Are you using a project management tool in your business? If not, you should.
Of all the tools, this one makes or breaks a business. It gives you the opportunity to assign projects, set deadlines, and get status updates on the progress of your project. It keeps you focused on your tasks so you can stay in sync with your team without drowning them and yourself in endless emails.
If you are already using a project management tool, see how my recommendations stack up against your experience.
Here are three project management tools I recommend you try.
Slack
Slack, my number one choice, has a cool name and a cool interface. It’s similar to an instant messenger, but it’s super organized. You can have channels for every project, every task, and every team. You have complete control over privacy and the assignment of members to each channel.
For example, if you hire freelancers to work on a specific assignment, you can add them to only those pertinent channels, restricting their access to your other projects, team members and information.
Likewise, you and your executive team (your project manager, your executive assistant, etc.) can have access to all channels without being bombarded with irrelevant messages. You can visit each channel as needed when you need to review something or talk to specific people within that channel.
I love the visibility and accountability the platform offers. As team members communicate with each other within each channel, you can see how well they interact and collaborate with each other.
You can add any attachment to every message: docs, sheets, images, video, gifs, etc.
Slack offers a free version. If you need more functionality, such as more storage or access to older messages, you can upgrade to the paid tiers.
Trello
Trello is a free project management tool that I also like. It uses boards to help you organize your projects. Every project has a board; every board has cards; and every card has lists. For example, you can drag and drop a card from an In Progress list to a Done list when it’s, well, done.
You can assign each card to a particular person. To further organize your project, you can add to it due dates, checklists, and files. You can also add other people who might be responsible for other tasks in the project. It’s a wonderful visual and tactile tool. You can see the project as a whole as well as every task, every person, and every due date.
Basecamp
Basecamp is like a SaaS product and similar to the other two I described above.
Once you create a project, you can then assign people to it, add due dates, and have a discussion about the project with your team members.
Basecamp is offered as a free, lighter version and a paid, business-oriented version.
Between Basecamp and Trello, I prefer Trello because it’s very easy to use. The visual organization is straightforward, and the drag-and-drop functionality of the cards is very user-friendly.
Move on from emails
To manage your projects via email is to waste valuable time and compromise efficiency. Employ a project management tool instead. It’ll improve the quality of communication with your team, add clarity to the project structure and flow, and declutter your inbox, freeing you to do the tasks that actually move the needle for your business.
What project management tool do you use?
