MindManager a project manager?

[me]

Could this mind mapping application called MindManager
be considered a project manager as well?

http://tinyurl.com/fjcr3

 

[davegb]

Could this mind mapping application called MindManager
be considered a project manager as well?

http://tinyurl.com/fjcr3

The technique of mind mapping can be very useful in Project Management.
I've used it for years. I don't particularly like any of the software
for mind mapping. I find it works much better for me when I do it
freehand. Just my preference.
In any case, mind mapping is nothing at all like MS Project, which is a
very linear type of approach to simulate primarily the timing aspects
of the project. Of course, other aspects, like costs, can be worked in.
But it's not at all like mind mapping.
I should add that "Project Management" software is a misnomer. To my
knowledge, there is no software extant that does all the Project
Management entails. In this sense, mind mapping is probably closer to
being PM software than Project is. You can use mind mapping as a tool
to oversee the entire project, including aspects that scheduling
software, like Project, can't do. Still, if I had to choose between the
two to manage a project, I'd take Project. I like the specific
information it gives me, and I can handle the rest without mind mapping
if I had to.
Hope this helps in your world.

 

[me]

The technique of mind mapping can be very useful in Project Management.
I've used it for years. I don't particularly like any of the software
for mind mapping. I find it works much better for me when I do it
freehand. Just my preference.
In any case, mind mapping is nothing at all like MS Project, which is a
very linear type of approach to simulate primarily the timing aspects
of the project. Of course, other aspects, like costs, can be worked in.
But it's not at all like mind mapping.
I should add that "Project Management" software is a misnomer. To my
knowledge, there is no software extant that does all the Project
Management entails. In this sense, mind mapping is probably closer to
being PM software than Project is. You can use mind mapping as a tool
to oversee the entire project, including aspects that scheduling
software, like Project, can't do. Still, if I had to choose between the
two to manage a project, I'd take Project. I like the specific
information it gives me, and I can handle the rest without mind mapping
if I had to.
Hope this helps in your world.

Yes this does help

I'm very new to all this so bear with me. <G>

Tell me...can these "tools" be used in my personal life
as well as career?

I've been thinking abt buying MindManger and Project
Kickstart as well

 

[davegb]

Yes this does help

I'm very new to all this so bear with me. <G>

Tell me...can these "tools" be used in my personal life
as well as career?

I've been thinking abt buying MindManger and Project
Kickstart as well

Both these tools can be used in your personal life. Project for doing
projects, MindManager for organizing and figuring out the relationships
between different aspects of your life. You should know that using
Project effectively requires at least a basic knowledge of Critical
Path Method scheduling. You can learn it in a few hours.
I'd also recommend that you look at "TheBrain" software before you buy
MindManager. It's not true mind-mapping software, but it is excellent
at organizing systems with complex relationships. If you're strictly
interested in the various icons, arrow, etc that mind-mapping entails,
it's not for you. But I think it makes better use of a computer's
capabilities than other similar software. It's at
http://www.thebrain.com/.
Best of luck!

 

[davegb]

Personally I find mind mapping to give me a visual view of a project
essentual to its effective management.

I use Mindmanager and find the flexibility of the product and its
integration with other Microsoft Office products has delivered real
benefits in with small, short term proects. I am aware of others using
it for Prince2 implementations, but have not myself.

Sounds like a winner for you!

 

[me]

I use Mindmanager and find the flexibility of the product and its
integration with other Microsoft Office products has delivered real
benefits in with small, short term proects. I am aware of others using
it for Prince2 implementations, but have not myself.

OK

I will buy MindManager then

 

[davegb]

OK

I will buy MindManager then

Sounds like it might be a winner in this situation. My problem with
MindMapping software is that it seems to undermine some of the basic
reasons for MindMapping. The principle one being that when you draw a
mindmap, and create the icons and links, it's YOUR creation. The icons
you choose to represent a given concept are original to you, and this
is what helps to fix the information in your mind and makes it possible
to retain it later. For example, when I studied for the MS Win95
certification exam years ago, in my mindmaps I chose a Sherlock Holmes
pipe as the icon for all the various detection routines that Windoze
does when you boot up. When I took the exam, I could clearly recall
that pipe icon, and the relationships and icons associated with it. If
I had been forced to use icons from a library, like in all the
MindMapping apps, I doubt that pipe would have been there.
When you MindMap in a group, as I have done a few times, the icons are
selected by the group. They reflect the group's collective concept of
how to represent the various things in the map. Software limits your
ability to apply this aspect of MindMapping.
I guess if that aspect is unimportant to you, and you're using the
MindMap for some other reason, this wouldn't matter. I just have
trouble figuring out why I'd use MindMapping if I didn't want to be
able to rememeber the concepts in diagrams so effectively, as I did in
preparing for the Win95 exam.
Hope this helps in your world.

 

[me]

The principle one being that when you draw a
mindmap, and create the icons and links, it's YOUR creation.

Yes....I see your point!

I guess what I'm looking for is a SET of software tools
that will help me become MORE productive. So a
mindmapper could be a tool in that toolbox

I'm also looking for not only software but "systems"
and mind sets as well

 

[davegb]

Yes....I see your point!

I guess what I'm looking for is a SET of software tools
that will help me become MORE productive. So a
mindmapper could be a tool in that toolbox

I'm also looking for not only software but "systems"
and mind sets as well

I certainly encourage you to try them out. I downloaded a number of
test versions years ago, but found the problem I mentioned above. But
who knows, they may work much better for you! I'd be curious to hear
your thoughts on them after you've tried them out.

 

[davegb]

Dave

I agree entirely with you, The way you would use Mindmanager in a group
and personally is different.

As an individual I take the raw output from mindmanager and review it
adding my own icons (either from free graphics, or created myself)

So you actually create your own graphics to use in MindManager? You
must be pretty good at graphic design and very proficient with some
sort of graphics software. Can you tell me more about how you do this?
Am very curious!

and

I play with the lines, their styles etc until I have something that
really works for me, and incidently the iterative process of review
helps me remember and refine the issue \ story that I am working with.
This works well off line and for me as the recipiant. I end up with
something that is personal and delivers real value. It seems to fit
with traditional models of mapping.

I have to work differently when working with a group of people, I may
have a bank of imagers that I believe will be meaningful to that group.
I have to create a map that is accessable to the group.. If I am doing
this in a real time environment - to record a meeting or a brain
storming session then the first iteration can be quite text heavy. This
is not a good thing ......... and I believe it is important to refine
this map if it is going to be a fundimental building block for future
work. It is vital to recognise the collective "readyness to use visual
communication". To show benefits and an incremental move towards
increased visual communication is a good strategy allowing a group to
evolve and trust the results sufficiently so they can peek with a ppe
to represent detection (Cool idea).

The issues here, as we often find are not an issue with the technology
but its implementation. As you can guess I am an avid Mindmanager user
and it helps me understand both my world and other peoples.

Sounds like you have implemented this software extremely well. I agree
with everything you said (which makes you a genius, of course! . Wish
you live somewhere near Denver so we could sit down and I could learn
more about how you've done this. But anything more you can tell me here
I'd be most interested to hear.

 

[me]

Sounds like you have implemented this software extremely well.

Any other softwares or methods to learn so as to become
a SUPER goal achiever?

 

[davegb]

Any other softwares or methods to learn so as to become
a SUPER goal achiever?

Certainly Power Learning (aka "MegaLearing", "Hyperlearning") comes to
mind. If you want to learn a lot fast, it's incredible. When I started
preparing for the Win95 certification exam years ago, I estimated that
using conventional studying techniques, it would take me 2 yrs to go
through the materal (Windows Win95 Resource book, 1400 pages, plus
related materials). That's then I did some networking and discovered
Power Learning. It uses mindmapping, which made it easy, since I
already new about mindmaping. Once I learned how to Power Learn, I
studied hard for 5 weeks (2 - 5 hrs/day) and passed the exam on my
first try. And this is someone who knew/knows practically nothing about
networks, which were a major portion, and the toughest portion of the
exam.

And Covey - "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and the sucessor to
it, whose title I can't recall at the moment. Good stuff.

What have you found in your travels that you'd reccommend?

 

[me]

What have you found in your travels that you'd reccommend?

None yet.<g>

But I realize I'm a terrible under achiever and want to
change this

I have many personal goals I need to achieve and I'm 48
years old. So time is wasting if you know what I mean

 

[davegb]

None yet.<g>

But I realize I'm a terrible under achiever and want to
change this

I have many personal goals I need to achieve and I'm 48
years old. So time is wasting if you know what I mean

Welcome to the club! It happens at your age a lot. I'm 10 yrs older and
have the same feelings. But you're on the right track and seem to have
a good attitude. Best of luck!

 

[bill wells]

Hi Dave

Graphics - I use a product called SnagIT (http://www.techsmith.com/) -
both for screen grad, and for editing images. As you so rightly point
out these don't have to be works of art - but they must be
meaningful to you. Of course Google images can give access to a whole
host of stuff - beware copyright issues. I often find when reviewing
projects that I simply use clients logos to denote different activities
- huge buy in from the client - and helps me remember where I am.

Am I a super user - well I am conscious that there are many
experienced users - but I am a certified trainer in the product and
more importantly avid user, it helps me, a very average person do my
job well. I have the privilage of doing implementations with some very
clever people and they really benefit from the functionality that we
all enjoy. But with all software it has to be implemented in a mindful
way - its not everyones cup of tea and few people start at a run, a
steady walk is nearer the mark. So building the role of the product
incrementally and for many people not diving into the deep end of mind
mapping - simply looking at the software as a solution to some
practical business development issues - and then once these are giving
a recognised return to the business the issue of accelerated learning
and visual communication can be reviewed.

I am happy to review any aspect in more detail - and of course
holidays in the states are always welcome.

Bill

 

[davegb]

Hi Dave

Graphics - I use a product called SnagIT (http://www.techsmith.com/) -
both for screen grad, and for editing images. As you so rightly point
out these don't have to be works of art - but they must be
meaningful to you. Of course Google images can give access to a whole
host of stuff - beware copyright issues. I often find when reviewing
projects that I simply use clients logos to denote different activities
- huge buy in from the client - and helps me remember where I am.

Am I a super user - well I am conscious that there are many
experienced users - but I am a certified trainer in the product and
more importantly avid user, it helps me, a very average person do my
job well. I have the privilage of doing implementations with some very
clever people and they really benefit from the functionality that we
all enjoy. But with all software it has to be implemented in a mindful
way - its not everyones cup of tea and few people start at a run, a
steady walk is nearer the mark. So building the role of the product
incrementally and for many people not diving into the deep end of mind
mapping - simply looking at the software as a solution to some
practical business development issues - and then once these are giving
a recognised return to the business the issue of accelerated learning
and visual communication can be reviewed.

I am happy to review any aspect in more detail - and of course
holidays in the states are always welcome.

Bill

Just curious, Bill. How does screen capture software come in to play
with MindMapping?

 

[bill wells]

Hi

SnagIT has a good graphics editor and its on my machine , Its just
the way I handle graphics - not being a graphic designer, but being
interested in the end result. _ use it as a utility - also for my
training I grab screens and send them to clients to explain what I
mean, saves on words - and my poor spelling.

All the best

Bill

 

[davegb]

Hi

SnagIT has a good graphics editor and its on my machine , Its just
the way I handle graphics - not being a graphic designer, but being
interested in the end result. _ use it as a utility - also for my
training I grab screens and send them to clients to explain what I
mean, saves on words - and my poor spelling.

All the best

Bill

Didn't know it now has a graphics editor. I used it many years ago to
do screen captures for writing software instruction manuals and
courseware. Have you used it to create mindmaps?

 

[anewton_lists]

I downloaded the trial version of MindManager 6.0 and thought it was
going to be a great complement to Project. Unfortunately, it fell flat
on its face in one area I thought would have been a no-brainer. It
could not export a graphical relationship of tasks with
predecessors/dependencies. That view alone, to my way of thinking,
would have been worth the cost to purchase the software.

Perhaps someone figured this out and I was just being a dullard?

 

[davegb]

I downloaded the trial version of MindManager 6.0 and thought it was
going to be a great complement to Project. Unfortunately, it fell flat
on its face in one area I thought would have been a no-brainer. It
could not export a graphical relationship of tasks with
predecessors/dependencies. That view alone, to my way of thinking,
would have been worth the cost to purchase the software.

Perhaps someone figured this out and I was just being a dullard?

I doubt you're a dullard, just have a preconceived notion of
mindmapping that's not very accurate. Mindmapping has nothing to do
with predecessors/dependencies in a scheduling kind of way. You can
link items one to another in a variety of ways, but it's certainly not
intended to be CPM scheduling software.

Did you notice above where I said I have use mindmapping along with
scheduling software, but not as a replacement? And that if I had to
choose one or the other for doing a project, I'd choose scheduling
software?

Finally, why would someone need 2 tools to do the same thing? Project
already tracks the dependency relationships between tasks, and does it
pretty well. It doesn't track the inter-relationships between different
parts of the project that are not specifically time related, not does
it track the relationships between different people involved in the
project, like shareholders for instance. This is better done with
mindmapping. They serve 2 entirely different purposes.

To get the hang of mindmapping, read up on it a little (Google for a
good book, possibly Tony Buzan or Michael Gelb), then try it by hand.
Pick a subject you already know well and create a mindmap on it. Then
create a few more on subcategories of the main topic. This way, you can
focus on the technique since you already know the material. At the next
opportunity, take some notes at a meeting or class using mindmapping
instead of your usual method (probably some kind of outline). This will
give you a much better understanding of the process and how it works.
It's also really great for making notes for brainstorming sessions.

It's really a powerful tool for understanding the relationships between
different things, which are usually non-linear and are not well
represented by linear models, like CPM or outlining. Of course, if
you're a very linear thinker, it probably won't work for you. But if
you can break free of linear thinking, it will prove very useful in
many different ways.

Hope this helps in your world.