With the launch of MindManager 8 for Mac, we’re pleased to introduce a new, integrated service on the web that transforms your maps into other file formats. And, from other file formats back into maps!
While it’s always been possible to cut and paste map topics into a document, certain elements weren’t transferred like the hyperlinks or detailed topic notes.
With our new service, all that has changed! Read the rest of this entry »
Sep 30
Robin Capper, a Kiwi Mindjet mapper (say that a few times fast) and CAD expert, demonstrates how to take advantage of MindManager 8’s embedded browser to design in context!
Robin illustrates how MindManager and Autodesk Design Review (ADR) work together directly within MindManager.
Sync your Address Book to simplify task resource assignments!As a continuation in the weekly series of what’s coming in MindManager 8 for Mac, we’ll illustrate how you’ll be able to sync all or selected groups of resources into MindManager.
Once you’ve added resources into your map from your address book, assign them to projects tasks! This will build consistency across your maps and save time during planning.
Here’s your sneak peak peek (thanks Phil, this was written pre-coffee!): Read the rest of this entry »
Alan Yoshioka continues to push the limits with his Mindjet Mashups transforming emails in Gmail into Remember The Milk (RTM) tasks and then using them from his MindManager dashboard map. Here are the results of my test this morning:
Remember The Milk Link: Drag your Remember The Milk link from your account to your map. Access & update your tasks directly in the embedded browser.
Remember The Milk - Published Task Lists: RTM lets you publish lists to the public or specific contacts. This allows others to see but not change the tasks.
What works: This appears to be another way to access a great task manager within your project maps. Gain quick access to your tasks lists and make updates directly within MindManager. You can also add publised task lists into project status dashboards.
Future improvements: At first glance, I noticed a few areas that can be improved with this mashup.
If you know ways to make my desired changes above work, please share in the comments!
For more in this Mashup Series:
How have you been mashing up MindManager 8?
The other day, I posted about the integration between MindManager and Google. Today, I’ll show you how that can supercharge team productivity by showing how it can be used to plan and manage a project. MindManager brings together all the disparate systems used to plan, manage and deliver projects!
See the Big Picture with MindManager
In early March, Mindjet will be exhibiting at David Allen’s GTD Summit. Our decision to participate was only made a few weeks ago. So, a Mindjet team quickly assembled and we used a MindManager map to capture everything we knew about the project and develop a plan of action. Here’s a snapshot of what this map looked like:
Access All Your Project’s Google Documents:
When you open up the Overview branch, you see a series of topics that provide an overview and logistics for the event. I created a Google Document with a copy of the event’s Agenda and linked it into my event map. I added this document so I could easily highlight the sessions that I want to attend and share that with the team that will be at the exhibit. Other documents like event flyers, the speakers and their bios, and legal contracts were added and tracked within the map as well.
Track Budgets with Google Spreadsheets:
In order to keep expenses under control, a Google Spreadsheet was linked to the map. Team members can independently access the Google spreadsheet or even simultaneously update the expenses as they become known. At the same time, the spreadsheet can be accessed via the map that pulls together all the moving parts on this project. You can even access your Google Docs with your mobile device.
Add notes, comments and ideas on how to save money into the map where it will not get lost within the clutter of your budget spreadsheet. These items can be tracked, reviewed and updated during your team status meetings.
Present with Google Presentations:
Another topic in the map links to a Google Presentation that introduces "Mind Mapping & GTD" to prospects that we meet at the conference. Why show a presentation and not a MindManager map? Well, I did it to illustrate this point for the blog but also believe in using other familiar mediums to present and highlight the power of Mindjet.
Again, different team members can be invited into this presentation to update slides, add images & content. In the map, other meta-information can be added to track status, assign ownership, add comments, etc…
Track Status in Basecamp:
The team used Basecamp to track project tasks because we wanted a way to do it from within MindManager, a browser or our iPhones. With a link to the Basecamp project added into the map, I access my tasks, update status and check the team’s progress on their tasks.
More Ways to Tap into the Power of MindManager:
Beyond what I’ve listed above, you can also add the following elements into your project maps:
Extend MindManager with Mindjet Connect:
Add Mindjet Connect into the mix and you’ll supercharge the planning efforts with the following capabilities:
Summary:
Avoid project chaos by bringing together all of its moving parts with MindManager. Get clarity, see the big picture and access to all the details so you can have faster team meetings, make better decisions and deliver great results!
The project above is real but I created the map, Google & Basecamp additions today to illustrate how we could have used these applications. If you’re planning to go to the GTD Summit, make sure to stop by our booth and say hello. I’d love to meet you! If you can’t make the event, Follow Michael Deutch on Twitter and I’ll tweet some updates live from the event!
Do you work use Mindjet software in interesting ways?
Let me know at Michael (dot) Deutch (at) Mindjet (dot) com!
A few days ago I saw an intriguing post on Alan Yoshioka’s mobile musings blog about his experiments using both MindManager and Google together. Alan showed me a great new Gmail Labs feature that allows you to add emails to your maps! Needless to say, that got me really excited so I started exploring our integration with Google. Very exciting stuff!
First, here’s a quick MindManager tip. You can easily drag any URL (e.g. your Gmail account) from your browser directly onto a map or on a topic within a map. This is a fast and easy way to add links to maps and it works with most, if not all browsers.
Now, for the exciting stuff. I created a map to quickly test MindManager 8’s integration with the following Google applications:
What I like most about these Google Doc examples is that they are all collaborative. In other words, you not only link files to your maps but other members of your team can access and update the files too. Think about the possibilities! Updated progress reports, project status, finanical summaries, etc…
Here were my initial results:
Gmail: I haven’t tested all the links within Gmail yet. I noted that you gain access to your inbox but not all the individual emails.
Having access to your inbox is cool, but not as nice as gaining access to each email. This is where Alan’s trick comes into play. There’s a Google Labs project called “Create a document”. Enable this add-in and you’ll be able to take advantage of some powerful email integration possibilities. With a click, transform any Gmail into a Google document. In the next section, you’ll see how this appears within MindManager.
Google Docs: Drag any Google Doc URL onto your map and you have instant access to view and edit your documents from within MindManager. As I mentioned in the Gmail section above, you can convert emails into documents too. Are you using MindManager to manage projects? Sales opportunities? Capture Ideas? Drag all your relevant emails and documents into your maps for future reference.
Google Presentations: Spice up your next MindManager presentation by linking to slide shows built with Google Doc’s Presentations. When mapping alone cannot convey your message, combine the two for a powerful presentation. You’ll be able to present slides AND capture feedback or notes within your map.
Google Spreadsheets: I linked to a test spreadsheet and it worked great. When you want to collaboratively work on spreadsheets and reference them in your maps, check this out as an option.
Google Reader: I use Google Reader all the time to check up on many blogs that I like to follow. So, I gave the reader a whirl as well. Guess what? Worked like a charm!
Thanks Alan for turning me on to this great integration!
Join the conversation: How can integrating with Google Docs & Gmail enhance your productivity? Are you integrating with other apps?
Jul 17
I came back from two days of intense mashup fever at the Mashup Camp 2 in Mountain View last week. The big question that I wanted to answer is how can MindManager be an effective mashup enabler? I got some ideas from the sessions that I attended and the discussions that I participated in. Because Mindjet’s primary focus has always been on business users, I focused on finding web service vendors who are also looking for business users. On a side note, our user base in education and the consumer space has grown steadily thanks to our Mac product, our educational distributors, and educational discounts. Before I go into talking about what interested me, I wanted to walk through a fictional scenario of what a mashup could be:
A small business owner, Hal has a residential remodeling business where he does sales, marketing, and management – a very busy guy! Sally contacts Hal because she wants to remodel her kitchen and wants some references in her area. To do this, Hal must find his satisfied customers in her area, contact them to request their permission, and send Sally their contact information once he received permission from his satisfied customers.
To accomplish this, I would use MindManager to mashup a CRM system, a geographic mapping web service, a workflow processing system, and an email system and it would go like this:
Technologies that can make this happen are:
Of course, there would be some programming involved to make this happen, but in my role as product manager for the MindManager solution platform, I want to lower the bar for constructing these types of composite applications. To do this, I need some real world scenarios, or use cases, to make sure that MindManager will be an optimal platform for solutions that our existing users and future users want.
What I liked at Mashup Camp:
A great part about the Mashup camp was the Speed Geeking sessions (like speed dating), where 20 mashup developers (including me with the MindManager Research Accelerator) where we had 20 groups of five people spend five minutes each seeing a demonstration of each mashup. I gave a total of about 30 back-to-back demos of MindManager with the Research Accelerator (as a search and research mashup) in two speed geeking sessions. There was great interest in MindManager and what I was able to do with it, mashing up different search and research services. The second day, I was able to demo the Eventful event search as well in the Research Accelerator at the speed geeking session. I definitely came back from Mashup Camp with more questions than answers; but that’s a good thing.
Michael
