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.

I heard a commentator today talking about the new deadline for the move to digital TV. As a broadcast insider he thought the February 17 date was etched in stone. Companies had been planning for it for years.  There were investments in new equipment, reducing the maintenance on older, analog equipment, time spent education local audiences, etc. All in all, the broadcasters are ready. And, according to this commentator, since the broadcasters were ready, they assumed there audience would be ready and that everything would go as planned.

Well, it didn’t quite work that way. Most of the audience is ready. But some, still aren’t. So Washington moved the deadline. And what had apparently been set in stone, the baseline assumption upon which huge amounts of money had spent, changed. No amount of planning, risk management or forecasting that I’ve seen could have predicted this. Managers at broadcasting companies are left with two options, be frustrated by the new reality or be flexible. Either way, it won’t change the new deadline.  But my guess is that managers that opt for flexibility are going to find better ways of capitalizing on the new reality -and turn it into an opportunity.

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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