Do you want to improve productivity, time management, and be more organized in your business? Many business leaders and entrepreneurs use Project Management to increase these goals and keep their business running smoothly. Anyone can learn to use these tips and tools to keep their home and business projects moving forward in a timely and organized manner. Check out these tips from Project Managers and the tools they use for managing their projects.
Organization
First on the priority list is to get organized. Depending on what project you are working on, you may need to gather your supplies and map out a plan. Utilize technology to help you manage your tasks. If you have a team working on projects with you, this will be especially useful so everyone can access your digital materials.
- Evernote – Evernote is a free app for your smartphone and computer designed for note-taking, organizing, task management, and archiving items you want to keep. Use it to store things you don’t want to lose, such as to-do lists, articles you want to read later, receipts, boarding passes, online recipes, etc. Many people use Evernote for digital journaling! Use it when you want to type notes while on a zoom call. If you meet with someone while you are out at an event and want to take notes without pulling out a pen and paper, pull up your Evernote app on your smartphone instead. The app synchronizes with your smartphone, computer, and tablet, so you will be able to access what you are storing from any device when you need it.
- Templates – When you need to write letters, brochures, flyers, project proposals, newsletters, and many more – there is a template for that! Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word have free templates available for download and use.
- E-signature for documents – There are several free and premium e-signature websites and software to choose from. HelloSign lets you sign documents online rather than using pen and paper. Many companies are using it for signing contracts, applications, and onboarding paperwork. DocuSign also allows you to sign documents online, from any device, without having to wait on faxes or mail. Adobe Sign (formerly known as EchoSign) will enable you to e-sign PDF documents quickly and easily.
- Dropbox – Commonly used for cloud-based online storage, Dropbox allows you to create, store, and share content with your team. You and your team can easily access your shared documents from any device with the Dropbox app.
- Trello – Trello is an app for smartphones and computers that is perfect for those who love to use cards and post-it notes arranged in categories to help organize your thoughts and make a plan. Organize your projects by drag and drop method onto cards and columns, add comments and details, and share with your team.
Productivity
Project Managers know how to make efficient use of their time to be more productive. Here are some tips and tools to help manage your time to increase productivity.
- Use an online calendar such as Google Calendar or iCal for time blocking. Put all of your appointments, meetings, events, and even your personal family appointments in your calendar. Set blocks of time where you will do focused work on your projects and stick to it. These apps also sync across your devices so you will have access to your calendar when away from the computer and have your phone handy.
- Stay focused by removing as many distractions as you can. Turn off phone alerts by putting your phone in “do not disturb” or even airplane mode. Log off of social media sites unless you are working in them. It can be too tempting to scroll social media when you have the urge to procrastinate.
- Use a time tracking tool such as Toggl. This software allows you to track the time you work on projects and it integrates with other productivity tools such as Trello, Asana, and many others.
Task Management
Project Managers need to stay on top of deadlines, so tracking time against tasks is a must. There are countless task management software programs to choose from, so researching them to see which has the ability to do the various things you need to do is recommended.
- Asana – Asana is a web and mobile app that combines project management, file storage, and collaboration to help manage projects with teams without using email. It allows you to break the work down into tasks and assign the tasks to team members. You can organize those tasks and projects in a timeline and check on the progress throughout.
- Monday.com – Monday.com is a project management software that allows you to plan, track, share, and collaborate with your team. You can automate repetitive tasks to help save time.
Whatever projects you have going on in life and in your business, it can be fun to try some of these online tools to help you manage it all. What are some tips and tools that you have used or would like to try?