Should you use Social Tools for Project Management?

Social Tools for Project ManagementSocial media has introduced the world to many different, and new, mediums to connect and share ideas; from Twitter’s micro-blogging to podcasts on a staggering range of subjects. These communication methods are becoming more frequently used by people of all ages, nationalities and professions, so now we have to look at how we can use these tools to aid our professional lives.

Project managers will know that openness and sharing of ideas is an important part of the development process, but how will making use of social media practices aid the overall project management duties?

Author, Elizabeth Harrin, published a handy book to help ease your choice of social medium to adapt to your project management style called “Social Media for Project Managers”.  In this book she goes through the advantages and disadvantages of each type of social media so you can easily make your choices without wasting unnecessary time. Read the rest of “Should you use Social Tools for Project Management?”

Best Apps to Help Aid Productivity

One of the main reasons for owning a smart phone is that when you’re having one of those wobbly, not so bright days you can rely on your Droid to help pick up the pieces; as long as you’ve remembered to keep enough charge in the thing. With a wide variety of productivity apps available through Android’s Marketplace, the options for managing your life through your phone have never been so plentiful and varied. We recently published a post on the top 5 Project Management Google Apps which you may also be interested in.

But with so many apps available it’s hard to choose which one is going to match your needs with the greatest precision. So to help you get started with your whittling down of potential suitors we’ve put together a list of some of our personal favourites.

Remember the Milk

Remember the Milk For those like me who can’t get anything achieved that hasn’t been written down in list form, a task list app such as Remember the Milk could finally be the app that has you throwing away all those tattered, bullet pointed lists that undoubtedly clutter your desk.

As well as being able to list, organise and check off tasks it also include synching which backs up all your notes and tasks to be accessed on your own online account. Make your task list mobile with this feature-packed application. Award-winning web version also available. Read the rest of “Best Apps to Help Aid Productivity”

Getting the Most from Managing Your Team

One of the most important aspects of being a project manager is to effectively manage your project team. Without your direction their responsibilities and goals will not be clear and could lead to an unsuccessful project. While following a project management standard such as PRINCE2 is critical for the smooth running of a project, the ability to work with your team should also be considered.

Working with your team

When it comes to working with your team, one of the most important things is to ensure that the people on the team feel that their participation is valued and worthwhile. To do this, it is vital that you talk to your team about any issues which are faced by your department.

Project Management Team Management

Asking their opinion on issues which affect the whole team will give them confidence, both in their importance to the team and in their importance to you. Their solutions will also offer up innovations for the running of the department. Remember – it is not your job as manager to come up with all the ideas. Rather, it is up to you to use the ideas which others give, making sure there are enough of them to keep everything running.

Involving individuals on the team by asking their opinion is also an excellent method of team motivation. If the team sees their contributions being acted upon during a project, they will be a great deal more interested in the project’s successful completion.

Engaging your team’s creativity will help you create better bonds with your team members as well as giving them better job satisfaction and the desire to put more energy and even more creativity into projects.

Your team’s development

You are responsible for the development of every member of your team. One of the main things you can give your team members is education in the fields that they need to develop. Read the rest of “Getting the Most from Managing Your Team”

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