Using MindMaps in Project Management

Graham Devine, Training Consultant, Maven Training
 
“How do you start planning a project?”
There is a common misconception that to do ‘proper’ project planning you must use some complex and rigidly defined ‘methods’, and that you have to be an expert in these.
The Mind Mapping technique offers a simple but powerful way to determine the scope and work of a project – and it can be used by the novice or expert alike.

What is a Mind Map?
A Mind Map is a graphical means of arranging words into a picture, there is a key concept at the centre, and related words and concepts linked with the key concept by means of lines and arrows in a general radial fashion. As an illustration Fig 1 shows a simple Mind Map I produced to help me ‘plan’ some DIY work at home. My diagram is not very complex but it does capture the scope of the areas of work to be done in the project. In my illustration the project is “Complete the unfinished bits of DIY left after the recent redecorating and re-carpeting our house before guests arrive at the weekend”.

But this is only the beginning. For those with an ‘interest’ in the success of the project (in this case my partner who wants to make sure that the house ‘looks nice’ before we receive our guests; she wants to make sure ‘nothing has been forgotten’) my Mind Map clearly shows the areas of work that I need to concern myself with (yes, you guessed right, I am the ‘resource’ who is going to complete the work!). At this level the work looks simple – I’ll have time to read the paper once this all done. But the devil is in the detail – for example, I need to know what needs to be done in the bathroom to make it ‘nice’. I know the door needs to be re-fitted (it keeps rubbing on the new carpet), but is there anything else? And what about the other areas, the decorating, electrical and furnishing work?
 
So, armed with my simple Mind Map I, and my partner, walk around the house inspecting

 
what does need to be done. Both she and I are ‘experts’ in this: she is the ‘expert’ when it comes to the ‘quality’ expected (that is. What makes the finished work ‘nice’) and I am the ‘expert’ in the specialist areas of doing the work. We add detail to the diagram, additional words with lines linked to the main areas, until our thoughts are exhausted. You can see the result of this in figure 2. I and my partner now have a much clearer idea of the scale of the work. And for me, breaking the work down in this way helped increase my understanding, it answered the following questions:

• What detailed work needs to be done? Is it a complete list – have we forgotten anything?
• What specialist methods, tools and materials will I need to use? (notice that I added a new topic called “Materials and Tools needed” – my partner was not really interested in this bit, but I was as I need to think about the time and cost of getting these items together)
• Is it feasible – practically, in terms of time and my experience and skill (do I need help, what other things outside this project need to be done in the same time – e.g. shopping, sorting out the garden for the barbeque..)?
• What might be the cost and is this acceptable (is there a business case for the expensive chrome dimmer switches or shall we use cheaper plastic ones for example)?
• If we are constrained by cost and/or time are there some things that are more critical than others (prioritisation by partner)?

In formal project management terms a Mind Map is just a form of ‘breakdown’. Breakdown techniques are commonly used in Project Management to aid planning – different types of breakdown are used for different purposes. Products/deliverables (in the PRINCE2 course method), work/activity, functions/departments, costs etc. Whatever type you use breakdowns are an excellent way of aiding the different parties involved in project work: those who want the project to be done, those who have to do the work and those who have to use, or are impacted by, the final result. And breakdowns also have use once a project is underway – some examples are: to check progress, provide a source of communication to stakeholders or a benchmark from which to assess changes to the project.

Mind Maps do have other uses both inside and outside project work. You can use them as a note taking device, during meetings, training courses, group ‘brainstorming or interviews for example. You can use them for problem solving and risk management – in fact there is no end to the possibilities. Some people also add highlighting to them in the form of colour, pictures/drawings, links between subjects etc. This makes their maps ‘richer’ – there is really no limit to what you can do on a Mind Map.

In my simple project the Mind Map I produced was only a start to the planning process. I used it as the basis of sequencing the work to be done. The sequencing was based on, the priority of each item (as agreed with partner) and, what items were dependent on others (for example, getting the materials and tools before starting any of the detailed ‘doing’ work). From this I could plan my time and see how it fitted in with other things outside of, or related to, the project.

So you see, you don’t need a complex technique to start planning projects. Mind Maps are perfectly adequate and useable by all –they also link with breakdown methods described in ‘formal’ Project Management methods.

If you would like to find out more about the use of breakdown techniques in Project Management MAVEN TRAINING offer project management training courses in both full accredited methods and specific interest modules – for example, the one day course “PRINCE2 PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING” explores the use of breakdowns and their links to subsequent stages of project planning (activity sequencing, estimating, resourcing, scheduling, risk management etc.).