

Recently we decided to produce an upcoming series of podcasts on business and I began the same process with the podcast, going as far as listing desired themes and guests, and what all was needed to begin producing the podcasts in the first place. Mind mapping has really been a godsend for

gement capabilities, but the mind map is the ability to brainstorm all the ideas and tasks that are needed for a project and then to visually show them through boxes or clouds or pictures or whatever you choose. It is also a great way to have your team have all their brainstorming placed coherently on a screen or computer program. It is a powerful way to move from A all the way to Z on a project or on an idea. It provides a way to do so for those of us who are "visual" people.

I used mind mapping when I worked on the production and marketing of my new book project. I placed a picture of the book in the mind mapping program and then from that picture I was able to list over a period of time all the tasks and their deadline dates, including the person responsible, to get the book to production as an eBook, print book and audio book. It was awesome to see the project and to have a ready handle on the whole project at hand.

Recently we decided to produce an upcoming series of podcasts on business and I began the same process with the podcast, going as far as listing desired themes and guests, and what all was needed to begin producing the podcasts in the first place. Mind mapping has really been a godsend for

vides a way to do so for those of us who are "visual" people.

I used mind mapping when I worked on the production and marketing of my new book project. I placed a picture of the book in the mind mapping program and then from that picture I was able to list over a period of time all the tasks and their deadline dates, including the person responsible, to get the book to production as an eBook, print book and audio book. It was awesome to see the project and to have a ready handle on the whole project at hand.

Recently we decided to produce an upcoming series of podcasts on business and I began the same process with the podcast, going as far as listing desired themes and guests, and what all was needed to begin producing the podcasts in the first place. Mind mapping has really been a godsend for

book. It was awesome to see the project and to have a ready handle on the whole project at hand.

Recently we decided to produce an upcoming series of podcasts on business and I began the same process with the podcast, going as far as listing desired themes and guests, and what all was needed to begin producing the podcasts in the first place. Mind mapping has really been a godsend for me.

What about all those mind mapping programs? As is always the case, there is a great deal of selection when it comes to mind mapping software. You can get commercial mind mapping programs that cost hundreds of dollars. I downloaded one of their trial versions for my book project and to see if I really liked and would use the concept. I then turned to open source mind mapping software as an alternative. For my purposes as a business person and for the multiplicity of needs I have, from internet marketing to corporate ideas and tasks to book and blog projects, I decided at least for the time being to forgo the expense of software and use an open source mind mapping program. It was also a very good free download.

You may decide a different route but whatever direction you decide to go, from purchasing commercial mind mapping programs to open source programs, I suggest that you get serious about mind mapping your ideas and projects for your business. It will be a great way to make sure that you are on top of things in your planning and execution. And it will help those who are with you on the project to see the end result, including the process on how you arrived there.

I do not know where i have been, however, i wish now that i had discovered mind mapping years ago. Do not find yourself wishing the same thing. Try mind mapping! See if it organizes your ideas, plans and projects better for you. It may be an essential item in growing your business