Project management; if done well it can help separate the good teams from the great ones. Task management is very similar to camera operations for a film. It might not receive the most attention, however for both, success hinges on successful execution. If executed well, it can help save time, increase employee morale and most importantly the bottom line. If executed poorly, it can make even the simplest projects a nightmare. So today we talk about the million dollar question: are you managing your projects, or are they managing you?
We all know that effective project management can mean the difference between success and failure. However, what is often overlooked is the simple fact that most projects are won and lost through execution. In today’s fast-paced and flexible business culture, managing the vast amount of information projects create can be a daunting task. How then, does one keep track of all the sub-tasks that projects generate?
Talk to Team members
With the recent proliferation of task management tools now available, it’s a bit intimidating. Much like collaborative tools, task management tools are only as good as their weakest link: the people who use them. So, it’s very important – I can’t stress this enough – to try to get a pulse on what team members are already using. Odds are, there are small enclaves that already exist of those who’ve already adopted a tool and strategy to help them with projects. Talk to them. Try to understand what problems they are facing are and what tools they are using to help overcome those problems, because they are going to be the ones using it.
Majority Rules
While I believe these tools are great at helping streamline projects while at the same time increasing team communication and success, this is only achieved if people actually embrace the tool. The good news is that while adding another place to update information Is usually viewed as an annoyance by employees, the designs of these tools makes being brought up to speed a pretty easy task. Unlike some of the more complicated collaboration tools out there, these task management solutions are much more intuitive incorporating news streams and simple, clean interfaces. This makes adoption a lot easier. The problems most users end up facing is not how to use the tool, but instead they are about setting up procedures to help route the right information to the right place. While difficult, given a little bit of time and some experimentation this can be overcome. So, if you’re struggling and you’re sick of having your projects manage you, give some of the new task management tools a try. You won’t be sorry you did.
How are your teams managing the information that comes out of projects? Have any tips you’d like to share, let us know.