blog

What is Strategy? Ashley Marron – 1st February 2019 Most CEOs are aware of the importance of formulating a strategic plan within their business. But what exactly is strategy? Wikipedia defines strategy as a high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. Yet strategy is different from vision, mission, goals, […]

Project Planning Should Start with the 5W Questions Before Getting to the How? Ashley Marron – 24th January 2019 As I have watched my two daughters develop over the past 21 years I am stuck by how their approach to gaining knowledge has matured. However, they have still retained at its core the perspective of

No Blue Monday Here Fiona Macintyre – 21st January 2019 Mid Jan – the point where Christmas becomes a distant memory and summer seems a long way away – it’s no wonder today is referred to as Blue Monday. How are those NY resolutions coming along? Managing to stick to them or have you abandoned

Get Things Done Fiona Macintyre 18th January 2019 Let’s face it – we’ve probably all at one point or another moaned about not having enough hours in the day or week. We can’t increase the hours available but we can be more effective with the hours we have and stop wasting time on pointless activities

Project Planning to Eliminate Waste Fiona Macintyre 13th November 2018 How many times have you kicked off a project or got half way into it to discover that you need to change plans and start again?  The result – wasted time, effort and money. None of which any business has the luxury of wasting without

Is Mind Mapping the Essential Project Management Tool? Fiona Macintyre 1/11/18 Mention a project management tool and people automatically think of something like Microsoft Project. What Microsoft Project lacks though is the ability to plan thoroughly at the beginning of the project.  You might think planning out tasks and a schedule is what is meant by

When Projects Collide Creator and Author of Top Project Management Blog: Bradegeland.com Ever had a plate full of maybe six or seven projects and they are all in different stages with no more than one or two taking up lots of your time at that moment? Life seems tranquil – or as tranquil as a

Engage Your Students to Maximise Attainment Fiona Macintyre What is the ultimate success of a teacher or lecturer? Is merely to tick boxes that a certain number of students passed the exam at the end of the year? Or is it to create an engaging learning environment which keeps students involved and enthusiastic about their

Proven for Projects Laura Cunningham October 2018 On October 9th and 10th, the MindGenius team ventured to London to attend the Project Challenge Expo at the Olympia in Kensington.  The expo gave us the opportunity to discuss the features with the target market in detail. This gave us an invaluable insight into how MindGenius can

Plan To Win, Win To Plan Rachel Maguire In marketing there is so much variety to what we do.  The role involves social media management, email marketing, planning content, website design or more traditional elements such as planning an event, TV or print advertising.   No matter what type of marketing campaign you are working

MindGenius 2018 Here’s What’s New Laura Cunningham MindGenius is delighted to announce the launch of MindGenius 2018 with a host of exciting new features all designed to help you achieve your best. Sleek New User Interface The updated User Interface is sleeker with a new look and feel, making navigation through the product easier than

Mind Mapping: Run a Meeting Like a Pro Rachel Maguire 13/07/18 So many meetings can occur with no clear direction, aim or plan meaning that productive outcomes aren’t produced and meeting attendees leave feeling frustrated, as the meeting has been a waste of time. Effective meetings have a clear aim of what should be achieved

Project Management From Start To Finish Rachel Maguire 11/07/18 Previously in the Plan Your Project From The Ground Up blog  we showed you how to prepare your project by mind mapping with MindGenius. Now that you have laid the foundations for your project you can move on to the building and construction phase. Forming an

Project Management for Test Driven Development Laura Cunningham 10/07/18 With global software demands increasing daily, being a web developer has never been more lucrative. However, something many people don’t understand is that website design and web development takes time and patience to implement effectively. The design and development of a full working ecommerce site can

Mind Mapping Software For Research Laura Cunningham 03/07/18 Mind maps and mind mapping software can increase productivity dramatically for all users, but does so particularly well for researchers. Mind mapping allows you to outline basic topic headlines and drill down to the finer details whilst staying in one program. MindGenius functionality is designed to eliminate

Mind Map Your Way To Effective Meetings Rachel Maguire 04/07/18 It would be fair to say that meetings are not something that everyone looks forward to as all too often they are time consuming and not productive, as usually an effective outcome or way forward isn’t reached. In meetings there is a lot of discussion

MindGenius Supports AquAid 03/07/18 We at MindGenius are aware that keeping our staff members hydrated will aid them to perform at their very best throughout the work day.As a result, we decided to invest in watercoolers from AquAid. Our unique relationship with AquAid has also given our company the opportunity to help those less fortunate

Product Feature Planning Made Easy Laura Cunningham 26/6/18 Imagine this, your new software development business has been up and running for over a year now and your software program has been selling like hotcakes. But the competition has started adding new features to their products and your customers are expecting you to do the same.

Project Management From The Ground Up Rachel Maguire 26/6/18 When embarking on a new construction project there are so many aspects to consider before you can begin the actual building work, from what equipment is needed to staffing requirements.A construction project can seem like an immense task so let’s break it down into five phases. • Pre-Construction• Construction

5 Things Every Business Analyst Needs to Do First Brad Egeland Creator and Author of Top Project Management Blog: Bradegeland.com Every project engagement kickoffs with much enthusiasm for the work that awaits the project team and customer. Let’s plan, let’s set the project schedule in motion, let’s get requirements documented… let’s go! Right? And the project

Structure Your Exit Interviews with a Mind Map Rachel Maguire 20/6/18 All of the employees in your organisation are talented, otherwise you wouldn’t have hired them. As an employer you need to ensure that you hire the right person for the role and identify the correct skill set needed. The organisation should aim to nurture

Capturing Client Information is easier with Mind Mapping Laura Cunningham 19/06/18 In order to be a successful business consultant, you need to possess a wealth of skills and knowledge. Whilst knowledge of best practice within your specific sector is essential, a good working knowledge of your current consultancy client is just as important. Knowing your

Turn Financial Dreams Into Reality Rachel Maguire 13/6/18 Mind Mapping Software is being extensively used in the Financial Planning industry to help identify client goals and objectives, to structure and document financial data and to improve client engagement. Discover the FactsThe first part of the financial planning process with a client is when the financial advisor

Ace The Interview; Get The Best Candidate Rachel Maguire 6/6/18 Having to recruit new staff can be a great thing for an organisation as it is an indication that things are going well and that the company is growing. It provides an opportunity to hire new talent that will bring a fresh perspective and new

How to Mind Map Your Business Plan Ashley Marron CEO, MindGenius Ltd   MindGenius has thousands of possible uses within an organization to help individuals and teams to plan more thoroughly, stay on track and get the right things done on time. One of the common challenges for teams is to develop their business plan

Start Your Business in 6 Easy Steps Laura Cunningham Having an idea for a business and actually starting your own business are two very different things. You can have a great idea, but without thorough research and planning, your business idea could remain just that, an idea.  We have put together 6 easy steps to

Prep For The Win: A Quick Guide to Writing Your Dissertation Laura Cunningham 15/05/18 The dissertation is the most dreaded assignment of a student’s life. You have to dedicate countless hours to this one project, as well as giving your other assignments and/or exams 100%. Getting that magical first may seem impossible, however, with the

To Get Noticed Online You Need to Make a Good Impression Rachel Maguire Social media has become part of nearly everyone’s daily lives and has also became a key part of business marketing strategies due to its major reach, influence and profile raising capabilities. As time goes on and the importance of social media to

Why Make Project Management Harder Than It Has To Be? Brad Egeland Creator and Author of Top Project Management Blog: Bradegeland.com What is project management? The definition of project management is “the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at

10 Hacks to Beat Exam Fear Laura Cunningham Exam Time, it’s the most stressful time of the year for students across the globe. To help all the students out there we have put together some top tips to beat exam 1. Elevate Your Mood with the Right Tunes You may be studying rather than having

Managing Your First Strategic Initiative Ashley Marron CEO, MindGenius 21/03/2018 Strategic initiatives aren’t the same as typical projects—they tend to be considerably more complex and at times have hands on involvement from the top level of management in the business. Dependent on the type of project being tackled the involvement and engagement of executive stakeholders

An Effective Project Kick-Off Meeting Needs Preparation MindGenius 20/3/2018 The initial project kick-off meeting is a key stage in helping to deliver a successful project outcome and provides an opportunity to share the plan with the team and stakeholders. However, as with the remainder of your project the meeting will only be a success if

Recipe for Disaster – Unrealistic Deadlines Ashley Marron CEO, MindGenius14/03/2018 Some project managers like to please and simply try and do the best they can regardless of how unrealistic the challenge they have been asked to manage is. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad trait in itself, it can lead to a project manager

When 2+2=1/2 Ashley Marron CEO, MindGenius 05/03/2018 When a project takes twice the time, costs twice the budget and you get only half of what you expect then it’s hardly surprising that the project close out meeting becomes feisty and confrontational. So, what is key to preventing the unwelcome project outcome and that awkward final

GDPR – Are You Ready? Ashley Marron CEO, MindGenius 21/02/2018 As May 2018 approaches, there will probably be a huge over-reaction to the impact of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the current rules regarding Privacy and Electronics Communications Regulations (PECR). Coverage will focus on the negative impact of these new regulations, with

6 Benefits & Uses for Mind Mapping Within Project Management MindGenius 07/02/2018 Whatever your pre-conceptions, or even misconceptions, of MindMapping, it is now becoming truly embedded as a real value-adding approach in many aspects of project management and here are 6 potential benefits of the technique:  Capture and visualise ideas, knowledge and information easier and

When A Communication Breakdown Nearly Kills A Project Brad Egeland Creator and Author of Top Project Management Blog: Bradegeland.com Communication is Job One for the project manager.  Everything else they do is usually pretty essential also, but no task they perform on a regular basis is going to be as crucial to project success as

Think With Mind Mapping MindGenius 31/01/2018 There are many skills a person requires to be successful in their business life. It is hard to decide which skills are more important than others, but one could argue that it depends on each individual, their job role, aims, goals and other personal and situational factors. However, I

How to Create a Scope for a Successful Project MindGenius 26/01/2018 It stands to reason when you’re planning a project that the most crucial stage is understanding what you should deliver. So it shouldn’t be a big surprise to learn that one of the main reasons that projects fail is due to the fact that

Building a Lesson Plan In MindGenius MindGenius 24/01/2018 Creating a lesson plan can seem both time consuming and tedious, however, planning is necessary for creating structure around your lessons. Like most boring or tedious tasks, creating a lesson plan doesn’t receive the amount of attention and concentration it should. But there are ways to create

Mind Mapping for Project Management MindGenius 22/01/2018 Not the most obvious scenario for project managers or project workers – using mind mapping software for planning project requirements, creating work breakdown structures (WBS), then going on to use the same mind mapping software to schedule and ongoing monitor, control and close – what on earth could

Meetings… Meetings… Meetings… MindGenius 19/01/2018 Meetings – they’re everywhere! How often do we joke or pass comment about “yet another meeting…”Have you ever wondered how many workplace meetings take place throughout the world in just one day? Here are some interesting facts from internet research on meetings:Over 11 million formal meetings take place each day in

Think Strategy; Think MindGenius MindGenius 17/01/2018 Countless books and articles have been written on Strategy, Strategic Thinking, Strategic Planning and other associated topics on Strategy.  This short article provides a synopsis of the important area of Strategic Planning. Its aim is to act as a useful step-by-step guide to help with the sometimes-complex aspect of

Tasks… Stay On Track MindGenius 15/01/2018 It’s what we all do… regardless of our title, job role or where we’re placed in our business or organisation, the productivity and efficiency of the day-to-day business depends on everyone taking responsibility to ensure that everything they are tasked to do is done to the best of their

Leading SaaS reviews site awards MindGenius two major recognitions for 2017 MindGenius 23/11/2017 MindGenius is essentially a business productivity software tool that offers enhanced personal productivity, communication, brainstorming, and project management capabilities. In addition, the latest version provides added project resourcing tools, customized Gantt chart, and cost and quantity calculations. CompareCamp gave our product back-to-back

Engaging the right people in the right way in a project can make a massive difference between success and failure.  Other factors do play a role, such as aligning project deliverables and objective, holding productive meetings and delegating workload. The management of all of these factors combined lead to success. However, the stand out success