6 Benefits of Project Management Tools: Part 1
How many of you business owners out there can relate to this scenario:
You rock at capturing ideas, thoughts, and to-dos. But they are all over the place - your calendar, a few specifically designated notebooks - and random piles of scrap paper covered with all of your genius musings along with a loose plan of the things you have to do to make them happen, but in no particular order.
And every time you want to take action on one of those supposedly documented tasks, you go through ALL of your stuff because you can’t remember exactly what your thought was or where you wrote it down.
Most days you cross the finish line in your day to day project management, but you are depleted and out of breath and can’t wait to run from your workspace and shut the door until you have to go back the next day. And those are the good days.
On the challenging days you are flying by the seat of your pants (if you remembered to put them on, that is), unable to juggle all the things that showed up on your plate that you weren’t expecting. Kind of like being at the buffet with a side plate. There’s no way all the things will fit.
Welcome to the zany world of entrepreneurship.
In the words of Prince, “Well I’m here to tell you, there’s something else…”
Don’t DIY Project Management
When we first start our businesses we can handle the initial, basic stuff with a simple DIY system. But when your business starts to take off, you will need a place to keep all of your information so you access all the moving parts in one location.
This is where a digital project management system can be a real savior. Project management is the development and execution of a plan. It’s a tool to build the map that gets you from idea to action. When you come up with initial ideas, they are high level - full of limitless possibility and ideal outcomes. But to see them to fruition you have to get them into a practical form that helps you get stuff done.
I personally have tried most of the current options out there and have settled on ClickUp as the best user-friendly, flexible tool available, and that’s just the free version.
Here are 6 Great benefits of using a project management system like ClickUp:
You can sort across multiple projects to compile a prioritized list of tasks. Rather than going from one folder to another, access everything at once to create a strategy for getting things done.
Enhance team communication and delegation. Keep team members connected and up to date on what has to get done and who’s going to do it.
The flexibility to make changes seamlessly. You can revise, delete, change dates and move tasks around without leaving a mess of crossed out items or eraser dust.
Minimizing piles of paper. There’s a wealth of opinions about paper vs. online. Both have their purpose. I like a paper planner for your daily top three priorities, any ideas that come up while you’re working on those tasks, and any notes on how you will need to proceed in the days to come.
A variety of ways to look at all of your stuff. Some people love a calendar layout, others respond better to a list or a board. ClickUp offers a number of these options so you can choose what’s best.
A clear sense of direction whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. Just like a lens, a project management tool lets you zoom in closer on your productivity and see what your next immediate moves are. Then you can zoom out to see the bigger picture and how you will get there.
If this information has you breathing a sigh of relief and eager to hear more watch for my next blog about implementing ClickUp in your business.
Schedule a call to talk about how I can help you with your business.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Apply for the next Close the Gap Program and stay on track to achieve your most important goals. 1:1 support and guidance on prioritizing goals, creating a plan and putting structure and routines in place. Then 12 weeks of group support around execution - Apply today