Use Map Markers well and you’ll find the value of your mapping increase exponentially.
One way to start realizing the potential of map markers is through a new add-in called “Power Markers for MindManager“. (Note: This add-in works with both MindManager 7 and 8 for Windows.)
Power Markers let you more easily keep track of important things that get lost deep within your larger maps. It does this by providing a complementary view of your map’s markers in the MindManager task pane window. You can either view an automatic roll-up of your markers or a ‘hot list’ of topics organized by your markers.
Let’s say you’re working on a large map, a sales proposal for a very large potential project.
There are typically a lot of moving parts with multiple contributors under tight deadlines to complete proposal efforts. Using MindManager is a great way to tackle the project by letting you maintain the big picture and ensure that each contributor tackles their portion on time, aligned with the rest of the team.
But with a map that contains hundreds of topics, it can get difficult to find or navigate to information you need. You may also lose sight of the big picture, depending on how you’ve structured your map.
Enter the new add-in Power Markers.
In the Power Markers pane you view your topics organized by their markers. This consolidates markers from multiple branches and lets you view them by your pre-defined categories (e.g. Status, Priority, % Complete, Due Date, etc…).
Click on any of the topics within the pane and the main view navigates directly to that map topic.
This is a great way to look at status of tasks regardless of where they appear in your map. In this example, I can quickly review everything that has been completed, items that haven’t been started, etc… Or, Open up the resources and view progress by person.
With a click of a button, everything in my ‘hot list’ is saved to my clip board. This is a great method to transfer information within the map into other forms of communication. Getting back to our example, if we divvied up and assigned the map’s sections to multiple resources, within a click you can send an email to the team with the sections that you will hold them accountable for:
The Power Markers add-in reveals meaningful information deep within your maps, provides easy navigation to focus your attention, and lets you extract selected information from your map to use in other communication mediums.
I definitely recommend checking out Power Markers for MindManager.
To learn more about Map Markers, check out this series…
- Map Markers: What are they?
- How to Use Markers to Simplify Map Editing
- Using Markers to Focus on What Matters Most
- Power Your Process with Custom Markers (Part 1 of 2)
- Power Your Process with Custom Markers (Part 2 of 2)
- Customize Markers Once, Reuse Forever!
About the Author:
Michael Deutch is Mindjet’s Chief Evangelist, content contributor for the Mindjet Blog and the Mindjet Connections newsletter. Get more from Michael on Twitter.
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Task start
1. Cover Letter
2. Title Page
Are the criteria for the stoplight/dashboard view customizable?
Does the portal support variations in reporting (e.g., different reports for different types of users)?
Does the printed report look the same as what is on the screen?
Does the product allow reports to be generated in multiple formats?
Does the product contain a repository for storing reports?
Does the product have network authentication and authorization?
Does the product have the capability to customize the user’s view?
Does the product have the capability to schedule reports?
Does the product include a stoplight or dashboard view of project status?
Does the product include a web portal for presentation?
Does the product include role-based security?
Does the product support automatic notification?
Does the product support external customer access?
Is a downloadable component for client-side reporting required?
Is the product server based?
Quarter done
4. Executive Summary (maximum of two double-spaced pages)
5. Work Plan (maximum of eight double-spaced pages)
Half done
3. Proposal Checklist (see Attachment 1)
Are reports web delivered?
Does the product allow searches across projects?
Does the product automatically integrate with other tools?
Does the product have a modifiable notification process?
Does the product have audit trail capabilities?
Does the product have the ability to manage across projects?
Does the product have the ability to schedule, dispatch and track assigned work?
Does the product include the capability to stress a resource?
Three quarters done
6. Budget
Task done
7. Timeline
8. References (see Attachment 2)
9. Samples of Prior Work
Are project templates customizable?
Can all users modify document content?
Can templates be linked to milestones? (e.g.,sign-off template are required when requirements are complete)
Does the product contain a skills-set database?
Does the product contain archive capability?
Does the product contain critical path management functionality?
Does the product have a modifiable escalation process?
Does the product have CMM audit capability?
Does the product have the capability to collect data in a database to be used in multiple forms?
Does the product have the capability to collect metrics on CMM audits?
Does the product include any type of “lessons learned” information repository?
Does the product include the capability to do “what-if” scenarios across projects?
Does the product integrate the Capability Maturity Model?
Does the product manage and trace requirements?
Does the product predict negative impact to the critical path before project failure?
Does the product provide a single source repository so everyone is looking at the same copy?
Does the product support CMM certification?
Does the product support document checkout/check-in and versioning?
Resources
Partner
1. Cover Letter
4. Executive Summary (maximum of two double-spaced pages)
6. Budget
Proposal Mgr
2. Title Page
3. Proposal Checklist (see Attachment 1)
5. Work Plan (maximum of eight double-spaced pages)
6. Budget
7. Timeline
8. References (see Attachment 2)
9. Samples of Prior Work
Project Mgr
7. Timeline
Marketing
8. References (see Attachment 2)
9. Samples of Prior Work
Fill Colors
Marker name
Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
Critical Path Management
Detailed Requirements
Document Management
Short Answer Questions
Marker name
Detailed Requirements
Font Colors
Marker name
Are project templates customizable?
Are reports web delivered?
Are the criteria for the stoplight/dashboard view customizable?
Can all users modify document content?
Can templates be linked to milestones? (e.g.,sign-off template are required when requirements are complete)
Critical Path Management
Describe how process audit metrics are kept.
Describe how the product facilitates auditing processes.
Describe how the product integrates the CMM
Describe how the product predicts negative impact to the critical path before project failure occurs. If there is an impact to the critical path, such as removing a resource, is there automatic notification?
Describe the process for making changes to document content. Is a gatekeeper required?
Describe the product’s document management process. Does it include checkout/check-in and versioning?
Detailed Requirements
Document Management
Does the portal support variations in reporting (e.g., different reports for different types of users)?
Does the printed report look the same as what is on the screen?
Does the product allow reports to be generated in multiple formats?
Does the product allow searches across projects?
Does the product automatically integrate with other tools?
Does the product contain a repository for storing reports?
Does the product contain a skills-set database?
Does the product contain archive capability?
Does the product contain critical path management functionality?
Does the product contain critical path management functionality?
Does the product have a modifiable escalation process?
Does the product have a modifiable notification process?
Does the product have audit trail capabilities?
Does the product have CMM audit capability?
Does the product have network authentication and authorization?
Does the product have the ability to manage across projects?
Does the product have the ability to schedule, dispatch and track assigned work?
Does the product have the capability to collect data in a database to be used in multiple forms?
Does the product have the capability to collect metrics on CMM audits?
Does the product have the capability to customize the user’s view?
Does the product have the capability to schedule reports?
Does the product include a stoplight or dashboard view of project status?
Does the product include a web portal for presentation?
Does the product include any type of “lessons learned” information repository?
Does the product include any type of “lessons learned” information repository? If so, describe.
Does the product include role-based security?
Does the product include the capability to do “what-if” scenarios across projects for risk analysis to resources, scope, time, and cost? If yes, describe.
Does the product include the capability to do “what-if” scenarios across projects?
Does the product include the capability to stress a resource?
Does the product manage and trace requirements?
Does the product predict negative impact to the critical path before project failure?
Does the product provide a single source repository so everyone is looking at the same copy?
Does the product support automatic notification?
Does the product support CMM certification?
Does the product support document checkout/check-in and versioning?
Does the product support external customer access?
Is a downloadable component for client-side reporting required?
Is the product server based?
What levels of CMM certification does the product support?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Marker name
Detailed Requirements