Small tools

I was having a discussion about how PM syllabi are becoming full of trophy topics, straining new entrants to the field with a weight of learning objectives. A sign of maturity? Not necessarily. Mature thinking might be about letting go of childish ideas, keeping what you really need. Hence: let go of monetary flow control routines; grasp the idea of measured work value.

A bunch of stuff I've come across recently seems to be about light toolsets. Some of this from Innovation Weblog.

Mayomi is a web application for mind maps. Not very rich yet, and certainly not dynamic. When I pick up a tool I expect to be able to mess around with scenarios, rather than document perfected thoughts (the essential fact that makes thinking with Excel different from declaring with Word). One to watch. The developer makes the most of post-HTML web tech.

Another Flashy thing is Webnote. I've set up a space for Double Loop, with a topic in tool use in Project Management for us to try. This is sooo simple (emulated stickies) yet potentially powerful. Please, get involved at Loop2, Surface1, or use its XML feed to keep in touch.

And finally, Basecamp is a web-service oriented towards project management. Rather than produce scientifically intense charts and diagrams, it focusses on making communication between collaborators and clients easy, coupled with deadline-sensitive displays. Certainly easy to jump on if you know blogs - its spools projects out to RSS feeds and everything. Cheap too, if you compare it to hulks like Project, which if truth be known tend to paralyse the analysts and isolate the manager.

Now, off you go to Loop2Surface1. I'll buy you a drink if you correct my spelling mistakes, two if you add a Note that kicks the topic.