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Mindjet Corporation Toll Free: 877-MINDJET 1160 Battery Street East · San Francisco CA 94111 USA Phone: 415-229-4200 Fax: 415-229-4201 www.mindjet.com © 2011 Mindjet MindManager Project Jetpack January 17, 2011

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Page 1: MindManager Project Jetpackdownload.mindjet.com/static/pdf/eng/Mindjet_Jetpack_User_Guide_en… · 3.2 Building Quality into Project Plans ... leading to improved customer satisfaction,

Mindjet Corporation Toll Free: 877-MINDJET

1160 Battery Street East · San Francisco CA 94111 USA

Phone: 415-229-4200 Fax: 415-229-4201

www.mindjet.com © 2011 Mindjet

MindManager Project Jetpack

January 17, 2011

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Table of Contents

1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4

2 Before You Begin ................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Get Familiar with MindManager .......................................................................... 5

2.2 Review Project Management Templates ............................................................... 6

2.3 Where to get additional assistance ...................................................................... 7

3 Project Management with MindManager .................................................................... 8

3.1 Empowering Project Teams................................................................................ 8

3.2 Building Quality into Project Plans ...................................................................... 8

3.3 Task Management, Integrated Gantt, and Microsoft Project .................................... 8

3.4 Easing the Burden of Project Control ................................................................... 9

3.5 Controlling Projects .......................................................................................... 9

3.6 Creating Project Archives ................................................................................ 13

4 Initiation ............................................................................................................ 14

4.1 Problem Definition .......................................................................................... 14

4.2 Business Plan ................................................................................................ 15

4.3 Project Requirements ..................................................................................... 15

4.4 Business Case ............................................................................................... 16

4.5 Project Charter .............................................................................................. 17

4.6 Project Initiation Checklist ............................................................................... 17

5 Planning ............................................................................................................ 18

5.1 Project Scope and Business Objectives .............................................................. 18

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5.2 Work Breakdown Structure .............................................................................. 19

5.3 Project Organization Chart ............................................................................... 20

5.4 Development Plan .......................................................................................... 20

6 Execution and Control .......................................................................................... 21

6.1 Change Request ............................................................................................. 22

6.2 Project Dashboard .......................................................................................... 22

6.3 Issues .......................................................................................................... 23

6.4 Project Status Report ...................................................................................... 23

6.5 Quick Status Report ....................................................................................... 24

6.6 Quality Review Meeting ................................................................................... 25

6.7 Steering Committee Meeting ............................................................................ 25

7 Closure .............................................................................................................. 26

7.1 Project Closure Report .................................................................................... 27

8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 28

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1 Introduction

MindManager lays the foundation for project success, leading to improved customer satisfaction, better quality, and lower development costs. Using MindManager with the MindManager Project Jetpack will result in:

• Empowering project teams • Building quality into project plans • Making project data easily accessible • Easing project control • Creating project archives

The MindManager Project Jetpack helps improve project performance. It demonstrates how to use MindManager with a project management methodology. You do not have to be a certified project manager to profit from using MindManager. Experienced project managers will find that MindManager optimizes their current work and increases project team efficiency, communication, and alignment.

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2 Before You Begin

Before you begin using the MindManager Project Jetpack, learn more about MindManager so that you can get the most benefit from MindManager and these project management templates during the execution of your project.

This section will introduce you the resources available for learning how to get the most from MindManager and prepare for managing your next project.

2.1 Get Familiar with MindManager

New to MindManager and information mapping? Take advantage of the online tutorials and Help System resources to become familiar with all the functionality MindManager has to offer.

Access the online tutorials from the File menu. Navigate to the Help category then "More Tutorials Online" or simply click here to navigate directly to the tutorials.

Even existing MindManager users can benefit from these online tutorials by visiting the "What's New in MindManager 9" area.

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Be sure to review the comprehensive help system for an even deeper discovery of MindManager's functionality. The help can be accessed online or directly from within the application under the File menu.

Finally, make sure to check out the 7 basic steps for Mapping with MindManager to get the ball rolling!

2.2 Review Project Management Templates

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) methodology is an internationally recognized standard that provides the basics of project management. The included MindManager templates directly correlate to this standard. This will become apparent as you begin to investigate each template and soon see how all the materials are associated to one another.

All of the templates have been installed into MindManager and are numbered to correspond with the sections of this document that describe the template and are grouped into the following phases:

• 4 Initiation • 5 Planning • 6 Execution • 7 Closure

Take some time to investigate and review all the supplied map templates and sample project.

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Access your templates by selecting File | New and then scrolling to the MindManager Project Jetpack templates.

The Project Process map provides a great overview of all the key elements required to successfully plan, launch and run a project and can serve as a great reference while getting familiar with the MindManager Project Jetpack.

2.3 Where to get additional assistance

If you need additional assistance or inspiration, there are several additional resources available for you:

• For more mapping examples and templates, make sure to check out the online resource Maps for That, an entire site dedicated to promoting and sharing maps created by users, for users.

• Visit the Mindjet User Forum or Knowledge Base to see what questions other users have also been asking.

• Mindjet's trained and knowledgeable support team is always available to answer any question that might come up.

o Customer Service and help with licence key issues, or upgrades o Technical Support is great for installation or product issues. o Or, if you want to provide feedback to make MindManager even better, feel

free to Submit a suggestion anytime!

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3 Project Management with MindManager

This section will briefly describe the methods and benefits of using MindManager as part of your project management method. The MindManager Project Jetpack utilizes common best practices of PMBOK project management techniques and couples them with the strengths of MindManager to help you and your project team execute more effectively.

3.1 Empowering Project Teams

MindManager offers a simple, visual interface that makes it easy for teams to document and share information. Harness your team’s intellectual capital with MindManager and achieve project success by:

• Integrating team expertise during planning • Increasing a team’s commitment to a project through involvement in all phases • Delegating many project management tasks to the team using the task functionality

in MindManager.

3.2 Building Quality into Project Plans

MindManager is the perfect solution for teams to capture and refine requirements and to create blueprints for action. It facilitates a whole range of project planning activities such as:

• Building a business case for a product or service • Creating a project charter • Defining project scope • Creating a work breakdown structure

The creation and utilization of standardized map templates for each phase of the project promotes quality for project deliverables and ensures the repeatability of your project process.

3.3 Task Management, Integrated Gantt, and Microsoft Project

The combination of MindManager with visual mapping, task management, and an integrated Gantt view provides project teams with a powerful solution. Microsoft Project isn't a collaborative tool and often managers find it difficult to elicit all the key tasks that need to be tracked in their plan which often results in resource issues, time and budget overruns. With such limited project information, the quality of a project’s foundational data suffers.

The Task and Gantt functionality in MindManager allows for resources to be assigned, dependencies determined and utilization calculated. All of this task information can be

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viewed in the classic "Gantt" view for a high level overview of the project plan as the team is formed and the charter defined.

When the time arrives to manage a complex project to an extreme level of detail, all the task information can be directly utilized in Microsoft Project. MindManager supports a clean export to Microsoft Project taking full advantage of all the existing data such as resources, dependencies, due dates, percent complete and more. Teams develop information and export it to Microsoft Project, making it easier to follow existing work habits and tools thereby improving its value to your team.

3.4 Easing the Burden of Project Control

The art of project control is identifying deviations from project plans and taking corrective action. With MindManager, project teams identify problems, create action plans, and execute quickly.

MindManager builds control features right into the map, including:

• Icons to visually indicate key information like status, risk, priorities and more. • The integration of key email and task information with Outlook queries to ensure all

team members and stakeholders have the same information. • Using resources from MindManager, Outlook and even Sharepoint* to manage the

delegation and tracking of tasks. • Use a Gantt view of all tasks and deadlines to see a high level overview of the entire

project.

* Requires MindManager Explorer for SharePoint extension.

3.5 Controlling Projects

When the time comes to begin executing on your project plans, it is important that a certain amount of process is followed to help facilitate the:

• Communication of Project Status • Resolution of Issues • Manage Changes to Requirements • Manage Meetings

The MindManager Project Jetpack provides a set of control documents to help you manage the day to day activities of your project. Furthermore, the collection of control documents at the conclusion of your project will serve as a valuable resource as you evaluate and plan future projects.

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3.5.1 Tracking Tasks

MindManager lets you track information about tasks, including start/finish dates, percent complete, duration, and resources.

The Development Plan map in the Planning Phase utilizes tasks that cleary identify start and end dates, priority, percent complete, and the assigned resource(s). Using the task information capabilities of MindManager will automatically populate at Gantt view of a complete overview of all the tasks currently defined in the map.

Optionally, you can also export task information to Microsoft Project to utilize Project’s advanced project maangement capabilities.

3.5.2 Flagging Topics

The Project Dashboard map in the Execution Phase demonstrates another scenario. Instead of tracking individual tasks, project managers may want to flag deliverables to indicate their status, making it easy to find trouble spots in a project. The "Current Status" topic below is a good example of using icon markers as flags to indicate risk level. Notice how the colors are a natural indicator of status.

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3.5.3 Filtering a Map

Using map markers makes it simple to find what you want in a map. Not only are they easy to see and understand, you can filter a map to show or hide specific map markers.

For example, those practicing an exception-based form of project management may only want to focus on at-risk topics during a status meeting. Filtering makes this very easy to do.

To filter a map:

1. In the View tab, Select Filter>Power Filter on the map header.

2. Select the flag or other marker you want to focus on.

3. Select Filter>Show Matching Topics or Filter>Hide Matching Topics to display or hide your criteria.

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The map now displays topics that match the filtered criteria:

To remove the filter, select Remove Filter from the View tab.

3.5.4 Creating a Project Portal

One of the most critical problems facing any project is maintaining a single point of access for project data.

MindManager makes it easy to gather and share critical data through the use of a project portal. You can create a map that links to all of a project’s important documents, including all of the relevant information like your project charter, how you'll measure success, your project team and contact information, etc. Place this map on your network or in Microsoft SharePoint to let all the team members see the big picture and have easy access to all the details.

The Project Dashboard map in the Execution Phase is the natural single source of information for the project. Attach and hyperlink all data to this map so it can be used by all team members as the single source of information regarding the status of a project.

TIP: Be sure to review Using Hyperlinks in the MindManager help system.

The project portal can also serve as the basis for team meeting agendas or executive reports.

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During meetings, it is easy to access this data and drill down into the details. By linking to your other project maps (e.g. development plan, change requests, status reports, etc) and documents, you have instant access to important project information. By collapsing topics, you can concentrate on the overview of the project. This dynamic view of the project keeps your team and stakeholders informed.

3.5.5 Running Effective Project Team Meetings

You can also run effective project team meetings with MindManager. It is the perfect medium for keeping your team informed, focused, and on track.

MindManager is perfect for running the following types of meetings:

• Project Kickoff • Requirements Gathering • Problem Solving • Project Status • Steering Committee • Brainstorming

Use the Dashboard map as the starting point for all meetings. Navigate to the required map for the specific meeting, such as a Quick Status Report.

Track all meeting notes, attendees and action items in a topic so they can easily be referred to at any time by all team members.

Be sure to link past status reports, change requests, issues, etc. to your Project Dashboard so that you always have access to your past records.

3.6 Creating Project Archives

MindManager makes it easy to capture “lessons learned” and package your project data for future reference, providing a rich data set for future planning.

Once a project is complete, and all the maps are final, the entire set of materials forms the basis for a new project. The data can easily be copied, renamed and modified to reflect a new project.

This process of data storage and reuse drives consistency and increases the quality across projects.

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4 Initiation

Think of project initiation as a five step process:

• Define the problem • Build a business plan • Define Project Requirements • Develop Business Case • Issue the project charter

MindManager is the perfect solution for moving teams through this process. It enables teams to discuss and document problems and solutions, develop the appropriate plans, and reach sound decisions quickly.

Access the templates described in this section by:

1. Select New from the File menu.

2. Scroll to the MindManager Project Jetpack section. 3. Select the desired template and press Create.

4.1 Problem Definition

Projects should solve problems. When you initiate a project, the first step you and your project team should take is to clearly define the problem your project will solve. While a seemingly simple task, this important step will serve as a compass for your project; when in doubt about a decision, relate it back to the problem you are solve to help make the right decision.

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The Problem Definition map will cover the following topics:

• Problem Definition • Opportunity Options • Opportunity Review

Once you have worked through clearly defining the problem and reviewing opportunities to address the problem, the Problem Definition map will be a key tool in helping you to build your Business Plan, define Project Charter, and build your Project Scope and Objectives.

4.2 Business Plan

The Business Plan establishes the basis for your project. This map will help you communicate the reasons why you and your team are performing the project.

A good business plan will help answer key questions, such as:

• Does it make sense to create the proposed product or service? • Does the proposed product meet the strategic needs of your company? • Does your organization own the expertise to deliver and support this product? If not,

can you outsource the expertise?

Before you begin investing in the execution of your project, you need to make certain that the project team, including stakeholders, project sponsor, and in some cases your executive team is in alignment regarding the opportunity and objectives for your project. This alignment will help your project progress more smoothly throughout the duration of the project.

The Business Plan map will cover the following topics:

• Research, including market size, sales & marketing strategy, financial overview, etc. • Business Objectives • Project Plan

4.3 Project Requirements

The next step after proposing a project in your Business Plan is to create a high-level description of the product or service. The inputs to this process come from the Problem Definition map.

The level of detail depends on an organization’s needs. It should be detailed enough for rough estimates of costs and schedules, but not as detailed as the Project Scope and Objective document.

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The Project Requirements map will cover the following topics:

• Problem Definition • Selected Opportunity • High Level Requirements for Project

Defining requirements again involves brainstorming. Team members offer suggestions which are quickly added to a map. Requirements can be prioritized, refined, accepted, or discarded, depending on how the discussion progresses. At the end of the process, you should have a list of requirements that have withstood the scrutiny of the entire team.

4.4 Business Case

Once you've developed the Business Plan and Project Requirements and have decided to move forward developing your project, you'll want to develop a Business Case. The business case is used to determine if executing the project described in the Project Requirements to achieve the goals in the Business Plan is right for your company.

The Business Case map will cover the following topics:

• Project Overview • Alternatives Considered • Impact to Business • Risk Assessment • Cost/Benefits • Recommendations

This step will require the involvement of many people in your organization to consider the different aspects of your project. The Business Case will help you identify and track the progress of collecting this information, ensuring that you are capturing the collective wisdom of your organization.

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4.5 Project Charter

As you near the end of the Initiation phase, you will want to create a Project Charter that provides a summary of the problem definition, business plan, project requirements, and business case in a single map. This will be a key tool in achieving and maintaining project team alignment throughout the duration of your project.

The Project Charter map will cover the following topics:

• Opportunity • Requirements • Schedule Overview • Costs • Constraints

The goal of the Project Charter map is to not repeat everything in the other maps that you have developed to this point, but rather communicate a project overview.

TIP: Create hyperlinks from the main topics in your Project Charter map to the relevant maps that you've created thus far.

4.6 Project Initiation Checklist

The Project Initiation Checklist map will help you track your progress throughout the Initiation phase, ensuring that you and your team cover all of the important steps to properly kick-off your project.

The Project Initiation Checklist will cover the following topics:

• Objectives • Scope • Constraints • Issues • Schedule • Business Case • Approvals

Review the Project Initiation Checklist at the beginning of the Initiation phase so that you and your project team will know all of the requirements needed to complete this phase and move on to the Planning phase.

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5 Planning

Once a project has been approved and its charter issued, it is time to begin planning your project in earnest.

MindManager will help your team:

• Define the scope statement • Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) • Create a project organization chart • Create the development plan

The Planning phase will establish the detailed execution assets required for efficient and predictable execution of your project.

Access the templates described in this section by:

1. Select New from the File menu.

2. Scroll to the MindManager Project Jetpack section. 3. Select the desired template and press Create.

5.1 Project Scope and Business Objectives

Once you've completed the Initiation phase of your project, it's time to begin planning the details of your project. The first task in the Planning phase is to develop the Project Objective and Scope document.

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As you complete the Project Objective and Scope map, you can refer back to the Business Case, Project Requirements, and Project Charter. Furthermore, this is a great time to work with your team and build this document collaboratively, ensuring that all members have an opportunity to participate in the development of this document. Not only will this further team alignment, but it’s a great way to start a project as a team.

The Project Objective and Scope map will be an important document that is referred to often...consider it your roadmap to help you guide your decisions as your project progresses.

The Project Objective and Scope map will cover the following topics:

• Project Information • Project History (help to answer "why are we doing this project?") • Project Objectives • Project Scope • Project Expectations

Working through this map carefully, especially in the Project Objectives and Project Scope sections, will help you as you begin to develop your project.

5.2 Work Breakdown Structure

Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the single most important step for creating high quality project plans. Without a detailed WBS, project teams cannot adequately identify:

• All of the work to be done • The length of the project • Required resources • Dependencies between tasks • Risks • The true cost of the project

Start by breaking down project deliverables far enough to make a reasonable time estimates for tasks. In the process, your team will discover “hidden” tasks required to complete the project.

To learn more about building a work breakdown structure, visit Wikipedia's description of work breakdown structures:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_breakdown_structure

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MindManager makes it easy to create a WBS. Instead of breaking down the project with sticky notes or on a white board, project teams create the WBS with MindManager. Once you develop the WBS, you can use it to build a detailed project plan in the Development Plan map (later in the Planning phase).

5.3 Project Organization Chart

A thorough organization chart is essential to clearly understand the makeup of the project team and their individual roles. The Project Organization Chart map will help you define your project team, complete with contact information, roles, and hierarchy.

The Project Organization Chart will help you clearly identify the:

• Project Sponsor • Steering Committee • Project Manager • Project Team Members, including development and marketing

For a dynamic organization chart, use MindManager's Outlook integration to import Outlook Contacts directly into your map.

TIP: See Outlook in the MindManager help system for more information.

5.4 Development Plan

The Development Plan will help you build a comprehensive schedule based on the different project phases and the work breakdown structure that you identified earlier in the Planning phase.

The Development Plan map will cover the following topics:

• Initiation • Planning • Execution (including tasks based on work breakdown structure) • Closure

You can then use the many project management capabilities of MindManager, including resource utilization, Gantt charts, and past due identification capabilities, to monitor and track your progress according to your Development Plan map.

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6 Execution and Control

Once the plans are complete and approved, projects continue along two parallel tracks—execution and control. Project execution includes the work needed to create the project deliverables. It is carried out according to plan by team members. Project control consists of all the activities that measure progress, assuring that work is done according to schedule and specification. Deviations from the plan require corrective action and change requests need to be systematically approved. Once change requests have been approved, the project baseline needs to be updated and the changes communicated to the project team.

In addition to tracking and updating tasks, project teams can take a number of steps to improve project control. Creating a project portal, where team members can locate project data from a single point of access, helps keep teams on the same page. Effective team meetings communicate status and new developments, identify issues for discussion, and create action plans for important agenda items.

Access the templates described in this section by:

1. Select New from the File menu.

2. Scroll to the MindManager Project Jetpack section. 3. Select the desired template and press Create.

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6.1 Change Request

It's not if a change will occur during your project, but when. If changes are not handled properly, it can be one of the greatest sources of tension for a project team.

Clearly handling, communicating, and agreeing to changes in the project plan efficiently can also be a powerful asset for a project team. The Change Request map can help turn change management into a core competency of your team.

The Change Request map will cover the following topics:

• Description and justification of change • Review of change impact • Identification of alternatives • Recommendation and decision

Be sure to save each change request to your project directory. You will also want to link the individual change request in your Project Dashboard map so that you have immediate access to all requests associated with your project.

6.2 Project Dashboard

The Project Dashboard map will serve as the central tool you use on a daily basis to track and manage your project through the initialization, execution, and closure phases of your project.

Be sure to regularly update your Project Dashboard and link it to the assets/resources of your project to get the maximum benefit.

The Project Dashboard map will cover the following topics:

• Project Overview • Project Information, including project team, budget estimates, and scheduling • Work Breakdown Structure • File hub, connecting your dashboard to key project assets, such as change requests,

issues, status reports, etc. • Project Status

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Of all the templates in the MindManager Project Jetpack, leveraging the ability to link your Project Dashboard to other documents, such as other project maps, Outlook contacts, or contents of project folders will result in tremendous productivity gains for you and your team. You’ll get the most out of this when you store the content in a shared document repository so that all team members can share in the benefits.

Link the following project artifacts to your dashboard:

• Status Reports • Change Requests • Steering Committee Meetings • Issues

6.3 Issues

The Issues map will help you manage the inevitable problems that will occur during your project. This map acts as a hub to identify issues, resolve potential conflicts that subsequently arise, and begin the change request process if the resolution of the issue requires a change to the project.

The Issues map will cover the following:

• Issues Log (including responsible parties, resolution, etc.) • Issue Description • Status • Resolution

Add links to the individual Issues maps in your Project Dashboard to make sure you have access to each identified issue and the associated resolution.

6.4 Project Status Report

The MindManager Project Jetpack includes two status report templates.

The Project Status Report described here is a more formal and comprehensive status report for audiences that require greater levels of detail. The Project Status Report should be a very regular occurrence to ensure that the alignment that you achieved during the Initiation and Planning phases are maintained throughout the course of the project. The Project Status Report will create a level of transparency ensuring that team members and stakeholders alike are informed of recent accomplishments and aware of risks and pending issues.

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The Project Status Report map will cover the following topics:

• Recent Project Accomplishments • Current Project Status • Issues Management • Upcoming Tasks

You should be sending status reports regularly throughout the project, so it is important to archive individual reports in order to have a complete archive of your project for future reference.

Be sure to update your Project Dashboard with links to each of your status reports.

6.5 Quick Status Report

The Quick Status Report as the name implies is a less formal status report, perhaps appropriate for communicating status within the project team. The Quick Status Report will create a level of transparency ensuring that team members and stakeholders alike are informed of status and aware of risks and pending issues.

The Quick Status Report map will cover the following topics:

• Recent Project Accomplishments • Current Project Status • Upcoming Tasks

Be sure to update your Project Dashboard with links to each of your status reports.

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6.6 Quality Review Meeting

The Quality Review Meeting should occur on a regular basis throughout the project to ensure that all quality issues are identified and resolved quickly. Regular reviews will prevent costly delays to your project while preserving the highest levels of quality.

The Quality Review Meeting map will cover the following topics:

• Meeting Agenda • Quality Meeting Notes • Exception Handling

Since this is a regularly occurring meeting, make sure to archive each meeting map to preserve a historical record of your meetings.

Also, you will want to be sure to link the individual meeting maps to your Quality Review Meeting section of your Project Dashboard.

6.7 Steering Committee Meeting

The Steering Committee Meeting map provides you with a very organized framework to conduct status meetings with your steering committee. Communication and transparency are essential elements in delivering a successful project and ensuring alignment and support from your key stakeholders.

The Steering Committee Meeting map will cover the following topics:

• Agenda • Recent Achievements • Pending Tasks • Issues Identification/Resolution • Business Case Review

Conduct steering committee meetings regularly throughout the project, archiving your individual meeting maps so that you have a complete record of your project which may prove invaluable in the preparation of a future project.

Link your individual Steering Committee Meeting maps to your Project Dashboard.

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7 Closure

After you have completed the previous three phases, it’s time for you and your team to complete your project. The Closure phase will help you complete the steps to properly close your project.

Access the templates described in this section by:

1. Select New from the File menu.

2. Scroll to the MindManager Project Jetpack section. 3. Select the desired template and press Create.

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7.1 Project Closure Report

The Project Closure Report will gather all of the pertinent information about your project and the deliverables that you created during the execution phase. This report is an ideal tool to bring the entire project team, stakeholders, and potentially customers up-to-speed regarding your project and make a recommendation regarding the approval of the project.

The Project Closure Report will cover the following:

• Documentation • Performance/Objectives • Lessons Learned • Project Closure Tasks • Recommendations

The Project Closure Report should be reviewed during the Initiation phase so that the entire project team is aware of what will be required to successfully close this project. This will avoid any last minute fire drills to meet the expectations set in this map.

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8 Conclusion

The MindManager Project Jetpack can help project managers and project teams get the most out of the visual productivity benefits that MindManager has to offer.

Be sure to visit the many resources available from Mindjet and other online to learn more about how MindManager can help your next project be a great success.

• Mindjet.com • Maps for That! • Mindjet Blog • Mindjet User Forum • Yahoo! MindManager User Forum • Biggerplate