Testing the ActiveX plugin for viewing Mindjet Mindmanager files in browser. This won’t work in Firefox unless the IE Tab add-in is loaded. If you are using IE and have the viewer installed you should see a map here: Although I would love to be able to post interactive maps on my blog, I’m really turned off by the ActiveX, IE-only nature of this approach. Yes, there is a workaround available for Firefox, but as that involves embedding an instance of IE in a Firefox tab, it’s no good for people who don’t like to even run IE on their machines.
See this post [bubbl]https://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=11941&pw=yagQrcq8SV.IUMTAwTVFxUFNnckx6bw; 500; 300; My first test map; 50[/bubbl]
Until now, mind-mapping has been one of the key aspects of information-management that has not been well-supported on the web. Granted, Freemind has been platform-neutral since the beginning (through its use of Java), and somewhat-integrated with WikkaWiki, but this still very much relies on an individual providing their own server-based architecture. Other tools such as word-processing, calendaring and spreadsheets have had web-based incarnations for a while, but my frustration has been the lack of a truly web-enabled mind-mapping tool: on the desktop I now use MindManager as my core tool for organising and creating information, dropping out to other applications only when a specific treatment of information is required.
I’ve used Mindmanager as my core information-management tool at work for several years. For the last few months I have also been using it as the underlying support for my “GTD-like” personal productivity processes, augmented with the excellent ResultsManager add-in from Gyronix. ResultsManager is very powerful, I particularly like the way it allows me to have a mindmap per project, yet pull all of my “Next Actions” into a single Dashboard mind map.
The UK Department for Education and Skills are major users of Programme and Project Management. To aid programme startup, they have an approach known as The 22 Questions. As an aid to meeting facilitation, [here][3] are the 22 questions as a MindManager [Mindmap][4]. [][5][ ][5] [3]: https://www.synesthesia.co.uk/msp/wp/uploads/22 Questions.mmap [4]: https://www.synesthesia.co.uk/blog/wp/uploads/2009/12/22-Questions.mmap [5]: https://www.synesthesia.co.uk/blog/wp/uploads/2009/12/22-questions.png
I’ve just heard from Pearce Mayfield that I have passed the Managing Successful Programmes practitioner qualification -although the result isn’t on the APMG/OGC site yet.
Relocated from MSP blog at https://www.synesthesia.co.uk/msp/2006/10/17/mod-approach-to-benefits-realisation-management/ Update 1: As Nick Spargo points out in the comments these links are now dead. If anyone can point to the modern equivalent, that would be appreciated. Update 2: Matthew Davis points to https://www.aof.mod.uk/, but the specific link he posts is now dead. A series of documents from the UK Directorate for Defence Acquisition about Benefits Realisation Management BENEFITS REALISATION MANAGEMENT – “All you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask” [Word] Example benefits strategy [Word] Example of a populated benefits model [Powerpoint] Example of an initial benefits brief [Powerpoint] Example of analysis tools [Excel] Example of a benefits ranking model [Excel] Example of a Benefits Profile [Word] Example “Measures and Owners” brief [Powerpoint] Template for capturing measures and owners [Word] Simple Benefits Tracking Document [Word] Summary of Comments made on this post in original location
Via Brad Appleton‘s excellent post of links to Agile Programme Management resources, a paper on Combining Agile Methods with Stage-Gate Project Management. Based on studies in three engineering companies, the conclusion is that are benefits from both the management and engineering perspective. Good things: Agile method add microplanning and day-to-day control to the stage-gate methods Engineering teams felt more in control of their work Stage-gate approach improves ability of agile methods to interact with other engineering teams, other functions (such as marketing) and senior management.
I spent last week on the Managing Successful Programmes course. The trainers were good, the group size was good (9 of us), and the other delegates were an interesting and friendly bunch from a range of industries. Between us we covered print, broadcast and online media, telecomms, manufacturing, software, and a couple of flavours of consultancy. I’d recommend this course to anyone who was interested in MSP – the training is well-adapted for adult learning, and has a clear emphasis on providing the skills to get through the exams.
Nick Duffill points to Chuck Frey‘s report on his survey of mind-mapping tool use. Chuck sums up the issues preventing wider take-up of this sort of software: These responses seemed to be concentrated around a few specific issues: Lack of time to promote the use of mind mapping software to managers and coworkers, lack of awareness of the benefits that mind mapping software can provide, and restrictive corporate IT policies, which make it hard to implement a new piece of software.