You’ve finally got that invite to tryout Do.com, or maybe you’ve recently signed up for Asana, or shelled out some cash for Basecamp, now that you have gotten your hands on some of this awesome social task management software you’re probably wondering how to get the most out of it.
If this is you, and let’s faces it we’ve all been here at point at one time or another, then you’re in luck. Today, I’d like to offer up several social project management best practices that I’ve learned while using Mindjet’s Cohuman task management software.
Less is Not More
When using project management software it’s crucial to be specific. Being vague or overly simplifying tasks really defeats the purpose of having such a powerful tool. For example, your marketing department has a promotional email to send out, creating one task – “Send Email” won’t do you much good. The real power of these tools is derived from lying out and assigning every task associated with a project. This way team members can better understand what they need to do, how their work fits into the larger goal at stake and, see how their work affects others associated with the project.
Like a foreign language, immersion is key for success
The true benefit of any software, not just social project management software, is to get mass adoption. Sure you’ll see some of the value of these tools by implementing it with your direct team, however once you start to include other teams, whole departments, divisions that’s when you’ll really begin to see the power of social project management apps. With that in mind, you have to be dedicated to using the tool. These applications have tons of great features, so take advantage of them immerse yourself inside the tool as much as possible. Don’t use the tool to assign tasks to team members then email attachments if that’s a feature included. Full adoption is key for success, what you put into tools like these is what you get out.
Be as Transparent as Possible
The whole goal of social project management tools is to help all involved know what’s going on around a project in near real-time. How do you achieve this? By being transparent with your activities. I know this inherently is counter intuitive for some and a bit worrisome. However, the whole purpose of using tools like this is to be able to identify potential issues or delays and to be able to change tact in time to meet the project deadline.
Regardless of how you use social project management software, always try and remember that the point of the software is to increase communication and visibility. If you keep that in mind, you should be able to maximize the benefit from these tools.
Your Turn
Have any task management software best practices you’d like to share with us?
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