One of the tools I’ve used for many years for a variety of purposes is a mind mapping software application called MindManager. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas. I tend to think of it as a graphical outline where it is easier to see relationships between the various items.

There are many software applications for mind mapping that do fundamentally the same things. Over the years, I’ve used my mind maps for brainstorming sessions, meeting agendas and note taking, weekly to do lists, product launch activities, an information manager (keeping track of miscellaneous pieces of information), training course development, planning and activity tracking, and project management.

I’ve found the tool particularly well suited to Project Management because among other things it:
- Acts as a central point of management and control
- Provides a high level project status dashboard
- Can manage and track tasks
- Can filter and display only project items matching certain criteria (unfinished items for example)
- Easily links to other project supporting documents
- Is naturally suited to developing a Work Breakdown Structure

Information in the MindManager mind map can “easily” be exported to Microsoft Word, Project, Power Point.

Mind Manager has resource and scheduling management capabilities, integrates with an add-on GAANT chart module and can be used as the primary Project Management tool for small projects. For medium to larger projects it doesn’t replace other project management software tools but complements them, by providing a consolidated view of the project that can include the project schedule, project planning documents, resource and risk matrices, etc. All of the project artifacts are only a click away.

If you have used mind mapping software for project management, I’d like to hear your comments and additional tips and uses. If you’ve not used mind mapping software, I’d highly recommend you read a bit about mind mapping concepts, look at some of the tools and take one for a test drive.

A few mind mapping links:
Mind Mapping basics – http://www.mindmapping.com/index.htm
Mind Mapping software – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mind_mapping_software
Mindjet Mind Manager – http://www.mindjet.com/
Tony Buzan (a thought leader in mind mapping) – http://www.thinkbuzan.com/us/