Brainstorming with Mind Maps

Different people have different preferences for learning and communicating:

• Some use sounds. If you turn on the sounds of your telephone keyboard to generate different tones for each key, then dialling a number generates a simple tune.  A musician I knew used to remember the tune for calling friends instead of the number sequence!
• Some use movement. Hand movements are an important part of person to person communications, although emphasised in some cultures more than others. Many people learn better by making movements, for example to learn knitting, golf or calligraphy.
• Some use pictures. Funny or impressive pictures can stick in our mind and trigger memories for years. Mind Mapping was developed by Tony Buzan and is great for collecting related topics or points in a structured way and an example is shown below. By using Mindmaps to share ideas, we combine the movement and pictures while explaining what we are drawing to our colleagues reinforces the message. This works really well with a flip chart in small group meetings.

Sample Mind Map from Mindblogger

Mind Maps for Web Meetings

The trouble with Web Meetings is that the basic whiteboard tools are usually not very sophisticated and drawing mind maps with them is not very effective.  As a result one person tends to monopolise the meeting and creativity is blocked.

A good solution to this situation is Collaborative Mind Mapping Tools. Let’s look at each point in reverse order:

• Mind Mapping Tools: Just as for word processing, it can help to have an electronic version of the Mind Map.  This means that it can be saved, changed later and sent around to colleagues.
• Collaborative: In the modern sense of “simple immediate communication” such as Instant Messengers (IM) or  chat, supported by Social Media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.

The final element making a mind mapping tool suitable for collaborative working in virtual teams is that they should be accessible via a browser without any downloads.

Which Collaborative Mind Mapping Tools to use?

To get you Mind Mapping collaboratively, here are just four tools which seem to meet the need the requirements.  Remember however that they may not yet be suitable for use in the corporate environment, unless installed behind the firewall:

1. Mindmeister: This tool can export mind maps as a PDF file, which is important as it is most unlikely that everybody in your team will be able to access the tool itself. It can also import Freemind (which I have used for years) and the competition Mindjet (see below). The subscription version can also attach files to topics.
2. Mind42: This is a much simpler basic product, although it meets the basic requirements. In interesting feature is that it links into Skype, so that users can talk about, view and edit a mind map from several locations at once without having to log on to different tools separately.
3. Mindjet: Must be installed on a computer, so this would usually meet corporate security requirements (as long as the application has been approved for use).  The collaborative feature is achieved by a web conference add-on.
4. Xmind: This product must also be downloaded and installed for a subscription. As well as PDF export it has a couple of interesting features:

• The branches of the mind map can be considered to be activities of a project and displayed on a Gantt (bar) chart.
• There is a presentation feature that allows you to animate the build up of the mind map and even record the voice over in mp3 format.

What are your experiences of mind mapping in a collaborative environment? Please add to the discussion!

Ad hoc teams are those which form spontaneously to achieve some task.  This could develop into a full project, but at the early stages of team formation no standards have been chosen, making early communications difficult.  One strategy is to test access to two or three applications which are already known to one or other of the team members as a starting point.

The choice of applications is wide and should be made to meet technical, organisational and budget constraints.  Here are my personal prioritised preferences for ad hoc teams.  Other types of team, for example within a company, may prioritise this list differently or prefer other applications:

1 st Choice: Skype Version 4

This version includes screen share as well as the voice and chat functions of previous versions.  It is free but may not be allowed in corporate environments for reasons of commercial or technical security.

Verdict: quick, free and reliable for moderate group sizes.

2nd Choice: Yuuguu

The main functionality of this application is the screensharing, for which the originator must install an application.  For readers however, NO installations are required, only a browser.  This is ideal for supporting instant discussions e.g. with prospects as the link can be sent by messenger or e-mail and can be used immediately.  There is a monthly limit of 100 minutes for the free version, but this limit does not apply between people who have signed up.

The voice communication is integrated with Skype and uses its list of contacts.  If however you want telephone contact (for better, more reliable voice support), then Yuuguu provides dial up numbers (via a service called PowWowNow, although it is not necessary to set up a separate log-in) in several countries, which uses the same PIN code as the screen meeting. The cost is moderate for the host, however callers pay for access, unless in the USA where the access is free. Depending on your telephone subscription, it may be cheaper to dial into the USA number, even if you are located somewhere else.

You can also give over control of your application to another person in the conference, whose mouse and keyboard will then work on the computer of the person originating the screen share.

The Plus version has a meeting participation limit of 30.

Verdict: Useful screenshare functions, linked in with both VoIP and Telephone for voice. Screeshare originator must load application, but basic version is free.

3rd Choice: LotusLiveMeetings

This provides full screen share functionality, including chat and hand raising.  The link can be sent to readers who only need a browser, but originators must install a substantial add-on. There is also an Event Management option for controlling invitations, registration etc.  Subscription service.

Verdict: Offers the security required for corporate environments associated with rich functionality for the ad hoc team environment.

4th Choice: Webex

This is a comprehensive and stable environment for web meetings.  It supports screen sharing, chat and hands up, as well as both VoIP and Telephone access. The meeting host can also control the audio environment, eg mute microphones.  Participants can be offered a toll-free access and these costs are carried by the host.  It is widely used in corporate environments and has a corresponding monthly subscription in addition to the call costs of the participants.

Verdict: Reliable and comprehensive for the corporate environment, where the costs are borne by the host.

Virtual Working depends on Mature Technology

Mature technology “just works” without users needing a second though and this is essential for the Virtual Workplace, otherwise the users are burdened with learning how to use it and sorting out the details.

Fixed line telephones are a good example, where the business culture of the providers ensures near total reliability.  Another example is steel hammers.  The technology evolved a long time ago and the carpenter must merely use the tool.

An example of technology which is useful for virtual working but not standardised is Net Meetings and VoIP (voice over Internet protocol).  Yes, most of the technology works but the lack of standardisation and the availability in many configurations makes it necessary for users to devote extra time and effort to familiarisation. Standardisation contributes to technology maturity as this reduces the amount users have to learn.

On the other hand, market fragmentation and technology diversity generates a need for different versions of user manuals, training courses and so on.  An example of this is the windows interface of our computer.  The broad standardisation of interface facilitates the usage, although there is some fragmentation, eg Microsoft vs. Apple operating systems and user interfaces.

Data backup technology is an essential technology in the virtual workplace,  but is not standardised.  In addition, data backups may be made regularly (e.g. daily) but restoring data is much less frequent.  There is a tendency not to test the restore process thoroughly because it does not seem to have an immediate payback.  The result is that the process checking and familiarisation are not carried out until a data loss occurs. Virtual workers cannot afford for the backups not to work, particularly in inter-company teams.  In-company teams should be able to rely on internal solutions.

Data Backup Applications need familiar interfaces

One solution to the data backup issue for inter-company virtual teams is to select technology for which:

• the user interface is intuitive, because it is similar (or identical) to widely used environments (eg Windows).
• the use is automated.
• data retrieval does not require new skills or know how.

Two applications meet these requirements and are ideal for the “road warriors”, doing their business wherever they are: hoteling as it is called:

• Bonkey
• Wuala.

Both of these solutions set up a location for the backup data.  The user then selects a folder to be backed up from the explorer window and sets the back up parameters, such as frequency.  Once the data has been backed up and the process is running, the user can relax, knowing that all data is automatically copied to the backup. Here’s a tip: set the system up when you do not need your computer, as the first backup can require a lot of data transfer and reduce performance.

The main difference between these two applications from a user viewpoint is that Bonkey uses any location for the backup (eg a hard disk), while Wuala uses storage accessed over the Internet.  This appears as a disk drive which can be viewed with the explorer window, and so is fully intuitive.  This is ideal for teams whose members are constantly on the move, as users can be given access to shared areas.

Wuala is also interesting technically, as it trades unused disk space of subscribers against online storage space.  This makes it possible to spread the physical location of the stored data around several machines.  This, together with the encryption, makes this solution particular interesting where confidentiality is essential. Event the provider does not keep a copy of the encryption key.

The Good News

Setting up and using these applications is very simple and can reduce dramatically the risk of data loss for virtual working.  A big reduction in risk for moderate effort is not always as easy as this to implement!