System Advancements at the Monastery

In response to my recent posting, “Just Stop, Listen, Think, Learn, and Repeat,” I got some very informative feedback. One methodology that I have heard a great deal about, but never pursued because it was outside my normal mode of operation is that of mind mapping. Mind Mapping is based around a strong visual method of taking notes and is meant to help people quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject while encourages creative problem solving. Humans are such visual creatures that excel at visual processing. This is why data visualization is such an interesting field (see posting “Security Data Visualization“). It make sense that being able to present ideas effectively visually would help in the learning process.

Dave Oliver did a fantastic job discussing mind maps with his post, “Managing your Mind. Mindmaps, a handy tool for the Enterprise Architect.” I am tempted to stop writing, leaving the reader to simply read Dave’s post. I just have a few additional links and comments to provide.

There are many software packages to help with mind maps. Dave recommends Mindjet Mindmanager Pro 7, one of the most popular commercial products. If you want to evaluate the software, there is a free 21 day trial option. Want to try something else? There are plenty of other packages. The folks over at Mind-mapping.org have done an amazing job of maintaining a list of the various mind mapping software. The commercial products are too numerous to include, but if you are looking to experiment with mind mapping, the open source packages might provide a good cost effective starting point. Mind-mapping.org has provided a nice map of open source solutions.

Eric Hebert, has done a post “99 Mind Mapping Resources, Tools, and Tips.” While I won’t list all 99 links, here are the categories covered:

• Free Software
• Resources
• Professional Training
• In the News
• Examples of Mind maps
• Books
• E-Books
• Articles On the Web
• PDF Articles
• Blogs
• People
• Videos
• Noteworthy Paid Software

Dave and Eric posts provide a fairly complete list of available information for learning all about mind maps. Now to add a little connective intelligence. Jerry Manas, author of “Napoleon on Project Management: Timeless Lessons in Planning, Execution, and Leadership” and “Managing the Gray Areas,” president of project management consulting firm The Marengo Group, co-founder of the popular leadership blog site PMThink!, and a two-time Mindjet webinar presenter has a few very useful posting concerning mind mapping:

• Finding Clarity: Using MindManager® Pro 7 to Manage the Gray Areas.
• 101 Project Management Uses for Mind Mapping Software
• Mindmap Productivity Tips
• Think Clear: Mind Map to Innovate …
• Event Map: Mind Map Technique
• Enable Creativity to Generate Ideas …

The Controlling Chaos podcast, hosted by Dina Henry Scott, PMP and Sr. Project Manager at VSP, has two podcasts that have interesting information on mind mapping tools: MindManager Pro 7 with Michael Deutch and Mapping Your Way to Project Success!.

Using mind mapping techniques to help in the area of security, Rudolph Araujo, Senior Principal Consultant at Foundstone, did a posting “MindMapper vs. MindManager.” Rudolph writes:

I was using mind mapping for everything from building threat models and doing code reviews to working out my articles and presentations. I even convinced Foundstone to purchase a bunch of licenses of MindMapper as a lot of other people at Foundstone had become fans as well.

Over at the Security Catalyst, Michael Santarcangelo has been working with mind mapping. Michael writes about the Security Catalyst work with mind mapping to develop a map of the advancement of security. The work is discussed in his posts “What do you think the future of how we practice security looks like?,” “Mind mapping the future of how we practice security“, and “Advancing the Future of Security; a mind-map experiment.” Michael explains his interest in mind mapping when he writes:

I am a visually driven person. I think in non-linear ways, and have a 4′x8′ whiteboard in my office that I use several times a day. Mind mapping, therefore, is a natural fit for me. As a speaker, I’m generally impressed by those who also mind map. If you are also visual, you may find mind mapping works for you, too. In my quest for personal improvement, I have come to enjoy reading the thoughts of Grigor at Behind the Glasses. He’s covered mind mapping a bit, and recently covered the beta of MindMeister - an online, collaborative mind mapping tool.

The resulting map is available on MindMeister or in PDF format. Don C. Weber, Information Assurance Director at Ultimate Solutions, Inc. and a member of the Security Catalyst community, was inspired to use mind mapping to help him develop a security plan based on the ISO 17799:2005 standard. Don discusses his use of both the open source FreeMind and the commercial MindManager software. He also discusses the steps he went through to map ISO 17799:2005 in his posting “Mindmapping ISO17799:2005.”

Mind mapping is not going to help you lose weight, be sexier to members of the opposite sex, add hair to your head, and/or cure you of all that might ail you. Software, at its best, can only help you perform your job better. It does not provide a solution in and by itself. Mind mapping provides a technique which enables you to explore, capture and structure what’s going on in your mind. For some, mind maps will be of no help. There are countless other methods to do the same thing. It is up to you to experiment and find the solution that work best for you. The important thing is to realize that when the old way of doing business no longer works well, you need to stop doing things the way they have always been done. The known is comfortable, but it fails to advance you anywhere. Challenge yourself. Learn to do things differently. You will be glad that you did, and you just might become a little more sexier. When you step off the beaten path, anything is possible.