A tool to help optimize project management execution and initiate ease of communication, your team project management software has a big role to play. Choosing the right one for your projects and teams is crucial.
They say the ultimate inspiration is the deadline. While that is true, the fact remains that deadlines are stressful. Still, without deadlines, there’s no way to tell if the works of art and technological conveniences we all are enjoying today will ever come to fruition. Without a deadline, what’s to stop you from taking forever to finish school or work on your life’s goals?
Team deadlines are no different. Deadlines are deadlines for a reason. Projects have to be delivered because customers have to go about their businesses. It’s a cycle better not disrupted, or stakeholders may face dire consequences. This is where your team project management software can come in handy.
But first, what constitute missed deadlines and poor productivity metrics?- Poor time management. This is when you accept a project and do the math wrong. Forget one year or ten years, like Bill Gates put it, but most people tend to overestimate what they can actually do in a week, even a day.
- Lack of communication. You think you have adequately explained yourself in the meeting, but how sure are you that your project management team members are on the same page as you are?
- Wrong priorities. Wrong priorities aren’t exclusive to governments. Teams fall victims to them, too, particularly if their goals aren’t properly mapped out.
Sound project management, team dynamics and improving the deadline situation
Some people think deadlines should be a non-issue because the schedule is a joke. While that is true, particularly for larger projects with a lot of variables to consider, sticking to a deadline whenever and wherever possible can pay dividends. That said, below are a few ways to mitigate the deadline situation:
- Communicate. Create a positive atmosphere that grants each member the dignity and respect they deserve. Open and honest communication nips negativity in the bud. Having a team project management software to easily collaborate with, like Comindware Project where project discussions can be started with ease, helps a great deal. Also, even when you’ve already sent that memo the day before, it never hurts to send another team reminder, just so everyone knows what is expected of them. When working with teams, there is no such thing as over-communicating.
- Motivate. Motivation doesn’t always have to be monetary. Recognizing a member’s contribution to the team’s overall goals is an inexpensive way to motivate people and boost their productivity.
- Prioritize. Setting goals not only allows your project management team to meet project deadlines, it gives your members something to personally strive for. If you want people to make your goals their goals, appealing to their self-interest is a good place to start.
- Appreciate. People like to know if they’re doing things right. If they indeed are, one way to show you appreciate them is through rewards and recognition events. Or if you’re working with geographically dispersed teams and actual team gatherings aren’t possible, with Comindware Team Network, you can create your own badges and set up discussion rooms where people can be invited with just a few clicks.
- Engage. Employee engagement starts when you explain to your team members what their roles are, how their skills and experiences contribute to the overall health of the project, and what problems their roles actually solve. People who understand how they fit into the big picture and that there is a team dependent on them are likely to be more engaged.
- Improve. Alongside rewarding your teams for jobs well done, you should also be able to give constructive feedback to team members lagging behind by identifying areas for improvement and recommending action items.
Final word
Most projects are founded on teams, and teams are made cohesive, first and foremost, by communication. Having a project management software with a core focus on effective communication to foster collaboration assists in timely project execution. Remember though that your software is just a tool, and that project goals are still the heart and soul of your project.
