“In 2013 alone more than 300 people attended our two flagship programmes for iMindMap and Mind Mapping.”
ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor, Keith Usher, has a career spanning 25 years as a Management Consultant and Trainer, ranging from international based consultancy with Zurich Group to setting up Insight Learning Organisation, a specialised management consultancy and training operation in the Middle East and Africa.
Keith grew up in Kenya, and went on to study for his BSc Honours degree in Psychology at Surrey University. In addition to his work as a Management Consultant and Trainer, Keith is passionate about wildlife conservation and spends up to 3 months each year in Africa where he qualified as a FGASA Field and Trails Guide. He enjoys photography and volunteer work, as well as developing his knowledge of African wildlife and conservation.
How it all started for Keith:
Keith first learned about Mind Mapping 18 years ago, as a Training Consultant with life assurance group, Allied Dunbar, in the UK. While attending a conference during this time, he met Tony Buzan. He says:
“… he gave me a personal autographed copy of ‘The Book of Genius’ and a personal message in a Mind Map format that said ‘Use both sides of your brain to get ahead’. He has since re-signed that book twice, once in the UK when I attended a course in Henley in 2009, and again in Dubai in 2011 when I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him and discuss his visits to Africa.”
Keith was an early exponent of primacy and recency learning, incorporating Mind Map summaries in to all of his training programmes both at the end of each module and as a review of learning every morning. Because of this, he decided to take the next step and attended a Mind Mapping course in 2009, and the ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor Course in Dubai, in 2011.
“The instruction provided by Tony and Chris was of the very highest standard, ably backed up by the comprehensive iMindMap software tuition provided by Senior Trainer Owen Hardy.”
Keith is the owner and Managing Director of the Dubai based Insight Learning Organisation, that offer specialised management and leadership development training and consultancy. He uses Mind Maps to design all of the organisation’s corporate training modules.
“A Mind Map is the best tool I have ever used for planning and designing, whether working on a project, a speech or a business plan, or as is most common in my case… a training programme. I also use Mind Mapping for delivering programme content in lieu of PowerPoint, even for non-Mind Mapping courses.”
What has Keith gained since attending the ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor course?:
Since receiving the ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor accreditation, the Insight Learning Organisation has become one of the most proactive companies in the Middle East promoting accredited ThinkBuzan Mind Mapping courses.
“In 2013 alone more than 300 people attended our two flagship programmes for iMindMap and Mind Mapping. We are working closely with ThinkBuzan to create a structured offering to our clients, in terms of training content and design, software versions, books and the very highest standards of training design and delivery. Our accredited courses are delivered over two or three days to ensure learning is transferred into the workplace.”
Mind Map clients of Insight Learning Organisation include the UAE Government Ministries and many corporate organisations based both in the Middle East and internationally.
What’s next on Keith’s Mind Mapping agenda?:
Keith is eager to promote learning through Mind Mapping to a wider audience in the Middle East, particularly within the Ministry of Education, and has met with Tony Buzan on a number of occasions to discuss and plan future Mind Mapping initiatives within the UAE.
“In 2014 we introduced public programmes to complement our in-house training. To date we have delivered two courses in Dubai with four others planned for Abu Dhabi, Qatar and again in Dubai.
This month we are running a programme for the Prime Minister’s Office in Dubai, and are in discussion with the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development for introducing Mind Map workshops for UAE national school children.”
If you have been inspired by Keith’s journey with Mind Mapping and are interested in attending our ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor course, please see our Training page for more information.
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