Mind Mapping Project Management
For the past several years, I’ve been using mind maps as a project management tool to facilitate meetings, document project scope, identify risk and even find my next job. Mind mapping is an effective tool that will help any project manager save time and improve communication with their team members in an effective and creative way. A mind map is a graphical network diagram consisting of nodes, branches, colors and icons used to help convey an idea.
Figure 1: Mind Map Example
Team members often communicate with drawings and figures to communicate a message in an effective and simple manner. Mind maps are a great way to incorporate these principles. Since we often hear words and translate them into pictures in our mind, mind mapping is an enabler to improve communication and comprehension.
Mind maps can be built using a variety of high-tech, low-tech and even “free-tech” options. In this series of articles, I’ll demonstrate several applications using mind mapping tools for better project management efficiency and effectiveness. In this article, there are several links to a variety of free templates that you can use immediately use to get started with mind maps.
The challenge with managing project management processes is balancing process implementation with administrative documentation. Administration is part of the project management job, and often project managers (or a project management assistant) spend a significant amount of time documenting key decisions, issues, risks and lessons learned. Often this involves transcribing meeting notes into a Microsoft Word document, spreadsheet or project management system like Clarity.
One efficient approach is to use a mind map for specific meeting minutes, project overview summaries, lessons learned documents and project status reports. The mind map can be used to quickly gather the information and either serve as the document of record or export to the standard deliverable format. Mature project management organizations often have a set of templates that project managers are required to publish lessons learned, status reports, meeting minutes and scope statements. Mind maps can be also used to collect and organize the information prior to populating these standard templates. Ideally, the PMO or PM methodology’s governing body would accept the mind map as an acceptable format. Using mind mapping tools enable the PM to effectively perform the work and efficiently meet any administrative template requirement.
There are several commercial and open-source software options for mind mapping. Mindjet’s Mind Manager is a feature-rich, easy-to-use application that provides two-way integration with Microsoft Office including Microsoft Project. Efficiency is gained using Mind Manager as the project manager simply exports to an Office document instead of transcribing notes into a different format. The Microsoft Project integration feature also enables project managers to quickly take the tasks and action items from a Mind Map and export them into a manageable schedule. For small projects, project managers could effectively manage tasks into Mind Manager independent of MS-Project. Mind Manager’s latest JVCGantt add-on also creates a Gantt chart view of the mind map without integrating back to a full scheduling tool.
The open source community also provides FreeMind, an impressive set of features for free. FreeMind easily builds mind maps and can export to a variety of formats including HTML, JPEG, XML or the Open Office Writer application. It doesn’t have as many integration features or native project management support, but it is an effective tool to get started using mind mapping for project management efficiency.
The following are simple examples of how common project management documents can be transformed using mind maps:
Project Overview
The project overview template is a simple overview of a project that includes goals, scope, schedule, team members, stakeholders, communication plan, approach and overall status. The mind map is one format to actually present the project overview instead of the typical cascade of PowerPoint slides. By clicking on each node and zooming in on the key points, the delivery of the message becomes more engaging.
Figure 2: Mind Jet Project Overview
Project Summary Report
The project summary report can present the overall goals and objectives with key deliverables, resources and business case summary for the project. It is helpful to have a one-minute “elevator speech” prepared to summarize the project for any new stakeholder or team member. The mind map is an efficient summarized format of the project’s key deliverables, milestones, goals and objectives.
Figure 3: FreeMind Project Summary
Project Status Report
Project status reports can be creatively displayed using a mind map instead of the typical MS-Office template variants. Mind maps allow you to add icons, colors and graphic to further convey issues, risks and the typical traffic light status. By using a mind map as both the communication and note taking vehicle, project managers can document the discussion in addition to communication status in the weekly project status meeting. Meeting notes can be attached to the status report as a new node. Instead of creating new meeting minutes for a status report meeting, you can simply add the notes to the node in the mind map.
Figure 4: Mind Jet Project Status Report
Lessons Learned Report
A lesson-learned session is similar to a brainstorming session found in scope definition. Project teams reflect on what went well and what can be improved. During an active lessons-learned session, the facilitator can walk away will several flip charts full of what to do and what to avoid on the next phase or project. Consider using a mind map and assign icons, colors and other graphics to further highlight the key improvements, action items and potholes for future project delivery.
Figure 5: FreeMind Lessons Learned Template
These templates are just a few of the tools available to help improve your project management efficiency and communication effectiveness. If you’re interested in learning more about mind mapping for future project management application, consider these articles:
A Better Project Map
Mind Map Your Meeting Minutes
Mind Mapping Risk
Mind Map Your Job Interview
Mind Mapping Your Microsoft Project Schedule
The next article in this series will demonstrate how using Mind Jet’s Mind Manager can save time building your next project schedule. You’ll be mind mapping your way to project success even faster!
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