Now that we’re in the beginning of a new year, it’s time to ask:

What do you need to know about mind mapping software to be more effective in your work?

I try to provide useful resources on this blog. In order for me to do so, I need to ask you about what’s challenging you, and how I can help. So please leave a comment below, and tell me what you need help with.

There’s something in it for you

To sweeten the pot, I will reward the 3 most thought-provoking comments with lifetime memberships to the Mind Mapping Insiders group.

So, how can I help you?

Each profession has its own tailor-made tools that enable them to be productive and, in many cases, creative.

• Engineers have CAD programs
• Designers have illustration software
• Salespeople have CRM software.

But what tools do information managers have to help them to be productive and creative?

Microsoft Office and other similar business suites were once the answer. But in the new world of work, they aren’t enough any more. They reinforce straight-jacketed, linear thinking and don’t enable us to analyze, manipulate, organize and build upon information in ways that are becoming more important every day.

As output tools, Word, PowerPoint and Excel are still quite relevant to businesses today. But as thinking tools, well – let’s just be kind and say that they were never designed to do that. Lateral thinking? Associative thinking? White space thinking? Not much help at all.

The tool that meets the multi-dimensional thinking and processing needs of today’s information managers is mind mapping software.

• Produce a mind map and send it to others for review. The mind map keeps track of who made which edits and added which comments to the map.
• A centralized mind map repository within a secure web environment serves as the center point for collaboration. Maps produced on the desktop are uploaded to this space, where other team members can access them, work on them and then save an updated version to the shared work space. Everyone on the team has a licensed copy of the same mind mapping software.
• A mind map is created on the desktop, then shared online. Team members can access the map from this repository in a number of ways, potentially including a licensed desktop mind mapping program, a web-based mapping application and mobile devices such as an iPad or iPhone.
• Small teams can do real-time co-editing of mind maps – sort of an online brainstorming session, where the mind map is used to capture everyone’s ideas. The program tracks who made which additions and edits.
• A mind map is stored in a shared directory on your company’s file server, where each team member can access it, edit it, add comments and then re-save it to the network. It’s low-tech, but it works.
• A mind map can “push” task updates to Sharepoint, and vice versa.

What’s happening in your work environment in terms of small team collaboration? Please share your comments below in answer to these questions:

• What are you doing now for collaboration?
• What would you ideally like to be able to do with your team?
• Is your team all in one location, or geographically dispersed?
• Do you need to be able to collaborate with people outside of your organization, such as consulting firms, vendors and clients?

If any of your stories are particularly interesting, I may want to interview you for more details for a future blog post. I really want to shed some light on this aspect of using mind mapping software.

I look forward to your insights!

Some people own mind mapping software, but only use it occasionally, for certain specific tasks. They just aren’t sure how or why they should expand their use of it to other parts of their work.

For other readers, it’s not a problem. Thinking and planning visually comes naturally. For them, mind mapping software is a tool that they “live” within for much of their day. It’s a natural extension of how they do their work.

So what steps have YOU taken to make your mind mapping software more of a central part of your day-to-day work?

Please share your insights in the comments area below. Thanks!

You have been some of the biggest early adopters of mind mapping software – because you don’t have to convince your IT department that it’s a worthwhile investment. You want it, you buy it. You’re the business owner. You can do that. But I want to know more about what you’re DOING with it, and how it has benefited you as the owner of a growing, innovative business.

At the same time, I get the sense that there is a new groundswell of entrepreneurialism emerging. What got me thinking about this idea was Chris Brogan, who has created a constellation of companies and services (such as Human Business Works and Kitchen Table Companies) designed to help people with great ideas to build businesses and communities of customers around them.

There are some exciting things going on here, and I want to shed some light on them.

If you’re an entrepreneur or owner of a small business, I would love to hear from you. How are YOU utilizing mind mapping software to help manage, grow and innovate your business?

Please share your thoughts in the comments area below. I look forward to hearing from you!

“Think less about what your product does, and think more about human potential.”

That got me to thinking about mind mapping in this context. How, exactly, DOES it impact human potential? I have my own ideas about this topic, but I’d like to hear what YOU have to say about it.

I’ve asked this question of some of the world’s leading mind mapping experts, and their answers are starting to roll in. Interesting perspectives! But I also want to hear YOUR opinions on this fascinating idea.

What is the connection between human potential and mind mapping?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

How do you collaborate with mind mapping software?

• What types of projects do you collaborate on?
• What types of content are you collaborating on? Tasks? Group brainstorming of ideas? Or something else?
• How do you share your mind maps – via e-mail, posting maps on a shared network directory or in an online map sharing environment? If the latter, how effective has that been for you?
• Or do you just work on mind maps by yourself?

Please share some of the details, so we can all learn from your experiences!

Please share your favorite tip or insight in the comments area of this post.

One of my favorites is detailed in another blog post that I just published today – the idea that mind maps usually turn out best when you approach them iteratively. In other words, improve your mind maps by developing them over several separate brainstorming and thinking sessions.

I look forward to your awesome insights and ideas!

• The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam
• Unfolding the Napkin: The Hands-On Method for Solving Complex Problems with Simple Pictures by Dan Roam
• Visual Meetings: How Graphics, Sticky Notes and Idea Mapping Can Transform Group Productivity by David Sibbett
• Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers and Changemakers by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanuto
• Mind Maps for Business: Revolutionize Your Business Thinking & Practice by Tony Buzan and Chris Griffiths
• resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte (new – I have this book on order from Amazon.com)

What are your favorite books on the topic of visual mapping for business? Why do you like them? Please share your thoughts in the comments area below. Thanks!

(The illustration above right is featured on Sunni Brown’s blog and is representative of visual thinking)

If you have purchased an iPad and are using one or more mind mapping apps, please share your experiences and impressions in the comments section of this blog post. Please tell us:

• What mind mapping app are you using on your iPad?
• What applications are you using this mind mapping app for?
• How would you rate the overall experience of creating visual maps on the iPad? Is it everything you hoped for? Or something less, after all the excitement has worn off?
• What does this combination  make possible for you?

As always, I look forward to your keen insights!