By Eddie Ajaeb and Marcy Phelps
As part of an AIIP virtual event about member benefits from the Peer to Peer Support committee, we recently talked about our successful one-year mentoring relationship.
Continue reading Mentoring Success: Dos and Don’tsAIIP-L, AIIP’s active, private discussion list, is one of AIIP’s premier benefits and ways of connecting member-to-member. In this forum, we share tips for working on and in our businesses, including marketing, product development, technology, and much more. Following is a summary of one of the hot topics recently discussed on AIIP-L.
Topics of conversation on the AIIP email discussion list often focus on finding the best technology to meet our needs as information professionals. Recently, an AIIP member asked the group about mind-mapping software recommendations.
Several members responded with their favorite paid and free software solutions. Others favored manual “Luddite” solutions. Here are just some of the suggestions from each group:
(Note that all prices are in USD)
The first paid tech solution offered was Scapple, “a virtual sheet of paper that lets you make notes anywhere and connect them using lines or arrows.” Scapple is available for Mac only and currently priced at $18 for the product download.
A second solution that many recommended was MindMeister. “MindMeister is an online mind mapping tool that lets you capture, develop, and share ideas visually.” Notably, it is web-based rather than a product download. A limited basic plan is free, while a more robust subscription for individuals will cost $4.99 per month. Other levels of access for teams cost incrementally more.
Additionally, some suggested MURAL for online collaborative mind mapping. “MURAL is a digital workspace for visual collaboration…People benefit from MURAL’s speed and ease of use in creating diagrams, which are popular in design thinking and agile methodologies, as well as tools to facilitate more impactful meetings and workshops.” Independent info pros will most likely benefit from the Starter plan at $144/year. MURAL offers a free trial period before committing to a premium plan.
Also recommended was Miro software, which includes mind mapping capabilities. Miro is billed as an “online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring teams together, anytime, anywhere.” A free subscription to Miro allows three free boards, and packages range from $8-16 per month, billed annually.
Another suggestion was ConceptDraw. The respondent offered, “it is an integrated suite of three products: mind mapping, project management, and visualization tool (for dashboards, drawings, sketching, infographics, workflows, etc.). Nice feature: the integration of the three products let you turn a mind map into a project. Online collaboration is also provided.” Prices range from $199 per license for just the mind-mapping module to $299 for the full suite.
At least three votes were cast for the “Luddite” system: “a giant piece of paper on my dining room table, torn from the tail end of a roll of newsprint that I scored at least 10 years ago.” Giant sticky notes were also recommended as a tool for analog mind mapping. One contributor noted that “physically writing ideas down, drawing arrows, and scribbling notes all help in the creative process.” The contributor said that she feels her mental processes expand when working with physical paper and markers, rather than using digital tools and staring at computer screens. Another AIIP member agreed: “My best mind mapping is done in a cafe with paper and pencil.” Finally, a third respondent countered, “Left to my own devices, sticky notes and sharpies is where I start. I’m looking at a wall full of them right now.”
As you can see, we have lots options for mind mapping software, all ranging in price and functionality – both digital and analog. Most users would agree that it depends on personal preference and seeing what works for other AIIP members.
Carrie Hunsucker helps executives make their business decisions faster and more efficiently. She and her associates provide research and decision support to start-ups, non-profits, and CEOs of growing businesses.
By Liz McLean, Knowsaic
Your local AIIP peer network could be one of the most effective strategic and marketing tools you have ever used. Here are a few of the reasons why:
Even though face to face ‘local’ AIIP gatherings have been overtaken by COVID-19 protocols, our need for instilling optimism and a sense of purpose through our local trust network of shared experiences and relationship building increases.
AIIP members have long valued the benefits of this trust network that exists organization-wide. Because we weren’t able to gather in person for our annual conference in April as planned, we missed meeting one another in person to form or reinforce connections with folks who have skills that overlap or are complementary to our own, or get to know those who cover service areas that we don’t. Now, it is more important than ever to reinforce relationships at a regional level too. When we grow trusted network connections, it is a natural instinct to want to refer our colleagues to a business opportunity if it seems to be a promising match for another’s expertise.
The common geographic element of groups like this can be a shared experience that serves as a springboard for some casual “get to know you” conversations. Even through uncertainty, connecting with other local AIIPers who speak our language can reassure or steady us, or surface some good old fashioned ‘hey, I thought of you recently when…”
Having a trusted referral network is what most successful AIIPers will tell you is marketing gold – their key to ongoing and lasting success. You can’t really develop that trusted referral network if you aren’t engaging with one another on a regular basis to see who’s overcoming what challenges, who is pivoting, who is trying something you’ve wanted to try, or who wants to try something with you to practice first before going live. Your local AIIP peers can be your sounding board, your cheerleaders, and your amplifiers. They can inspire, cajole and learn from your experiences as you do from theirs.
Put your growth mindset into action. Take the initiative to get everyone together consistently. Look for opportunities to keep the conversations going. Invest energy into making fun and unique virtual get-togethers that you would want someone else to create for you. Find icebreakers or games to learn more about one another beyond the shared experience of being a solopreneur. Share what’s worked for you and what you now see in hindsight as a lesson.
The local networks that you cultivate now and over time will enrich your professional growth and business development in a sustainable and impactful way.
Liz McLean, principal, and founder of Knowsaic, uses her Library Science and Knowledge Management expertise to connect people and organizations to the know-how and know-who to learn and innovate for greater mission impact.
These are challenging times. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of economic and social activity globally, and it is likely that how we work and interact with others will be forever altered as a result. One thing that has remained constant for me throughout is the support that I receive from AIIP. My colleagues within AIIP are all facing the same challenges in terms of how to navigate the changing landscape of today as an independent business owner.
Many of the conference sessions that were to take place at our annual conference in Denver this year have been moved to virtual sessions, where we are able to converse with each other and discuss how the presentations relate to our new reality. Examples of upcoming sessions over the next two months include Staying Healthy in the Office, 30 Sites in 45 Minutes, and Managing Anxiety. In addition, some regional groups are transitioning their networking to virtual Zoom meetings so that more members can attend and connect to discuss shifting business plans.
Our Peer to Peer Support program continues to provide a variety of ways to connect personally with another member, offering guidance and support for navigating any professional challenges we may be facing. There are currently four types of support offered: a Kick-Starter Conversation, a Three-Month Mentoring relationship, the Accountability Buddies program, and the One-Year Mentoring relationship. The Peer to Peer Support Committee matches up members of similar business types and expertise to ensure a custom, highly valuable experience.
I feel fortunate to have my AIIP network as the ace in my pocket for any surprises that are thrown my way. The resources that AIIP provides are invaluable to me as I continue to navigate owning and operating my own business. I encourage anyone who has either started or is thinking about starting their own business to look at our offerings to see what AIIP can provide. Join us to see how consistently AIIP has been equipping independent information professionals for ongoing business success since 1987.
Jennifer Pflaumer serves as AIIP’s 2020-2021 president. She launched her information management consultancy, Paroo, in 2009 after realizing the need for concentrated information management solutions for businesses across all industries. Her expertise includes liaising between key business groups and IT departments to manage digital assets, creating information strategies and performing systems analysis and design.
Research shows that peer assistance is becoming less a luxury and more a necessity in the current business climate. From top business magazines like Wired, Forbes, and Inc. to our 2019 keynote conference speaker, Dr. Liz Bywater, peer assistance receives top priority treatment.
AIIP recognizes the momentum in members requesting support in a variety of different, often more personalized, ways.
Continue reading Mentoring and accountability have merged – welcome to the new Peer Support Program!
