MeisterTip #3 – Adding Tasks

One of the primary benefits of using mind maps in collaborative mode is to, quite literally, have everyone on the same page. And while this is a great way to get projects moving, if no one is taking ownership of these items, the map serves only as a data collection point, not a plan of action. Assigning tasks is the perfect solution for making your mind map a road to project success.

There are two unique ways to assign tasks within a MindMeister mind map, either manually or through our WunderTask feature. Manually assigning tasks can be used when you have only one or two action items to tackle. Conversely, if you’re dealing with multiple action items, or a large number of collaborators, WunderTask can be quite a time saver.

Manually Assigning Tasks

The option to assign tasks can be found under the Extras panel in the sidebar. Similar to Notes, Links, and Attachments, the tasks panel contains a number of customizable options.

To assign a task, first select the node that you’d like to assign a task to. Once highlighted, you may then assign a priority to this task. If you or your collaborators want to keep track of task completion, you can also select this option from the dropdown. In the date due field, you may either enter the date in mm/dd/yy format, or by clicking on the dropdown arrow, you can select the due date from a calendar interface.

Finally, in the ‘Assigned To’ field, you can start delegating who’s doing what. Those that you’ve already shared the map with will automatically be propagated in this list. Choose a name from your collaborators in the dropdown list, and they will then be assigned this task. If you’d like to assign a task to someone you’ve not yet shared the mind map with, you can manually enter his or her name in this field.

Using WunderTask

Similar to our WunderLink and WunderBild features, WunderTask can handle some of the heavy lifting for you. This can be particularly helpful when assigning a large number of tasks to numerous collaborators over a multitude of nodes.

To get started with WunderTask, select the node that you’d like to assign a task to. By clicking on the gear icon just below the ‘Assign To:’ field, WunderTask will automatically insert Priority, Completion, Due Date, and Assigned To options for you. By default, each WunderTask insertion will assign each task as priority 1. To change this you can either select priority levels from the dropdown menu in the sidebar, or simply click on the number icon. MindMeister will then automatically scroll through priority numbers for you. Likewise, the default Completion icon will be set to ‘not started’, and the Due Date is set to one week after the current date. Similar to manually adding tasks, all of these options may be altered in the sidebar options.

Advanced Options

If you want to delve even further into assigning tasks, the ‘Advanced’ link just below the ‘assigned to’ field is for you. In the advanced options panel you can set start date, due date, and duration of a specific task. Naturally, Priority, Completion, and Assigned To options can also be edited here.

In the Advanced Options dialogue, you’ll also be able to customize the email reminders feature. If your global settings are set to receive task notification emails (recommended), but you want to customize when you’ll receive reminders, this is where you can change them. From the dropdown, you can select any number of days before the assigned due date, up to one week.

By adding tasks to your collaborative brain storming sessions with MindMeister, you’ll be taking that brain storm and making an active plan of action out of it; one that all parties involved can follow and know what their exact part of the project is.