Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mind Mapping... gyud!

Whew! I just came back from two fun-filled Cebu Mind Mapping runs. This post is a bit overdue, but better late than never! We had our Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers last May 22 and 23 with Cebu Holdings at the lovely Laguna Garden Cafe (which was just a 5-7 minute walk from the hotel we stayed). At the same time, we also held our Mind Mapping for Kids on May 23 and 24 at the Golden ABC training room.

May 21- Off to Cebu
After hauling what seemed like a ton of materials and luggages from the airport to the hotel, Bernard, Ivy, and I settled in the Marriott Hotel in Mactan, Cebu to reenergize for the following day's Mind Mapping session.


May 22- Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers - 1st day with Cebu Holdings

The venue where we held our Mind Mapping run for Cebu Holdings is just at the back of our hotel. We could have just walked, however with the materials we were bringing to the venue, we definitely needed transportation. The Mind Mapping workshop apparently was a not-to-be-missed workshop, that was why after bringing a suitcase-full of Mind Mapping materials, I had to run back to the hotel to grab additional items for the additional participants of Cebu Holdings. We had 23 participants, total.

* * * * * * * *
An "Are you ok?" experience
Upon grabbing the additional items from the hotel, namely, 15 juggling balls (which weighed 5kg), 20 sketchbooks, and a large luggage, I dragged myself to the elevator, but syempre, kailangan 'poise' pa rin yung paglalakad. I am in a semi-business attire, after all. Someone in the hallway asked me if I was checking out. I whizzed past him with an loud, "Nope, not today!" I didn't have time to call for a bellboy, because I was pressed for time. When the elevator reached the ground floor and that audible 'ding' sounded, I was face-to-face with a, surprise, surprise... a bellboy. He looked at my 'dilemma', smiled and asked, "Hi Ma'm! Do you need assistance?" I looked at him and smiled, but deep down, I was exclaiming, "Obvious ba?!"

I handed him the bags, and since I had this facade of the bags being light, he wasn't prepared with the weight. He literally... and I mean LITERALLY almost kissed the floor. I gasped an "Whoa! Are you ok?" The bellboy replied, "Ma'm, kabug-at ma'n to. Anong laman nito?"

* * * * * * * *

The President of Cebu Holdings, Francis O. Monera, was present during the Mind Mapping workshop and said some short welcome remarks. Cecil Urbina, in charge of the trainings for Cebu Holdings (and whose sister-in-law happens to own Laguna Garden Cafe) introduced Bernard Marquez as the facilitator for Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers. We started the seminar just before 9am.

Sometime before lunch, I did an ocular at the Golden ABC training room to set up and prepare the materials for the MMKids seminar the following day.
One of the highlights of this day was when the participants did the paperclip exercise. All of them had a lot of fun laughing and giggling at the 'creative' ways a paperclip can be used. They also enjoyed the juggling, as one of the participants commented, "This is good for daily exercise."


May 23- Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers - 2nd day with Cebu Holdings and Mind Mapping for Kids - 1st day

Yes, you've read it right. We held the 2nd day for MMCTLM on May 24 and at the same time, we also held our first MMKids in Cebu. At 730am, after bringing Bernard to Laguna Garden Cafe, I accompanied Ivy to Golden ABC (thankfully, we had transportation, provided by Golden ABC) to take us to their office. After 30 mins of setting up, the kids started coming in, accompanied by their parents, who helped them to their seats (and paid for their workshop fees). The early bird award goes to Charles and Kyle Liu, who arrived a bit past 8am. ^_^ We had 22 kids total - ages ranging from 7 years to 18 years. Lovely, bright kids they all are. I couldn't help but smile when I hear them speak English, then insert their Cebuano expressions in the end. For example, "Don't do that, lagi! or "It's Mind Mapping, bitaw."

I would like to note here that the kids learned juggling really fast. I had to buy additional prizes for those who were able to juggle. I can't forget Gio - who wanted to win 1 additional prize, so that he could give one to his sister, Patricia (who was also attending the MMKids workshop). Such a thoughtful kid.

Around 330pm, we rushed back to Laguna Garden Cafe to see how Bernard was doing with the adults. He just finished raffling off 5 i-Mind Mapping installers to the participants.

May 24 - Mind Mapping for Kids - 2nd day and back to Manila

Last day for our Mind Mapping for Kids workshop. Ivy enlisted the help of Bernard, because we separated the kids from the teenagers. Bernard handled 6 kids, while Ivy handled 16 teenagers - separate classrooms, of course.

After our Mind Mapping for Kids workshop, we gave our congratulations and the certificates to the kids. We chatted a bit with Alice and Benjie Liu - who helped us bring the Mind Mapping for Kids workshop to Cebu. God-willing, we will definitely see more Mind Mapping sessions held in Cebu in the future.

My dream is that Mind Mapping will be a common jargon in the Philippines and this amazing brain tool will be available to everyone.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go - waiting at the airport

It's 630pm and I'm at the Mactan airport waiting for my flight. It has been raining non-stop since 330pm and it doesn't look that it's letting up soon. I'm also waiting for 2 of the facilitators to finish their 30-minute massage - which they badly need after a job well-done. By the way, our flight was delayed for another 25 minutes. Haaay. Somehow, I'm glad that I was able to eat something at the hotel or else I'll be really hungry right now. Right now, I'm checking my email - offline mode, while propping my legs up on my big "Guji" hand-carry. Hehehe. I could feel the eyes of those passing by - as if they've never seen a person like me... a 26-year old, typing away on her laptop. Maybe it's an unusual sight in the Mactan airport. I really didn't bother anymore, since I chose at that exact moment to be oblivious to my surroundings and reflect on my experience in Cebu.

I take deep breath, lie back on the cold airport bench, close my eyes for a moment and try to recall what my eyes have hungrily took in from the time I've stepped off the plane.

The best of all these experiences was being exposed to a different culture. I quietly observed the boisterous nature of the Cebuanos - always ready to share a good laugh, as well as their friendliness. I will never forget their hospitality during my stay there - most especially our 2 drivers - Ching and Nilo, the two people who have assisted me with my logistics - Grace and Leslie, and this nice, soft-spoken Australian (or American foreigner) in his late fifties, who was wheelchair, whom Bernard and I assisted with his hotel keycard so he can enter his room. I never got his name, but I hope he'll be all right.

If ever you visit Cebu, try their seafood. I absolutely loved it. I didn't have time to dine at Dimsum Break - a restaurant that a friend of mine said is a must-visit, because the Chinese food is really good.

The intercom jolted me from my reverie; the plane is ready to accept passengers. I check my time. It's 8:30pm and thankfully, it has stopped raining. As I settled on my plane seat (I take the window seat of course - Ivy and Bernard are out cold), I look out my window and see the clear nightscape of Mactan - my eyes tracing the tiny dots of light that frame the buildings and the roads... before it was covered by clouds.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Join the Mind Mapping seminar on July 15 and 16 and find out how it helps companies build intellectual capital

"Last Call! Save as much as P1,000 when you register as a group!"

"Highly interactive! A great learning experience applicable to almost any organizational structure or task!" - Ms. Marie Grace B. Marci, BrandLab Inc.

Don't miss out on this must-attend training! Unleash your mind's potential and the genius in you on our 11th Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers, July 15 and 16, 2008 at the Intercontinental Manila, DasmariƱas Function Room. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn the revolutionary thinking tool - Mind Maps and unleash your mind's potential and enhance your organization's intellectual capital.

Our brain is a sleeping giant. Many experts believe that we use as little as 1% of our brain, spending very little time on:
  • creative thinking applied to different disciplines
  • concentration as a function of time
  • memory performance during and after the assimilation of information
  • the art of communication for memory
  • the effect of our modes of thought on habit patterns and change.
Statistics show that, on average, executives spend:
  • 30% of their time reading and sorting through information
  • 20% of their time solving problems and thinking creatively
  • 20% of their time communicating
What if YOU are given the operations manual of the brain to unleash your brain's full potential and creative genius?

Invest in your intellectual capital and see how it will change and affect your organization!

Mind Mapping will help you:
  • Absorb various trainings and learnings better!
  • Brainstorm better and faster through the Bloom™ techniques and generate 10x more creative ideas.
  • Plan and set goals, write proposals and letters 4x faster
  • Multi-task and set priorities with ease
  • Prepare better for presentations, meetings and briefings with confidence and less stress - and much more!
Find out what the excitement and buzz of Mind Mapping is all about:

"Learning to do mind maps is a big help in the development of an individual. Definitely a worthy investment!" - Ms. Lucille P. Tolentino, Rustan marketing Specialists, Inc.

"This exceeds my expectations. I thought I won't have fun, but I did!" - Grace Diamante, Shell Philippines Exploration

"The best seminar I have ever attend in years!!!" - Mr. Danilo A. Aparis, Alarm Security & Investigation Services, Inc.

Look Who's Signed Up!

Join companies such as Globe Telecom, Microsoft, Unilab, Leo Burnett, PLDT, and Ace Saatchi and Saatchi, who have previously attended our Mind Mapping workshops.

This workshop is designed by Tony Buzan - the world's leading expert on the brain, the Creative Intelligence Guru and author of over 90 books on creative thinking. He is also the founder of the Mind Maps, the thinking tool used by over 250 million people. Currently, he holds the world's highest creativity IQ.

Facilitated by a Bernard Marquez, one of the few Buzan-Licensed Instructors in the Philippines who trained and was certified in Singapore, this is a workshop designed to help you unleash your brain's full potential by teaching you how to maximize both parts of your brain.

Be part of the many managers and executives in discovering how to create better plans, strategies, proposals, and presentations. With the Mind Mapping tools you will see how it can help you conceptualize new product and business ideas.

We encourage you to scroll down below and read up on how Mind Mapping has helped individuals and companies - even cities!

Thanks and God bless!

P.S. Special Group rates - save as much as P1,000! Just scroll down the invitation below and simply email back reservation form at slvguru (at) pldtdsl (dot) net or nicole (at) saltandlight (dot) ph. Or, you may print out the reservation form and fax it at 8132745.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Our very first Mindmapping workshop in Cebu City

Nicole, Ivy and Bernard are in Cebu today holding a MindMapping workshop for Cebu Holdings. Simultaneously, they are also doing a workshop for the 22 kids of Bernie and Alice Liu of Penshoppe fame (they are the owners). Actually just 3 of the 22 kids are theirs. :-) The rest are kids of their friends and family.

But everyone is having a blast! Pictures to be posted by Nicole soon.

Just came across a funny article. Wish this had happened to me when I was a student! Have a great weekend.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSPAT25021620080522?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Wrigley's

Nicole, our resident Mind Mapping project manager, and our Buzan Licensed Instructor (BLI), Aggie Sarthou will be running an in-house Mind Mapping workshop for Wrigley's starting tomorrow, May 8, and Friday, May 9.

I have a soft spot for Wrigley's. Their brand name brings back childhood memories of the gum I used to chew in school and place under my desk. :-) But, now that I think about it, I guess our Singapore Buzan partners don't appreciate that. They've never experienced chewing gum in Singapore lah!

Watch this post for pictures and feedback from our Wrigley's participants.

We'll also be posting stuff from our public Mindmapping workshop being conducted by Bernard Marquez, BLI, at the Intercon Hotel in Makati.

To find out more about Mindmapping check out the page in our website: www.saltandlightventures.net

Good night!
Ardy

The Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers Workshop™ Seminar Details

5 Reasons Why You Should Sign Up Now:
  1. Learn Mind Mapping - a colorful, visual form of note-taking that involves the whole brain, can be worked on by an individual or a team, and is proven to get results.

  2. Discover how to find solutions and what is restricting you when brainstorming.

  3. Unleash creativity by unpacking the meaning of "associations between ideas" and the importance of imagery.

  4. Participate in a hands-on Mind Mapping workshop about real-life organizational/corporate issues.

  5. Find out how to optimize your learning and absorption of information, especially for trainings and briefings.

Workshop Overview

The Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers Workshop™ is a training program that will help unleash your creativity. By teaching you how to MindMap, you will discover how to use your whole brain (right and left) to create original ideas and thoughts.

As Tony Buzan explains in his Bestselling book Mind Maps at Work, "Mind Maps can help you at work in an infinite number of ways, because like you, Mind Maps are workers. When Mind Maps are at work, they work hard; enabling you to think radiantly and unleash your own incredible potential-they will become your allies: they will be there to support you in any working situation."

Workshop Design

The name workshop says it all. While our two-day workshop is led by an engaging Buzan Center Philippines Facilitator, you'll soon realize this is not just your ordinary sit-and-soak event. You can be assured that it will be an enlightening and fun program that you've ever participated in.

Who Should Attend
  • Leaders, managers, supervisors, directors, executives, and teams who give importance to organizational development and completion of goals and finding solutions

  • Trainers and HR professions who are responsible for implementing innovation, creativity and leadership programs within their organizations.
Action Planning

Nothing is more important than transferring what you learn in the classroom back to your work environment. That is why we purposely schedule time during the workshop for you to create your own Mind Maps and apply it to your projects at work or at home. Our Facilitator will walk you through critical steps so that you will be able to take advantage of the full potential of this wonderful tool.

About the Course Designer - Tony Buzan: Holder of the World's Highest Creativity IQ

Tony Buzan is the creator of the Mind Mapping thinking technique. Mind Maps, a learning technique described as 'The Swiss Army Knife of the Brain,' is used by over 250 million people worldwide including officials and staff in the Singaporean Government and School System and executives in Oracle, Microsoft, Con Edison and Boeing.

Tony Buzan is also the co-founder of the Mind Sports Olympiad and originator of the Mental Literacy concept. Most of his teaching generally divides up into general awareness of the extensive capabilities and capacities of the brain and its functions, memory skills, reading skills, mind map note-taking, creativity, and how brain functions can be improved over time.

To date, Tony Buzan has written over 90 books and many best sellers including Mind Maps at Work: How to Be the Best at Your Job and Still Have Time to Play, The Power of Creative Intelligence, The Brainsmart Leader, and The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential.

Mind Maps -

create "new knowledge"

"...a new generation of Mind Mapping software can also be used as a digital "blank slate" to help connect and synthesize ideas and data - and ultimately create new knowledge." - Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft

help organize your materials for speeches

"If I am concerned about having too much or what to cover in a speech, I organize it by Mind Mapping the material." - Ken Blanchard - Author, One Minute Manager

inspire innovation

'Mind Maps have permeated Oracle. They are part of a drive for greater innovation within the company. Mind Maps have enabled us to improve our effectiveness. - Alan Matcham, Director of Oracle

Imagine the transformation it could do for your career, business, and life! Harness the power of creativity and the ability of conceptualizing innovative ideas for your organization.

Mind Mapping: Creative Thinking for Leaders and Managers™ is a workshop designed to help you unleash your brain's full potential.

In search of genius



Tony Buzan on BBC Working Lunch


Tony Buzan on Speed Reading


Tony Buzan at the Royal Albert Hall


Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Training Investment and Registration

Regular rate is only P12,977 + 12% Vat

Inclusive of:
  • Workshop Manual
  • Special Mind Mapping activity handouts
  • Workshop "Brain" Kit
  • Certificate of completion
  • Lunch and 2 snacks per day
Sign up now!

*Group discounts :
  • 3 delegates - Less P 300 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 4 delegates - Less P 400 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 5 delegates - Less P 500 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 6 delegates - Less P 600 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 7 delegates - Less P 700 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 8 delegates - Less P 800 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 9 delegates - Less P 900 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
  • 10 delegates - Less P 1,000 per delegate on top of Regular Rate
To reserve seat(s) for your delegates, please fill e-mail the form below and return it to this address (or email it to slvguru (at) pldtdsl (dot) net if this has been forwarded to you)

Look! 4 Easy Ways to Reserve:

[ ] Fill out the form below and Email us at slvguru@pldtdsl.net or nicole@saltandlight.ph

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REGISTRATION FORM

MIND MAPPING: CREATIVE THINKING FOR LEADERS & MANAGERS WORKSHOP with BERNARD MARQUEZ

May 8 and 9 2008, Intercontinental Manila, DasmariƱas Function Room
9:00AM - 5:00PM

Source: http://manilamindmappers.blogspot.com/

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3. All seminar fees must be prepaid.

Rave reviews for Tony Buzan's Mind Mapping techniques

Simplifying complexities at work:
"We are a complicated business so Mind Maps help - I could not manage the complexity of my work without Mind Maps. I have often used Mind Maps to deal with the complexities of how we should move forward. Frankly, they are invaluable." - Alan Matcham, Director of Oracle

Time-saving:
"Mind Mapping enables me to do in minutes what used to take me hours, sometimes even days." - Jeffrey Mayer -Author, "Time Management for Dummies"

Money-saving:
"The use of Mind Mapping is an integral part of my quality improvement project here at Boeing. This has provided savings of over $10M this year for my organisation ( 10 times our goal)" - Mike Stanley, BOEING CORPORATION - USA

More Rave Reviews:

"Mind Mapping itself is an effective tool to simplify complex ideas/concepts. Creating my own mind maps was fun & relaxing - great timing for us busy people to take a time-off from our work and enjoy what we're doing." - Gertrude Marie A. Martinez, MERALCO

"Very exciting, challenging, enlightening! Mind Mapping is definitely a 'thinking out of the box' tool that can be used individually and corporately." - Ms. Vilma P. Salvio, Philippine Bible Society

"It's a creative way of thinking for different situations - life planning, strategic planning, meetings, and designing programs!" - Lea M. Dublado, Petron Corporation

"Mind Mapping is helpful in achieving results!" - Michael Miranda, BPI

"I'll be able to use mind mapping for brainstorming and discussions!" - Janet Ong, LBC Express, Inc.

"I will share my learnings with my co-workers and apply the principles in coaching and mentoring." - Jocelyn Villacorta, ACE Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Inc.

Featured Facilitator: Bernard Marquez

Bernard Marquez is a certified Buzan Licensed Instructor (BLI) in the Philippines who trained at the Buzan Centre Asia in Singapore. He is a pioneer in using MindMapping in the Philippines, having applied Mindmaps in business, church, the academe and at home. Bernard has also attended training sessions directly under MindMapping inventor, Tony Buzan. (As firm believers in the use of Mindmapping to all aspects of their lives, Bernard and his wife, Ivy, who is also a certified BLI, home school their children using Mindmapping as one of the most important tools in their education.)

Bernard has extensive business and corporate experience having worked with multinational firms, including Sumitomo (Japan) and Samsung (Korea)." His hope is to help individuals achieve their potentials. Moreover, he specializes in Creativity, Innovation, Leadership and Education training for Teachers, Managers and Students.

Delegates has commented that, "Bernard has great facilitator traits such as friendliness, encouraging, positive, modeling, and competence. Well done!" - Teodoro Lapus, Trainer and Consultant

"Bernard is a great speaker and trainer... you should have more of him for Mind Mapping!" - Vilma P. Salvio, Philippine Bible Society

What is a Mind Map?

A Mind Map is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain.

It harnesses the full range of cortical skills - word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness - in a single, uniquely powerful manner. In so doing, it gives you the freedom to roam the infinite expanses of your brain.

The Mind Map can be applied to every aspect of life where improved learning and clearer thinking will enhance human performance.

Originated in the late 1960s by Tony Buzan, Mind Maps are now used by millions of people around the world - from the very young to the very old - whenever they wish to use their minds more effectively.