MindGenius: Think Creatively. Decide Wisely.

Reviewed by James Manktelow, CEO, MindTools.com.

At one of our regular Mind Tools planning meetings, we were discussing the products and services we wanted to review in upcoming issues of “Mind Tools Reviews”. In front of me was my usual meeting preparation: notes and ideas mapped out using a software tool I’ve been using for more than a year now: MindGenius from Gael Ltd. Well, as the saying goes, sometimes the answer is looking you straight in the face!

Of all productivity and thinking tools I use in my working day, MindGenius is one of the most versatile, and is very much part of how I work. All very well: I’m certainly pleased to talk about how I use the product, but more work was needed to test and review different ways in which you and other Mind Tools readers can use it.

And that’s what we’ve done: we’ve tested how the software supports several popular Mind Tools thinking tools, to bring you a thorough and up-to-date review of MindGenius.

MindGenius’s creators suggest that the tool can be used in more than 100 different ways. We found that around 20 of these related to tools and techniques featured at Mind Tools - so we set about testing and reviewing the most important of these. The results were so good that we wanted not only to review the product in-depth for you here, but also decided to offer an E-class helping you learn some of the ways that MindGenius can help in your work and career. We'll talk about this later: Let’s begin the review…

What I Was Looking For...
MindGenius is a software-based drawing tool used to support and enhance thinking skills like Mind Mapping, Cause & Effect Analysis, Impact Analysis, Brainstorming and SWOT Analysis, Project Planning, and much more.

When I first discovered and reviewed MindGenius more than a year ago, I was looking for support for creating Mind Maps, and this is one of the core uses of MindGenius. I use Mind Maps extensively in my day-to-day work as a way of taking notes when researching articles or books, and for thinking through questions or exploring ideas.

As a way of taking notes or brainstorming, Mind Mapping is hugely powerful: partly in the way it allows me to condense notes that would spread over many pages; partly in the way it clearly shows the structure and organization of a topic; and partly in the way it helps me quickly see the way that information fits together.

And I was conscious that there are many alternatives to tools like MindGenius. At the simplest level, it’s easy to buy an artist’s sketchpad, and draw your own Mind Maps. Mind Mapping on paper gives you tremendous flexibility, but paper mind maps can quickly become untidy, need frequent redrafting, and suffer from all the limitations of paper-only documents.

On another level, software like MSWord can be useful in brainstorming and note-taking, but does not easily give the spatial organization of information that’s so important in Mind Mapping. And on a third level, drawing packages like Corel Draw can help you create beautiful Mind Maps, however they require slow, tedious assembly of low-level graphic elements to give the finished product.

Must be Clearly Better Than the Alternatives...
For MindGenius to be worth using, it must be clearly better than all these different approaches:

- It had to produce smarter, better looking diagrams than can be produced on paper, and had to have all of the benefits of storability, ease-of-distribution and ease of management offered by computer-based documents;
- It had to give the full spatial benefits and flexibility of layout that paper-based Mind Maps give, thereby overcome a limitation of other types of software; and
- It had to be quick and easy-to-use, giving professional looking diagrams without the tedious hard work needed with conventional drawing packages.

So what I was looking for was a flexible, highly-intuitive program, which produces high quality computer-based output with a minimum of fuss.

Easy Operation - Fast and Intuitive
Before I first downloaded the software, I had a number of doubts about how easy it would be to use. For example, how quickly could data be entered? How easy would it be to reorganize my Mind Maps, for example by pruning information from one part of the chart and grafting it elsewhere? And so on.

MindGenius soon dispelled my doubts. It was fast, obvious and intuitive. Data entry was quick and easy, with it being possible to create and manage Mind Maps with a minimum of control keystrokes and mouse movements. Moving and reorganizing branches was accomplished by simple drag and drop mouse action. And as I added information, the map structure flexed and adapted automatically, preserving plenty of white space and keeping the layout clean and elegant.

A minor gripe was that I had to experiment before I figured out how to edit an item. (We tell you how to do this in the E-class, along with many other learning tips). But in general, MindGenius was so easy to operate and so intuitive that I did not need to use the help system even once when learning to Mind Map.

Use With "Mind Tools"
So MindGenius is great at Mind Mapping, but this is just one of many uses of MindGenius. Next, I wanted to look at the range of thinking support that MindGenius could provide in areas that interest Mind Tools readers. I set about testing out the range of other “mind tools” that MindGenius could support. Here’s a summary of the ones we checked out:

1. Mind Mapping: We’ve already said that MindGenius is very, very good for Mind Mapping. It’s easy, elegant and intuitive, a pleasure to use, and it produces high quality output (click here to see the mind map I used in preparing the review). There’s no need to say any more;

2. Brainstorming: As Mind Mapping is a great technique for conducting and recording a brainstorming session, MindGenius is great for Brainstorming too, both on your own and with your team;

3. Decision Making: MindGenius is useful for mapping out and exploring alternatives, which is an important part of the decision making process. However, it does not provide crunchy, quantitative decision support that, say, MSExcel does (but then, Excel is not a lot of help when it comes to brainstorming alternatives!);

4. Project Management: Again, MindGenius does not provide a substitute for the “heavy duty” project scheduling capabilities of MSProject, however it does provide a useful tool for management of smallish projects, and helps with initial identification of tasks;

5. SWOT Analysis: MindGenius does provide a good, quick, flexible, easy tool for SWOT Analysis, however it’s only marginally better than can be achieved with MSWord;

6. Six Thinking Hats: However, MindGenius’s strengths reassert themselves with creative thinking techniques like Six Thinking Hats – it easily supports this sort of quick evolution and extension of ideas in an unparalleled and incredibly powerful way;

7. Impact Analysis and Cause & Effect Analysis: And again, its approach is great for these too: The standard templates it includes for these career-changing, “wisdom-enhancing” techniques make them extremely quick and simple to use.

MindGenius is not going to replace analytical tools like Microsoft Excel. Nor can it match the sheer scheduling power of Microsoft Project. However, it is superb for situations and techniques involving the rapid evolution and recording of ideas, and it presents the structure of these ideas cleanly and elegantly. As a tool for the support of creative idea generation and structured thinking, MindGenius is unparalleled.

And given its interfaces to Microsoft Office products, it has the potential (as Gael point out) to be a great creativity front-end to MS Office.

Download and Purchase / Trial:
I downloaded the 21-day trial version of MindGenius from Gael’s website (we've set up a quick download link to make it easy for you to do this.) Download was easy and straightforward, and installation was simple. It’s good to have this trial period, as it gives plenty of time to explore the product's capabilities and make up your own mind about it.

I was less impressed by the purchase process, which had some irritating glitches within it. In particular, I entered my contact information when I initially downloaded MindGenius, meaning that I had to go through a convoluted process to retrieve account details before I could (successfully) pay. With the quick download process this should be more streamlined, however do persist if you have problems - you'll manage eventually.

It’s also worth saying that MindGenius is not cheap at US$247, UK£147, EUR217 (compare to MSWord 2003 at US$229 at Microsoft.com.) I had to think a bit before buying, however having done so, I'm pleased that I made the investment.

Here I've reviewed MindGenius Business. Gael also offer MindGenius Home, which comes at a much lower price (US$53, UK£29, EUR42). The difference between the two is that MindGenius Business offers many more tools-based templates, professional quality printing, integration with MSOffice, and the work-related features that are needed for it to be an effective business tool.

In Conclusion…
In conclusion, I strongly like and value MindGenius as a thinking-support tool in my day-to-day work.

As a Mind Mapping tool, MindGenius is extremely intuitive, fast and convenient, and is now my standard tool for this important technique. It is also extremely effective for techniques like Brainstorming, SWOT analysis, Six Thinking Hats, Impact Analysis and Cause & Effect Analysis.

Does it increase productivity by 3 or 4 times as claimed? It’s difficult to say - maybe it does for some of my thinking and planning activities. But, for me, the more important benefits are qualitative (and immeasurable), in terms of supporting clear and structured thinking – so essential for career and life success.

As a regular user, I strongly recommend it!

Mind Tools / MindGenius E-Class
So that you can try it out for yourself and learn precisely what it can do for you, we’ve partnered with Gael to give you a free six-week “Mind Tools MindGenius E-class.”

This teaches you how to make the very most of it for Mind Mapping, Cause & Effect Analysis, Brainstorming, Impact Analysis, Six Thinking Hats and Decision Making, and it helps you discover the full range of features that make it so powerful.

The E-class works alongside the free 21-day evaluation period from MindGenius, giving you time to try it for yourself fully for at least some of these tools we cover in the E-Class, so that you can form your own opinion. Even if you choose not to go beyond day 21, you'll learn some great thinking skills which will help you throughout your career.

To register for the E-Class, just send a blank email to MindGenius@mindtoolsservices.com. Just click here and then click send. You'll receive the first instalment of the course in just a few minutes time.

To try the 21-day trial version of MindGenius for yourself, go to our quick download page at the following URL http://www.mindtools.com/rs/MindGenius and follow the simple instructions.

360 Degree Feedback

Communication is very vital in today's organizations - none of us are out of it. We are communicating every single minute - be it in office or at home or anywhere else. All types of communications are extremely important - suggestions, brainstorming, creative discussions, consent on decisions, dissents and most importantly feedback - negative or positive! The feedback - honest feedback, if you will, is generally never welcome. The situation becomes very critical if you were to provide this to your immediate manager. If not handled tactfully and diligently, this will result in an awkward situation, isn't it? After all, how easy it is for you to walk into your manager's cubicle and tell him/her that (s)he has an attitude problem.

In my experience and from the experiences of my ex-colleagues and friends, I believe there are 2 types of managers - the ones who encourage their subordinates to give constructive feedback/opinions and would not stop at doing anything (and I mean ANYTHING) to ensure the smooth working of the team in the future. And then there are others who do not even bother to make an effort to change things. I call them typical traditional managers, who believe in ruling by fear and coercion. Logic does not matter to them. Their subordinates are supposed to execute their commands and orders without asking any questions. If one of the subordinates does dare ask a question, he will most probably labeled as unprofessional.

Providing constructive feedback calls for a lot of caution since it's never easy to provide feedback to your manager about his performance. If done tactfully and carefully, it will be a smooth ride for both the parties involved but if this is done poorly, it's a sure shot formula for spoiling relationships with the superiors and lowering employee morale, if the boss takes offence.

One of my friends told me that the feedback process is carried out throughout the year in his organization and not just during the appraisal process. Depending on an individual's development plan, these feedback sessions happen more than 4-6 times a year. In another organization, "SKIP LEVEL" meetings take place regularly with the teams the manager's are handling. The HR conducts these meetings to gather fair, unbiased and candid feedback about the manager's effectiveness in handling teams, his/her style of managing people, conflict resolutions, personality traits which may hinder or facilitate the team's success, his strengths and weaknesses etc. Once the team members speak, the team leader or the manager is called in the room and the feedback is shared with the manager in front of the team. The HR has this huge responsibility of making sure that the employee speaks up and is comfortable while doing so. If not, they must promise anonymity for the employee.

The idea here is to empower the employees to provide constructive feedback without any fear or reluctance. If the company does not do this periodically, the managers may become insensitive and ignore the individual's needs in the team. The experts in this field believe that the only way this method of feedback (they call it with a handsome name - 360 Degree Feedback) could ever be successful is when the employees are given the liberty to speak up their mind. The feedback thus gathered would help a manager appreciate and reinforce his strengths while he works towards rectifying the weaknesses identified in such sessions.The net result is two-fold - the manager can improve his skills and move on in his career and the organization benefits by creating a cache of more effective managers and team members. The organization promotes transparency through these exercises.

The maximum advantage is gained by the companies who are using the 360 Degree Feedback method. It creates a sense of empowerment and importance felt by the subordinates in appraising their managers. So in this era of "employee empowerment", the buzz word is going to be the "360 Degree Feedback" methods.

A Leader's Five Key Stakeholders

Ensuring that a leader demonstrates all 8 Habits or Exercises Judgment or has Emotional Intelligence or any other set of personal characteristics is half right. The other half is ensuring that these competencies really deliver results through the value they create for others.

Who are these stakeholders and what do they want?

Employees want to work in a place where they can meet their personal needs and wants. Leaders who create job assignments, work environments, and visions help employees be both competent and committed to their work.

Customers want leaders to build compelling products and services so that they can trust and when they do, customers will give share of wallet.

Communities want leaders to build organizations that are socially responsible, through how they treat the environment and how they serve the larger community.

Investors want leaders to keep their promises, develop a compelling growth strategy, align core competencies to the strategy and then to ensure that people are committed to delivering on these premises. When they do, investors reward the organization with high levels of confidence in the future which translates into higher market value.

Regulators want leaders to govern themselves in accordance with high ethical principles and in a manner consistent with professional and legal standards.

However, in addition to these 5, you may also have to look at the 2 more distinctive groups -

1. Competitors: Leaders would to well to look at competition as well. What is required is healthy competition - one that is driven by superior quality, innovation, efficiency or responsiveness. The propensity among many leaders to deride competition leads to a vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack strategies that inevitably result in a lose-lose scenario. Within the context of free-market dynamics, leaders can consider mutual forbearance as an option vis-a-vis competition.

2. Suppliers and Channel Partners: The ability of a firm to create and deliver value depends to a significant extent on the other players of the value system. Helping suppliers to adopt practices such as TQM and TPM would enable a firm to move up the value curve. Similarly, customer responsiveness often depends on the channel partners. Thus, co-creating value (Prof. Prahalad and Prof. Ramaswamy) becomes a vital element in the value-creation process.

It can be argued that these groups are a part of the community. However, treating them as distinct entities would help leaders to look at each stakeholder group from an appropriate perspective and ask the three basic questions:

Who are they?

What do they want?

How can we deliver, either by ourselves or together?