Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software

I seem to be blogging on mind map subjects a lot at the moment – and perhaps you’re asking “what has all this got to do with Project Leadership?”

I believe that one element the role of the Project Leader is to set the culture of the project team – by setting stretch expectations of:

• Creativity,
• Quality,
• Diligence,
• Industry,
• Communications and
• Productivity. 

The project leader needs to bring out the best in their team, and what better way to start than encouraging the team to use both sides of their brain?

Mind mapping can have a function in each of these areas; mind maps can:

• Enhance creativity,
• Support the thorough exploration of topics,
• Improve the organisation of thoughts and tasks,
• Encourage efficiency
• Be used as effective communication and productivity tools.

Here at Beaufortes we use them extensively, and I know that a lot of project managers use them too.

So when Chuck Frey asked me to review his book: “Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software”, my agreement to do it was inevitable.  And I’m delighted to say that Chuck delivered…110 e-pages of maps, tips, best practices, references, and examples that will allow a beginner to get mind mapping quickly, and a user to super-charge their results.

Here are a few of the things I learned:

• How to create a goal-oriented “funnel” map that supports project planning.
• The use and value of a “master map”.
• Biasing map construction towards horizontal maps
• The concept of “symbol” grammar.
• Best tip:  Learn the keyboard shortcuts! (Wow, this makes a difference!)
• www.mindmeister.com – a cool collaborative mind mapping web site.

There are also many links to mind map resources that have value in themselves.  If you’d like to stand on the shoulders of giants, then this is $29.95 well spent, and the hours you spend with the e-book will be returned many-fold if you use the information in it.  Here’s the link:

http://www.mindmap-ebook.com/v2/index.html

— Philip Greenwood

 

Tags:  mind+map, mindmap, mind+mapping, mindmapping