Goal Setting with Mind Maps

In this hands-on webinar, Liam Hughes (Founder: Biggerplate) walks through a practical, repeatable method for goal setting using mind maps. Drawing from Biggerplate’s internal approach and client experiences, Liam shares how to structure thinking, identify meaningful objectives, and track progress using OKRs — all within a mind mapping framework. Whether you’re setting personal, team, or organizational goals, this session helps you "sharpen the axe" before jumping into action. Timestamped Topics & Themes [00:00:00] Welcome & Introduction Liam sets the stage, introduces himself, and outlines the agenda for the session. [00:01:18] Overview of the Goal Setting Approach Introducing the Biggerplate approach — practical, repeatable, and adaptable across contexts. [00:03:29] Why Goal Setting Often Fails Common pitfalls: skipping reflection, unrealistic ambitions, setting too many goals, lack of measurement. [00:07:18] The Importance of Context and Reflection Before setting goals, pause to assess where you are now. Mind mapping supports this broad-to-focused thinking. [00:11:35] Why Mind Mapping Supports Better Goal Setting Visual structure, brainstorming, iteration, collaboration, and memory reinforcement. [00:16:19] Facilitating Goal Setting with Teams How mind mapping supports group sessions and captures multiple perspectives effectively. [00:18:20] Step 1: Pause and Reflect (Positives/Negatives) Use a mind map to review what's worked and what hasn't — personally or organizationally. [00:27:00] Step 2: Identify Action Areas (Start/Stop/More/Less/Maintain) Simple prompts to uncover patterns and focus areas before defining goals. [00:34:16] Step 3: Drafting OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) Explanation of OKRs, their origins, and how to use mind maps to structure them. Emphasis on simplicity and measurability. [00:38:57] Creating Draft Objectives and Scoring Progress Tips for writing draft goals and defining how you’ll measure success. [00:43:44] Tracking and Iterating with Mind Mapping Software Using icons, notes, and links to track key results and update maps over time. [00:50:01] Cascading OKRs in BiggerPlate How Biggerplate uses OKRs at hedgehog (3–5 year), strategic, business unit, and individual levels. [00:52:58] Summary: A Template for Any Context Use this mind mapping structure for any goal — from personal fitness to launching a business. [00:56:25] Q&A and Final Reflections Answers on timing for group sessions, using templates, and applying the method to meetings and startups. Featuring: MindManager