A mid-level manager I know expressed concern that adopting project management software would give him less control of projects. He thought that if there were a plan everyone could see and update themselves, they wouldn’t need to contact him for instructions.  And thus, he would have less control.

I explained to him that, on an objective level, he would actually

1. Have more control
2. Identify people who aren’t performing more easily and
3. Could get more done.

He would have more control since he could objectively measure progress against the plan.  He could point to specific deliverables and deadlines.  Sure, their would be less politics -and fewer meetings, but he would still be able to direct people’s actions. Only this time, instead of it seeming like the random instructions of a manager, the directions would be part of a coherent plan to accomplish specific goals. In fact, politics could be further removed from the process by having upper management sign-off on the plan before it goes into execution.

Those same objective measures can help identify where people aren’t performing and make it easier to document.  If a manager continuously needs to harp on someone for them to get anything done, it might not be a good fit. Fingers could be pointed at either the manager or the team member. But if you can consistently show that someone is not meeting the stated objectives, the finger pointing becomes much less.

His team could get more done since less time would be reporting on what they were doing or waiting to find out what they should be doing.  Updates can be made and populated automatically in the software. There will be less time in meetings. More time would be available for people to get things done.

MANAGEMENT STYLE

Of course, their may be other factors at play within the organization that make this manager reluctant to put a plan on paper or in a collaborative tool. This is totally legitimate.  A huge percentage of managers still rely on a direct and personal authoritarian approach. It can be very effective.

The vision for a good implementation of project management software is a well-oiled machine. People doing their work and following a plan, following a process that sets-up a constructive feedback loop between management and team members.  While there will always be hiccups, project management practices and project management software can help overcome them quickly and efficiently.

Regardless of management style, collaborative project management software like Vertabase gives a level of visibility, control and accountability without the administrative overhead of having meetings to find out who is doing what.

Project managers can take two approaches to distributing project related information or project knowledge.

The first is to silo the information. This is generally the approach of a project management specialist. The idea is that project management is a brain-trust of information and that distribution of the information is most effective when its carefully managed. Specifically:

• The project manager consolidates project information
• The project manager publishes the information at specific times
• Others must ask the manager for the information
• Often requires calling meetings to share the information
• Or the information gets distributed in ways that make sense to the project manager.

Some of the consequences are that it:

• Is opaque in how information is gathered and why
• Builds a clique around the project manager
• Carefully controls the flow of information
• Can be politically and strategically useful in an organization
• Can be hard for others to use the information in the way the project manager presents it.

The biggest benefit to siloing information is that if the project manager can successfully become the funnel for all information they can effectively manage expectations and improve processes. The biggest downside is that the project manager often becomes a bottleneck for information and then, in frustration, people just ignore project management and see project managers as a hindrance to getting things done.

The second is to spread project information. This is generally the approach of a team leader or non-specialist who is given responsibility for managing a process. The idea here is that the project manager wears many hats and the faster information can be received or distributed the less time the manager has to spend collecting or publishing that information. Specifically:

• Information is quickly distributed
• It is centralized in one place that everyone knows about
• It is available to anyone with the proper access level
• It is dynamically updated with any new information
• Can be received and viewed whenever its convenient to each person.

Some of the consequences of spreading information are that it:

• Can break hierarchies of control
• Makes skills rather than knowledge more valuable in a team
• Brings transparency to a process
• Raises accountability
• Can make projects and teams harder to manage
• Makes it easier to improve a team’s performance.

The biggest benefit is that it allows non-specialists to manage projects and makes it easy to push a consistent way of tracking projects across a team. The biggest downside is that team members sometimes don’t care about the nitty gritty of a project (they just want to know what they have to work on) and can’t be bothered to contribute to information on the project.

I recommend a blended approach. Start from a place of spreading information but make sure that you cater the specific information to each person based on what they will need -and don’t go overboard with sharing information.

• A designer might just want to know the amount of time they have to deliver the project whereas
• a developer wants to know the specific deadline and functionality required.
• An executive needs customized metrics on projects they’re tracking whereas
• a client wants to know if things are on track or not.

On the other hand, if you let too much information flow out you will lose control and visibility on a project or task. A free flow of information can be constructive for collaboration on a deliverable. However, not everything is a collaborative process. Many projects and processes benefit from being monitored, measured and controlled.

There are a lot of new project managers out there - being created every day by someone else in the organization losing their job. You may not know that you are a project manager but if you are now charged with getting things done, you are a project manager.

You will have the same amount of responsibility as the last person but with likely fewer resources and a ton more stress.

It can be tremendously overwhelming.

Job Definition List
My first, and best word of advice, is to make a list of everything you are now responsible for, a Job Definition List.

This will allow you to visualize what is on your plate and breathe easier. Going through this exercise will help give shape to the amorphous feeling of doom you may be feeling.

The JDL should be bullet points with a maximum of two sentences clarifying a point, when needed. If it takes more than two sentences to explain, than the bullet point itself isn’t defined clearly enough to be actionable.

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We’ve all seen how time management can be a valuable skill for us. It helps us become better at utilizing our time wisely. However, each of us is different and therefore the way we manage time is different. Determining your time style is important so you can learn how to make your time count, reduce stress when changes happen and become a more productive person. The fact that people have different time management or management styles has been known for years by psychologists like Carl Jung. So the idea itself is not new.

One place to help you find your management style is to look at Life Tour . They offer a quick, simple little survey that can give you a brief look at what type of leader you are. Knowing this can help you determine your time management style and how well you manage your time.

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Have you ever wondered where your time goes each day? Why is it that you never seem to have enough time to do the things you want to do? Where is your time going? Are you wasting it or using it wisely?

These are questions that you should ask yourself if you want to manage your time more effectively. We have all said to ourselves “if I just had another hour, I could get so much accomplished”. The fact is, there are 24 hours in a day. How you use them is up to you. 

Activity logs are an effective tool for time management and can help you make the most of each day.  An activity log is place where you record what you did during the day, when you did it and for how long.  Activity logs can take on numerous forms: paper notebooks, electronic organizers, software on your computer, the internet or on your phone. No matter which tool you choose, the idea is to track every event so you can see the larger picture of where your time is going.  

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Procrastination: the American Heritage Dictionary defines procrastination as “to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness; to postpone or delay needlessly”.

We all have a tendency to procrastinate. It’s seems to be a part of human nature. We tend to think we have plenty of time to get everything done or we think we can do it later. And when the time comes, we just can’t seem to do it. The sad fact is, the more you put something off the harder it is to get it done.

So why do people procrastinate? Well, for several reasons:

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We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Accomplice task management software and to welcome the over 30,000 registered users to the Vertabase community.

Accomplice has been called the “Nirvana of Organization” and reaching “Holy Grail Status” of task management.

Here’s a link to the press release on the acquisition and there’s a ton of information on the product on the Accomplice site.

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