MindManager keeps your focus on constructive and creative outcomes, not on how to use the application!
November 23, 2018
MindManager keeps your focus on constructive and creative outcomes, not on how to use the application!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with MindManager
MindManager is used by a few users in the Corp/ICT team but I'm the primary user. Once others see the simplicity and effectiveness of the product, it often drives adoption elsewhere. MindManager is used in a number of capacities, often commencing as a brainstorming tool, followed by planning, and as the plan matures it becomes a project monitoring and management tool. It is also used for process flowcharts, org charts and the like.
- Strategic Planning
- Brainstorming
- Process Mapping
- Education & Training
- Meeting Management
- Task and Project Management
- Project Planning
- Simplicity - 'Enter', 'insert' and 'drag and drop' go a long way in MindManager. Achieving basic user competence is very easy and once the user is 'hooked' they will seek out more advanced functions.
- Visualisation - templates, guides and examples. This is not unique to MindManager but it looks impressive from the time of opening to the finished product.
- Perspective - MindManager has the ability to provide different views of the same information to easily undertake reality check and priority reviews.
- Project management - The Project Management features are useful, especially the integration of Gantt Charts etc.
- Gantt Charts could be more customisable and easier to use. It doesn't always display as intended and some manipulation can be required.
- More advanced features can be a little fiddly (but this may be more related to the user).
- Cannot Save as PDF currently so printing to PDF is required. Not a major issue but a deficiency.
1 to 10
- MindManager is a tool to create clarity, understanding and visibility in anything. As it can be used so early in the process, it is not always easy to directly attribute the benefits to the the application itself. However, it is a sure way to turn chaos into order in a structured way.
- Not easy to put a value on the ability to convey information more effectively, to drive adoption and engagement initially then monitoring and execution subsequently. It won't create a great strategy but using it as a tool to assist makes it so much easier.
Making a start is often the hardest step in working through an issue, solving a problem, creating a strategy or documenting a project. I often say that I don't think from the top left of a page to the bottom right and this is where MindManager excels. Just start with whatever comes into your head. It will lead to the grouping of related concepts and items. Then drag and drop them together. Keep the process going and apparently from nowhere the path begins to emerge. Thinking is not linear (for me anyway) but this is where bringing strategic and process oriented people together can be so effective. It's a great feeling to see something emerge from nothing, chaos become order, clarity emerge from the 'noise' etc.
The start is just another part of the puzzle and it may emerge quite late in the process. Clearly some of this is related to mind mapping rather than the specific application but MindManager is a great tool to assist and document the outcomes.
The start is just another part of the puzzle and it may emerge quite late in the process. Clearly some of this is related to mind mapping rather than the specific application but MindManager is a great tool to assist and document the outcomes.
I have experimented with multiple products over the years including open source applications, web-based applications, mobile devices and a range of trial software. I don't bother anymore and while MindManager meets my requirements, I don't see any need to stray from my 'go to' application. The fact that I don't need to think about how to use the application while I'm 'thinking' is important as it allows me to be in the creative and open zone. The last thing I need is the focus to be on the application and not the matter at hand.