In this blog series, MindManager team members explain how they use the software in their daily work. Brendan McConnell, Field Marketing Representative, Alexandra Yndo, Senior Director B2B Marketing and Sheila Lothian, Product Marketing Manager have already talked about their favorite features in MindManager.
Today it is me, Jessica Matis, who gets to describe how I use the software. As an intern on the Field Marketing Team at MindManager, I support my colleagues in their day-to-day work, including organizing and contributing to events, webinars, web pages and blog posts.
Fortunately, MindManager helps me to keep track of these activities and to do my best.
What is your favorite MindManager feature?
I really appreciate that I can define the task information for each topic. This includes not only the status of a task but also its priority, start and due dates, duration and effort, as well as its resources. The ability to roll up the task information to a certain topic is a big advantage.
Why is it your favorite feature?
No matter what project I have ahead of me, the task information features gives me peace of mind that I’m not forgetting anything. Using the numbers 1 to 5, the priority tags show the importance of a task compared to other tasks. The status makes visible what still needs to be done, and whether the task is not completed at all, half completed or fully completed. The start and due date reveal by when I have to finish a task. In addition, the ability to roll up the task information to a certain topic helps me a lot. This way, I have a larger project with many smaller tasks. Checking off a task is not only incredibly satisfying but it also shows me the overall progress of a project.
However, the best part is that I can perfectly complement my favorite feature using SmartRulesTM. With this feature, I added a rule that makes any unfinished tasks red. This let’s me make sure I don’t overlook anything important, and allows me to do so at a glance.
Additionally, if I want to show the topics by priority, I simply switch from Map View to Icon View. In this view, I can also move the individual topics to give them a different priority.
What is an example of how you use this feature?
The moment a new task lands on my desk, I enter it into my to-do-map and add the task information. At the same time, I assess the importance and urgency of this task compared to my remaining duties.
Let’s say, I am assisting in the organization of a workshop. When planning an event, several things must be considered. You have to book the event venue, create and pack the required material and so on. That’s why I use additional branches to add the individual activities. If a task has a due date and high priority, I include it in the map. I also note if a task is particularly time-consuming. Sometimes I have to collaborate with a colleague on a task, discuss it with them or pass the task on. In that case, I enter that colleague’s name under resources. It is important for me that the “Roll Up Task Info” check box is enabled for the topmost topic, because it allows me to see how much of my work is done.
How do you think other people in your role would benefit from this feature?
I am sure that everyone would benefit from the definition and visualization of their task information. Whether a project manager, an intern or a student, we all have to organize ourselves and to keep track of our work. Additionally, you can adjust the SmartRules and the different views to a broad range of activities to fit your exact needs for any given task or project.
Because of these features alone, I will continue using MindManager for learning purposes and projects in my studies after my internship is completed.
Want to represent your tasks visually and try the SmartRules™ for your next project?
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