I recently asked the readers of this blog to share the specifics of how they manage projects with mind mapping software. The responses were quite instructive, and pointed to the fact that there are many issues surrounding most projects that also lend themselves to mind mapping – including training, responding to requests for proposals (RFPs), communicating with stakeholders, creating presentations (project status reports) and more. Here’s what they had to say:
Andy uses mind mapping with a popular training model to develop effective projects: “I have successfully used mind mapping to manage midsized training projects. Following the trainers’ ADDIE model (Assess, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate), I’ve helped facilitate a project management exercise with the trainer, starting with a mind map to brainstorm the five phases of the ADDIE model. We added content, ideas, obstacles and contingencies, and logistical details to each major node as soon as ideas pop into our heads. We then refined and reorganized the nodes, then used the task information for each node to assign, schedule, plan, track, and report status to our stakeholders.”
“I use it for work breakdowns, for mapping deliverables to task groups, for mapping resources to tasks and for building presentations. I also use mindmapping to manage personal task lists.” – Jake March
Andrew Wilcox reminds us that mind mapping can be used for other tasks that are related to the project: “I have used it for user requirements and other project documentation, communicating project status to a wide audience via web exports, making project processes explicit, managing suppliers, analyzing quotations (import a Word document and start adding call outs, relationships to highlight those contradictory clauses etc.), snag lists and meeting management and recording.”
Jim March also uses mind mapping software within the broader context beyond the project itself: “The projects range from $500K to $10M. We are following the PMBOK Planning processes and use mind mapping to brainstorm project requirements, define scope, create WBS and identify risks. The map is exported into Microsoft Word to create the scope statement and to develop procurement statements of work. Activities, resources, and durations are added to the wbs map and the map is exported to MS Project. We have also used mind mapping for project training. It is an excellent tool to reinforce key project processes. Links to a project SharePoint site provide a quick-launch to project information.”
Alex uses mind mapping software for managing many of his projects, but with some reservations: “It is best suited to small to medium projects, though it also provides a great starting place for bigger ones which can later be exported to something else. All mindmapping programs are great for the visual presentation of a project but there are practical limits to the size of a project that can be handled this way. They offer great flexibility and the ability to export to other formats. However, most of their task management facilities are quite limited and they also offer poor or no facilities for two-way synchronization with Outlook.”
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