Mindjet MindManager 8 Test
Knowledge Management
A number of years ago a major international oil company started to identify and list various locations within and outside of their computer network where employees can find relevant information. Viewing the diversity of data storage, they chose MindManager with an add-in as an umbrella solution to facilitate access to this information.
In order to provide fast and user-friendly access, the mind map is placed on the company’s intranet using HTML and the visualweb add-in.
The big advantage was that the inventory of knowledge could occur quickly and neatly, and sharing could take place intuitively using clickable html mind maps with download and discussion group links to the various branches.
Obviously it is important in such applications to agree with colleagues on ownership and management of data and the structure and the use of symbols in order for the team to be able to act more efficiently. It makes the work not only a lot easier but also much more fun! This method of working since has become a best practice.
A mind map is also very useful as a personal knowledge management tool. This, for example, as a replacement for favorites in a browser and Explorer for relevant directories.
Grouping all the topics of interest and then linking them from the various mind map branches to anything and everything means that you can be much faster than when you would be moving along linear lists. When using specific symbols and relevant notes in combination with these branches you follow, if it were, the natural chaos between your ears, to quickly find what you want. The respective information is made many times more accessible by also easily converting all types of texts from files and from the Internet to a mind map. Another form of personal knowledge management is in summarizing a book or manual into a mind map – see below the Quick Start Guide of “The Strengths Mapper” as an example. This MindManager add-in is based on the book “The Strengths Finder”, which describes the process of discovering your strengths. With the special add-in for MindManager it is then possible to process the results and, using a MindManager dashboard, get a grip on your improvement program.
MindManager 8 has all features important to provide proper knowledge management. This includes conversion to, for example, HTML and XML, hyperlinks, use of icons, note-taking, quick and easy navigation and a spell checker 
. Conversion to a visually attractive form of HTML may need some extra effort.
Reporting and Presenting
MindManager has all important features for (management-)reporting. Relevant aspects covered include the ability to insert spreadsheets and tables, add relationships, to filter out certain characteristics as priorities and critical timetables and to link to relevant websites and other documents.
While using the presentation mode it is even possible to add the audience’s comments in the form of a callout (“thinking cloud”); in that way you can immediately capture observations.
MindManager has a presentation mode that allows one to stroll through the mind map clockwise, each time focusing on a (sub-) branch. This is an excellent feature, much more powerful even than PowerPoint. It is important however to make smart use of options and take this into account when structuring the mind map. The presentation mode of a package like iMindmap is “brain friendlier” because of its organic presentation format. The result is a clearly structured arrangement that can possibly be exported to MS Word, PowerPoint, PDF, HTML and/or XML.
With all these possibilities but also constraints in large organizations with regard to downloading and executing .exe files, it is advisable to take a course to learn what kind of report would be best applied to which audience.
When illustrations are used in the notes field of the report MindManager 8 will on occasion run aground; make sure you save regularly!
Personal dashboard
Every day there are a number of issues that for one reason or another are important to you: the latest news, the state of affairs concerning (sub) projects, libraries to consult regularly, phone numbers, addresses, tasks, etc.
MindManager has all the required and desired functions to create a personal mind map dashboard, and to be able to quickly click through to the relevant information or to make it visible within the mind map itself. Think for example of importing tasks from Microsoft Outlook, including hyperlinks, links with Microsoft Excel, and perhaps the linkage to a personal improvement program.
Mind Maps provide a clear picture of all that is relevant, including thoughts, links to files, websites, emails, the agenda for that day/week/month/year, specific blogs, RSS feeds, twitter pages, etc.
Complete – but there are mind map applications that take things even further. MindMeister for example allows for the most logical information to be automatically recorded, or to transfer ideas directly from your mobile phone into your mind map.
A personal dashboard can not only summarize and help you structure your thoughts, but is also able to significantly simplify your time management. If besides that you also maintain a blog, you twitter and use social networks, it is easier to do all your activities from a central location.
Do ask yourself if you would want to be able to update your personal dashboard from anywhere. In that case you may want to opt for Mindjet’s Catalist-option. If you prefer to maintain your data on your own server then you’re better off looking for an online mind mapping package like MindMeister or CoMapping.
