Only some companies or teams have a formal project management process. Whether working in a large organization or a fast-growing startup, proper project management may not be a team priority.
But now, you find it even more difficult to stay organized and collaborate with your teammates. Do you need project management, except that it’s only for teams with a dedicated project manager?
Probably not. Project management skills help teams complete projects more efficiently. Discovering how to plan, manage and execute work is relevant for groups and companies.
While they may not need every part of a traditional project management system, your team can still benefit from some fundamental aspects of project management.
5 Benefits of Project Management
If you still need to decide whether you need project management. Read about the benefits of project management and some simple ways to apply these ideas to your team’s work without needing an expensive degree or certification course.
1. An organized and clear plan enhances team collaboration
If you’ve ever run a project without a plan, you know things can get messy.
Eventually, you might miss important steps in a project schedule, rush through a forgotten task at the last minute, or repeatedly answer the same logistical questions: “When’s the deadline? What shall we do next?” What’s worse, the quality of work may suffer as you rush to complete projects.
Instead of planning as the project progresses, map out everything that needs to be done, along with task owners, deliverables, and deadlines, before starting the project.
Then, visualize the project task list into a timeline or categorized list to clearly outline who does what and when.
For example, if planning an event, you can list the step by-step leading up to the main event, who is responsible for each step, and how early you need to complete those steps.
Then, schedule it on the shared project calendar. This way, you’re not rushing to order last-minute invites or find two teammates calling two catering services.
By outlining a clear plan with all the project tasks, adding deadlines, task owners, and other important details. You’ll turn a chaotic and wasteful execution process into an efficient one.
You will have a clear idea of the scope and timing of work and be able to spot potential conflicts even before starting a project. You can spend less time and resources with just a little forethought and planning.
Tips for planning a project
- Make a list of everything that must be done before the project starts.
Then, add details like due dates, task owners, statuses, or links to relevant files. If this is a new project for the team, add a little buffer time for unplanned stops or interruptions.
- Organize everything in a shareable plan.
Whether you’re using a simple list or calendar, or something more visual like a timeline or Kanban board, you should set up a plan.
Make the program easy for anyone to see who is doing what and when. Then, share the project with stakeholders so that everyone has the same understanding.
- Turn recurring projects into templates.
If this project is executed repeatedly, create repeatable templates to save time in the next planning phase.
2. Defining each person’s role will eliminate confusion
After the preparatory work is done, it is time for the actual project management. However, with a clear project owner to help the team cross the finish line, it’s easier for teammates to leave tasks, forget details, or know who to turn to.
Companies with a formal project management function will have a Project Manager to ensure project plans go according to plan. In contrast, companies that do not have one often leave this responsibility to the person leading or initiating the project.
For example, suppose you’re an editor publishing a series of new articles, a developer managing website migrations, or an account manager updating a client’s reporting system. In that case, you’re also coordinating a project’s complex parts.
Luckily, you don’t need to do a side hustle to manage projects effectively.
Communication and collaboration can go a long way. By clarifying that you are in charge of the project, everyone involved will know who to turn to with questions and seeking updates.
And by outlining the roles of others in the project, you will understand how you want to involve your teammates.
3. Well-set goals increase team effectiveness
Projects only succeed when the team knows the project’s goals. Without clear goals, teams not only lack individual motivation but also run the risk of pursuing the wrong goals or pushing hard for low-impact work.
With project management tools, you set project goals upfront. That way, everyone working on the project is aligned with the project goals and can optimize the steps needed to achieve them.
For example, if the project aims to launch a new product, you could set a goal of “Drive 20% increase in upgrades”. This goal will influence launch decisions as the project progresses. It will also serve as a metric to measure success after launch.
Every individual on the project team will also benefit. By making sure you’ve really thought about the problem you want to solve and giving your team a guide for alignment, you’ll keep your team focused on the tasks that will impact this goal instead of slaving away on nonessential work.
4. Defining a communications plan keeps the team aligned and focused
The term might be projecting “management,” but managing projects is only one piece of the puzzle. Before starting work, you should align your communications plan.
The team likely has, among other things, an email management tool, an instant messaging tool, and a project management tool. The communications plan defines when each device should be used.
For example, we use email at Asana for external communication, Slack for quick internal messages, and Asana for all actionable work.
On average, employees switch between 10 devices per day. When you don’t have a plan for what tools to use and when to use them, switching between them can be confusing and downright overwhelming.
A communications plan reduces decision fatigue and ensures everyone on the team is on the same page.
5. Project management tools help increase efficiency
To implement these tips, consider using a project management tool to help teams collaborate better and stay on track.
While there are dozens of tools to choose from, you should avoid considering more traditional project management tools, as most are built for more conventional processes and can be time-consuming for setup and onboarding.
Instead, look for something easy to use, flexible, and customizable. And it’s even more advantageous if you can link work across projects (which can be difficult in email and spreadsheets) and communicate with teammates where work takes place.