For decades, remote work has been a concept reserved for freelancers, creatives, and tech professionals. Although companies allowing home offices for their employees was not a novel phenomenon, it wasn’t mainstream. A paradigm shift came with the pandemic, making working from home a necessity rather than just a benefit of the workplace. 

This rapid shift showed the benefits and challenges of remote working, affecting team communication and project collaboration. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the home office is here to stay and many companies are adopting hybrid models. Upwork predicts that 73% of teams will have remote workers by 2028.

Digital collaboration tools (like the Zenkit Suite!) that promise better teamwork despite the distance compete for the limelight. With much software to choose from, it’s important for teams and companies to adopt tools that will complement team productivity, supporting their workflow within these new standard work models.

What’s the deal with New Work & Industry 4.0?

We live in the age of New Work and Industry 4.0. New Work defines today’s working society in the global and digital age. The integration of intelligent technologies under the term Industry 4.0 promotes a whole new concept of productivity and efficient systems. But what does all this have to do with remote work?

Well, depending on how you look at it, a little or a lot. The publication of the New York Times bestseller “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss is a good place to start making the connection. By demonstrating in his book how individuals can be just as productive in less time through process optimization, a stark contrast was created to the entrenched norm of the 40-hour workweek, initially created for production lines.

The appeal of flexible work hours and the nomadic freedom to prioritize work-life balance has only grown. Remote work and home office are the results of technological development enabling and demonstrating that work can be executed successfully without co-location. Flexjobs estimates that 4.7 million people were already working remotely before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Collaboration tools support this type of lifestyle, where professionals work outside of a traditional office environment, yet going fully digital isn’t as simple as it seems. Besides the fact that having a stable internet connection is an imperative requirement, remote work complicates the integration of corporate culture, as well as team communication, and engagement within tasks and projects.

Whether working in an office or remotely, the art of effective team management and the importance of good workplace communication are key elements and indicators for successful team collaboration. 

Types of work models

With an increasing number of modern variations of working models, we’ve described a few of the most common types:

1. 40-Hour-Workweek, or, the classic 9-to-5

Initially instigated in the 19th century, from workers protesting against gruelling long hours and requesting a reduction, the 40-hour-workweek was created to regulate the working hours of the working class. Ford Motor Company advanced the idea in 1914, which led to increased productivity in the production line. Many companies soon followed suit and the popularized phrase of “8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, and 8 hours for what we will” was born.  

Today, most companies and organizations run on the 40-hour-workweek. Albeit, more out of tradition and habit rather than a deliberate decision based on employee productivity. With this knowledge and recent technological developments, individuals and organizations are reexamining the classic 9-to-5 working model. 

2. Hybrid Model, where Home Office is part of the deal

Hybrid models are usually known to be the best of both worlds. Organizations that have adopted hybrid working models allow employees the freedom to work remote or from home, and at times even to manage flexible working hours. This working model has become more popular in recent years as company infrastructure has developed. Owl Labs estimate that 52% of global employees work remotely once a week, and 68% do so at least once per month. Though hybrid models seem to be the answer for the future of work, only a selected range of job sectors can take advantage of these benefits, particularly due to job requirements and tasks.

3. Remote Work, work without co-location

Working with a view of the Swiss Alps in February, at a seaside hotel in Los Angeles in July, and from a coffee shop in downtown Sydney in October, is a dream come true for some. As much as this idealized version of remote work appeals to many, this type of work model is not exempt from challenges, particularly for the self-employed.

Working remotely gives employees the freedom to answer emails and write up project proposals from any given location, yet being able to support this lifestyle can often be quite challenging when working as a freelancer rather than being directly employed by a private company. Creative freelancers often work on a project-basis, which means that their professional and financial security is deadline-reliant. 

Employees working for fully-remote companies like Zapier and Buffer however, receive the benefits of working remotely while being fully integrated in a company. Although working with peace of mind of receiving monthly paychecks, working for fully-remote companies include challenges too. 

That being said, there’s always a list of advantages and disadvantages. What’s important is finding a style and process that fits and suits your needs best. 

4. 4-Day-Workweek, popular work-life-balance model

In short, the 4-day-workweek model is about reducing working hours from a standard 40 hours to just 32 hours for the same pay and benefits. This work model, adopted by various companies worldwide, focuses on achieving the same output as a 40h week, but in a shorter amount of time. Proven by employees and employers to be successful in optimizing use of time in correlation to productivity, the 4-day-workweek offers flexibility and enables individuals to concentrate on what’s important in their lives.

5. Coworking Spaces, the office alternative for professionals

Considering the progression of work models, there’s a good chance that there’s at least one coworking space in every major city. As hubs of productivity, community, and technology, coworking spaces offer an out-of-home office atmosphere and networking opportunities with others who work in a multitude of industries. 

Fun fact: The first official coworking space appeared in 2005 in San Francisco, USA.

6. Work & Travel, the best of both worlds

Desk jobs aren’t your thing and travelling the world has always been but a mere daydream for you? The work and travel model operates on short-term contract work often based on seasonal work such as during harvest time. Adventurers who enjoy taking each day at a time move location to where the work is. In this case, location is the objective and the type of work is the dynamic subjective.

7. Workation, let’s combine work and leisure

The terms ‘workation’ and ‘bleisure’ gained significant traction as a new market trend in light of the pandemic. A concept for travelling workers or working travellers, where work and vacation were combined in a single location. According to Dr Hayley Stainton, “A workation can be defined as a holiday, during which a substantial amount of time is dedicated to work.”

In Japan, the model was originally a way to realize a variety of work styles and promote creativity and networking opportunities in locations outside of the home and office. Today, various travel and tourism organizations offer workation packages for individuals as well as families. 

Currently, travel restrictions and guidelines are subject to constant change. This in-depth guide on how to practice responsible tourism during COVID-19, prepares any traveller for the journey, whether for travelling to holiday destinations or for business trips.

How have things changed?

Before the pandemic, the office was where millions of us spent about a third of our time. With the range of working models already being implemented by organizations worldwide, why would the pandemic be considered a compelling driver to advance the standardization of home office or remote work? 

Simply put, the conditions of Covid-19 affirmed the urgency of digital transformation in business, and brought an unprecedented shift, designating hybrid working conditions a necessity rather than a benefit. 

The mentality of remote working previously highlighted the benefits for individual employees. Today, home office and remote work is considered an asset for individuals as well as an advantage for company productivity and collaboration. 

From one day to the next, the world was required to adjust. Arguably, the potential of remote work has been realized. At the same time, the challenges and conditions in terms of the privilege interlaced with the arrangement were revealed.

Benefits and challenges at a glance 

+ Remote work is reshaping a future new world of work, popularizing modern working habits while disproving old ideas that working from home leads to low productivity with limited opportunity for collaboration. 

+ The office-to-home transition caused a breakdown of emotional and professional barriers, allowing colleagues and clients a more intimate view into each others’ personal lives.

+ Importance of soft skills have increased as working remotely solicits more intentional interpersonal interactions.

– The potential for remote work is determined by tasks and activities, not occupations. 

– Working from home draws a fine line in an individual’s work-life balance. A heightened level of responsibility and trust is required from managers and employees.

– Affecting more than just personal factors, remote work affects engagement, performance management, means less office space, and more.

Benefits of remote working

Workplace values have been redefined: the future of work is remote. Instead of planning activities in life around working hours, remote working enables individuals to incorporate the necessities of their life and work. 

The popular concept of leading a work-life balance lifestyle advocates for similar objectives, but with different intentions. Work-life balance is a concept referring to the level of prioritization between personal and professional activities in an individual’s life. What many early adopters have come to realize is that the work-life balance lifestyle is a cycle rather than a destination or an achievement. 

1. Flexibility: Remote work grants individuals the opportunity to develop a work-life balance due to the flexibility offered through the working model. 

Remote working or working from home grants employees flexibility where it matters, whether that is picking up the children from school on time or allowing the laundry to dry in the sunlight rather than using the dryer. At best, working from home should reinforce an individual’s work-life balance. 

2. A Healthy Balance: Employees are able to manage their health, tasks, and responsibilities better. Eliminating the commute and rigid routines can alleviate stress to allow individuals to do deep work and grow their creativity. 

The flexible lifestyle isn’t the only thing proving beneficial to remote workers’ mental health and likelihood of company loyalty. Working from home simultaneously requires and fosters individual time and task management, and responsibility. 

Cutting travel time and other forms of mundanity from life, employees are able to focus on work. With less time spent commuting for example, employees are able to manage their health, tasks, and responsibilities better. As a result, a silent expectation for employees to rise to the occasion by living up to their potential is present. 

Despite the expectation, swapping out the busyness of crowded train stations for a 30-minute walk in the neighbourhood park with the dog can cause significant changes to an individual’s health. Now, instead of attending company-run in-person team-building activities, some companies set aside time in the week to encourage employees to engage in activities that inspire and empower them for work and life. 

3. Time Management: Remote work possibly requires more management, however simultaneously allows an increase in creative flow and productive output.

What remote work advocates promote, such as Laurel Farrer in her working remote article, is that “work is something you do, not somewhere you go… For knowledge workers whose roles rely on mobile tools, location should be a daily choice, not a lifestyle commitment.” With the right tools and circumstances, work doesn’t need to be chained to an office desk. 

Granted, working remotely makes employee and task supervision more complex. But with less time lost moving from one office room to another for meetings, and no more lines for afternoon coffee, more time can be invested in getting work done.

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4. Cost-saving (for businesses): Reducing the need for office space enables companies to invest in other things, preferably to the benefit of employees.

With fewer employees in the office, businesses need less office space, decreasing rent cost exponentially. Instead, companies can opt to invest in supplying employees with the necessary work equipment or offering other benefits as an alternative to the cost of the canteen upkeep.

Challenges of remote working

While eliminating location from the equation brings flexibility, certain concerns are also key variables when considering if and how to implement remote work at a company. Working remotely requires high self-management, time management, and team management. 

Engagement is usually what suffers first due to the distance. Managers and colleagues working from home can’t simply walk over to ask a question about the financial proposal or spend time catching up with their morning brew in the office kitchen on Mondays. Instead, an increase of chat notifications, forwarded emails and dedicated meetings to discuss workflow best describe the workday. 

1. Team Culture: The objective to encourage teamwork and cultivate a team and company spirit remains, although the method to achieve this may have changed.

Team meetings over Zoom or Skype are certainly different from those held in the office meeting room. When working with distributed teams, distance should merely be considered a factor rather than an obstacle for team integration. 

The method for scheduling and conducting meetings may have changed, but the objective to encourage teamwork and team spirit remains. Managers as well as coworkers require and should actively seek interpersonal relationships within the workplace. Just like work isn’t tied to a location, company culture isn’t contained in a building. Rather, corporate culture is cultivated by the individuals that make up the company.

The responsibility and journey for cultivating a strong and effective team and company culture is an individual process. That being said, there are ways and certain remote team management mistakes to avoid to make the process easier.

2. Management: Using productivity tools to manage and regulate team, task, and time management is the answer.

Every company uses software for everyday business operations. With oodles to choose from, it’s the team and company’s responsibility to evaluate which tools best support both internal and external business operations. Some companies use Suites, while others mix & match; some even create their own apps for internal processes.

Either way, when it comes down to the wire, productivity tools and team management software is a growing billion dollar business with a mixture of advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, team management software can build stronger teams. At the same time, it’s vital to analyze whether a productivity tool is actually enabling team productivity or not at all.   

3. Party for the privileged? Remote work is only available for those working in sectors or jobs that are primarily made up of online tasks and activities.

Praised for all of the benefits, working remotely isn’t available as a viable option for everyone. Hospitals, supermarkets, hairdressers, and other services will necessarily continue to be in-person. Although technology has certainly enabled medical consultations and other services to be handled online, not everything can be solved digitally. Even with advancements in machine learning and robotics, it’s hard to envision massage parlours or operating rooms to switch to robot-only employees. 

Research into the future of remote work from McKinsey Global Institute indicates that the potential for work is determined by tasks and activities, not occupations. Professionals able to avail of remote work fall into categories of highly skilled, highly educated workers in various industries, occupations, and geographies. For those already working with digital and mobile tools, like those working in the IT, communications, and marketing sector, the option of home office is often already included in the contract.

Collaboration tools for the workplace: the tools that keep employees productive despite distance

One of the most impactful changes the pandemic brought was to the way humans work. Businesses switched to digital collaboration tools for team communication, project management, and more. The best collaboration tools facilitate effective teamwork for tasks and projects, primarily in a streamlined manner.

In this case, there is no ‘one software fits all’, since the tools companies require should strengthen and support individual business operations and the organizational structures.  A countless list of applications and their alternatives are available for any type of work and team size. We’ve listed a few categories essential for remote teams: 

Chat Apps

The most widely used mobile apps are chat apps, because communication is necessary to get any work done. Originally created to replace email conversations, enterprise chat apps are essential internal communication platforms for teams today. Every company uses enterprise messaging applications to facilitate and boost teamwork, communication, and collaboration. 

The most popular enterprise chat apps allow teams to not only communicate with one another but also on specific topics, projects, and tasks. Depending on the interface, chat apps for business include features allowing teams to create channels, categorize topics, use quick edits, manage tasks, share files, conduct export functions, and more.

Top 4 Chat Apps for Business:

1. 1. Zenchat
   2. Slack
   3. Chanty
   4. Yammer

Video Conferencing Tools

Remote teams don’t have the option of organizing a team meeting in the boardroom on a Wednesday morning. Instead, video conferencing tools are used for coaching sessions, the quarterly report, team-building activities like Friday mocktail hour, and the company Christmas party.

The pandemic certainly accelerated the future of video communication. Microsoft Teams received an increase of 55 million users within a 5-month period and the latest report of the conference call company, Zoom, shows an 88% year-over-year jump in revenue.  

But it’s not just the conferencing tool companies who have realized the advantages and profits video communication brings to teams. Switching to video conferencing tools allows individuals to participate in meetings from the convenience of their own home, supports the flexible schedules of working parents and ultimately influences company culture. Significant features of such tools include screen sharing, presentation mode, meeting annotation, and creating subgroups within a meeting.

Top 4 Video Conferencing Tools for Business:

1. 1. Zoom
   2. Skype
   3. Microsoft Teams
   4. GoTo Meeting 

Project Management Software

Managing projects is no simple job. Tracking deadlines, updating task iterations, and communicating the project status to stakeholders are tasks project managers need to handle on a daily basis. 

Project management software enables teams to manage individual tasks and resources within projects.  Built for agile teams, project management tools include features such as tracking project progress, task management, project view switching, and plenty of other collaboration features.      

Top 5 Project Management Tools for Business:

1. 1. Projects
   2. Asana
   3. Wrike
   4. Basecamp
   5. Zoho Projects

Knowledge Management Software

Knowledge management software are excellent tools for teams to manage everything from internal company processes such as onboarding information to managing a customer database. Primarily focused on the collection, storage, and organization of data and information, these tools help teams with all sorts of administrative tasks.

Top 4 Knowledge Management Tools for Business:

1. 1. Hypernotes
   2. Base
   3. Salesforce
   4. Pipedrive

Learn about the different types of knowledge management processes and find more alternatives in Knowledge Management Tools 2021.

Tools for Centralized Storage 

Shoot for the stars, but keep your files secure in the Cloud. Cloud file storage is a necessity for remote teams, permitting file access to team members, whether they live a 30-minute drive from the office or working remotely in another country. The best tools for centralized storage support all file types, sync across multiple devices, track document changes, and integrate well with other applications. 

Top 4 Business Tools for Centralized Storage:

1. 1. Microsoft Sharepoint
   2. Google Drive
   3. Dropbox
   4. Box

We’ve only listed a few tools useful for teams working remotely. Find more alternatives in 50 Must-Have Remote Working Tools And Apps.

Practical tips for a balanced home office routine

The right tools certainly help get the job done, but even with advanced tech running on artificial intelligence, humans still have to put in the work. These are our tips for a balanced home office routine: 

Get dressed

Overcoming the notion to stay in your pajamas all day is a good tangible step that helps you mentally prepare for the workday. Select a few outfits that are both presentable and comfortable, so you are prepared for the odd-chance when your boss unexpectedly calls for a meeting.

Establish boundaries

Distractions are bound to happen. To best navigate such situations, establish boundaries, whether that may be to set specific times to go on breaks, schedule packages to arrive only at certain times, or communicate your availability to your children and spouse. 

Tip: Turn off desktop notifications when doing deep work and set all applications settings on silent, especially when in meetings.

Stick to routines

The urgency of staying online and always being available increases when working from home. Just do as you would in the office: take time to get your coffee, spend a few minutes catching up with a colleague via chat, and respond to emails when you normally do. 

Home office allows more flexibility, however routines help in more than just sticking to a daily schedule. Some things to remember: Make sure to stick to your standard work hours, don’t skip the lunch break, and try not to work overtime.

Tip: Even with boundaries and routines, remember to stay flexible when things don’t go as planned. Humans aren’t robots and that’s a good thing. 

Get out and about (unless self-isolating)

Without the commute, we might spend most of our days enclosed in our houses. Make time for walks around the block, trips to nature parks, or even a quick drive to a local bakery for the morning coffee and breakfast fix. 

Additionally, fresh air and sunshine are great for both the mind and soul. Taking care of one’s health with enough physical activity and time for relaxation is perhaps even more necessary now when most of our daily interactions happen online.

Take regular breaks

Downtime is necessary for technology devices; the same goes for humans. Research states that brief diversions from a task can improve an individual’s ability to focus. When we take a short break from hours of deep work, we essentially reward our brain with a downtime. 

There are various techniques and systems on how to train yourself to focus. And though daily to-do lists are great, the essence of time blocking is to produce high-quality output within a specific amount of time. 

Check in with colleagues regularly

Because it’s not just always about work. Cultivating relationships help any employee to feel at ease and accepted within a company. Most of the time, we may not know what challenges our neighbor may be going through, even more so when we don’t work in back-to-back cubicles or a shared office space.

Even more reason to make it a habit to type your colleagues some greetings every now and then, or send them encouraging messages to make their day. That said, I hope you have a great day!

All remote work statistics are sourced from Review24’s Remote Work Statistics for 2021.

Image credits from Andrew Neel, Daria Shevtsova, Sarah Chai from Pexels;  AltumCode, Sigmund, and ThisisEngineering RAEng from Unsplash; and Giphy.

That’s a wrap! It’s exciting to see how much has changed in a short amount of time. What are your thoughts on the variety of modern working models? Our team has run on a hybrid model within the last year and have experienced the impact that digital collaboration tools have on team productivity and collaboration. We hope, as probably most other companies do too, to navigate back to more in-person meetings and workshops soon. How has your team navigated teamwork this past year? 

Cheers,

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

The post Home Office and Remote Work: How to Improve Team Collaboration appeared first on Zenkit.

Without communication, there is no cake.

Communication is among the top concerns in the workplace. Ineffective communication or lack thereof can have significant detrimental effects on a project outcome and an organization. Just as flour is a key ingredient when baking a cake, good communication is a key ingredient for business. Communication in the workplace is necessary for any project or task, whether you are working alone or in a team.

Communication in the workplace is central to the success of any business. We spend a shocking amount of time, around 80% of our day, communicating. Workplace communication takes different forms: writing emails, phone calls, group meetings, company presentations, coffee break chats, task and project communication… and this list doesn’t even touch on non-verbal communication.

What Is Workplace Communication? 

Workplace communication is the manner by which employees exchange information and ideas within an organization. Communication is a crucial aspect to achieve organizational objectives and get any job done, whether in-person or virtually.

Workplace Communication Is More Important Than Ever Before

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to work and workplace communication across numerous industries. More businesses find themselves in the process of navigating the effective transition from in-person to virtual business. 

Working from home (also known as remote work and telework) has become the “new normal” for many companies due to the pandemic. This accelerated digital shift also redefines the way we communicate and the function of workplace communication.

With many teams working from home, organizations (now) focus (more) on managing virtual workplace communication via the use of communication tools. The significant increase in businesses investing in communication technology due to the pandemic signals the direct connection between communication and productivity. 

Why Is Communication in the Workplace Important?

Data shows that businesses with engaged management and strong communication networks are more likely to achieve their organizational goals. Teams that have good communication help team members collaborate and participate effectively in achieving defined organizational goals. With everyone on the same page, a high-performance culture is created, all because of good workplace communication.

Interpersonal communication skills are what can distinguish a manager from a leader in the workplace. According to Robert L. Katz, an American social and organizational psychologist and creator of the concept of managerial skills, the three basic types of management skills are technical skills, conceptual skills, and human or interpersonal skills. 

Results of the 2017 GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey show that employers rank and consider communication skills, followed by teamwork and technical skills, most important when hiring new employees. According to the study, companies consider communication skills twice as important as managerial skills.

How to Have Good Communication in the Workplace

Workplace communication plays a vital role in the development of an organization and is a central aspect of completing any job. Without communication, there will be limited progress on tasks, projects, and the development of company goals. 

Productivity is strongly dependent on good communication. Where good workplace communication provides common goals, fosters teamwork, and creates company rapport, ineffective workplace communication can have detrimental consequences to a project or business partnership, such as production mistakes or missed deal-breaker meetings with investors. 

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What does good communication look like?

• Good communication provides purpose and a common goal.
• Good communication can prevent misunderstandings and avoid confusion.
• Good communication stimulates team building and boosts company culture.
• Good communication encourages employee engagement and improves morale.
• Good communication often results in a more productive and talented workforce.

Tips on how to have effective communication at work:

• Give clear instructions on tasks and state what results are expected.
• Encourage open discussion and feedback exchange.
• Communicate frequently and with transparency.
• Provide specific and descriptive constructive criticism.
• Schedule regular employee check-ins.
• Use the right tools for your business.
• Organize team building activities.
• Continually work on your communication development.

The pandemic has certainly brought a host of structural adjustments. Digital tools and revised approaches for the interpersonal exchange of ideas continue to play a part in today’s work environment and contribute to work culture. 

Helpful Tools to Foster Effective Team Communication

Communication tools and collaborative platforms are now, more than ever, integral parts of a company toolkit. Depending on the company and team size, structure, and needs, employees might use a handful of tools for internal and external communication. 

Choosing the right communication tool for your company hinges on various factors and required features which need to be addressed and defined before starting your search. Although team collaboration tools certainly are beneficial to team and project management, good communication and engaged employees are the top two elements of effective team collaboration, so in some cases, this should be something to work on prior to choosing a tool. 

There are companies that believe implementing a tool will automatically make the team and processes more efficient. Sadly, this is not the case; therefore, the effectiveness of team task management systems should be monitored over a period of time and adjusted if needed. 

The primary goal of any communication medium is to maximize connectivity. Many companies utilise diverse and distinctive tools for communication and collaboration. We’ve listed five standard tools used for workplace communication:

1. Email is here to stay

Probably the most common form of workplace communication is via email. Well suited for both internal and external communication, several companies have tried to replace email with chat. Employee intranet apps and chatbots have helped foster communication in sectors like customer service and sales, however, other sectors like press and business relations continue to be handled best via email and scheduled meetings. 

If your company requires an upgrade and centralization of email conversations for business, switching to an email provider with customer relationship management (CRM) features can help boost the performance of your email outreach. 

2. Project management tools are becoming common for personal and professional use

Many companies and individuals are riding the wave of the mindset of agile work. Project management has crossed from corporate to consumer use with plenty of software to choose from with unique features for every need. 

The use of project management tools is multifaceted. Most software is great for team collaboration (like Zenkit ;)) as well as a suitable tool helping keep University students organized and productive. If your team or company requires shared dashboards to keep tasks updated and team members informed of project progress, safe to say we recommend considering using a project management tool.   

3. Integrating chat into the workflow

It’s no surprise that chat is considered a standard form of communication. Plenty of teams have personal employee chat software where employees and teams can communicate and collaborate over anything work-related (or send pictures of their dog!). 

Corporate chat apps provide unique features best suited for the workplace environment. These tools are preferred by many to keep personal and professional communication separate. Company chat tools are common within international companies with dispersed teams and hubs. Nonetheless, chat apps are continuing to become more of a mainstream method of communication within any size or type of company. 

While some chat apps focus on communicating via channels and integrating a centralized location for workplace communication and data storage, others specialize in combining chat with task management (like Zenchat ;)). If your email inbox quickly gets overrun with a chat-like conversation, we think it’s time to acknowledge the need for a company chat tool.

4. Meetings get a makeover

Although many employees like to complain about sitting in meetings that could have easily been emails, meetings are an indispensable part of work life. Tools have no control over how meetings are run, but they certainly can provide opportunities and features that assist team collaboration and communication.

The pandemic has forced the world to go digital. And with this need, virtual meeting tools have quickly become part of the most used software for business and leisure. Due to the increasing demand for virtual meeting tools, developers have been working at full speed to meet demands for features that allow teams and individuals to replicate in-person meetings as best as possible. 

5. Storing everything in the Cloud

Classic search engines may have us believe that data is pulled from space, however, all our data is actually stored in the Cloud. We produce and store significant amounts of data. In fact, we collectively produce shy of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day! On a normal day, 306.4 billion emails and 500 million Tweets are sent. (Techjury)

Companies with huge data centers ranging from sizes of football fields to small towns provide users with the ability to store, access and distribute data via the Internet. Upgrading to the Cloud is one of the most beneficial, if not essential, procedures companies should do and invest in. 

Photo credits: krakenimages and Surface via Unsplah, GIF 01 and GIF 02 via Giphy

Final Thoughts

As you can probably tell, good communication has an important role in the workplace. The pandemic has shifted the way in which we communicate and the role communication plays in our daily lives. Who would’ve thought that the entire world would begin to live a nearly virtual life, with working from home and online school becoming the “new normal”? 

Either way, we hope you are staying safe and able to continue life with the help of digital tools. Whether you use project management or team chat tools for professional or personal use, we’d love to know which are your favorite and why.

Cheers,
Jessica and the Zenkit team 

The post Tips and Tools for Effective Workplace Communication appeared first on Zenkit.

Are there just too many tasks to do in a short amount of time? Don’t even know where to begin, how to organize it all, or what to prioritize first? Find yourself working at a clean desk, but with a cluttered mind? You’re definitely not alone. 

We live in an information overload society that is riddled with people, information, and tasks competing for our attention, making it extremely difficult to eliminate distractions and noise from our daily routine. 

Prioritization is the key. The answer to doing more better lies in how we design our time. 

Time management solutions are efficient tools to measure and foster productivity. And because we can’t make more time, we need to learn how to make better use of it. Instead of focusing on the number of tasks completed in a day, start prioritizing those that matter.

There are countless time and project management methods and techniques to boost your productivity and help you do your job more efficiently. A simple, yet powerful tool that does just that is the Eisenhower Matrix. The Eisenhower Matrix is an excellent task prioritization matrix for practising better time management. Even if you’ve never heard of the term, you have probably been using the method. 

It goes without saying that most successful people are adept time and project managers. As key skills in any industry, time and task management require focus, prioritization, and planning to increase productivity and achieve your goals. 

However, if we’re honest, staying organized and on top of deadlines isn’t always that simple. Keep reading to learn about how the Eisenhower Matrix can help you get things done…

What Is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, Eisenhower Box, Eisenhower Method, and Time Management Matrix) is a decision-making method that helps you sort out tasks based on the criteria of urgency and importance. 

Although simple in its makeup, this prioritization matrix is powerful. Use it to eliminate the noise and time-wasting activities in your life, help you combat the “mere-urgency” effect (more on this later), and increase your mental legroom to make progress on your long-term goals.

This method is particularly useful for people who:

• Find themselves merely running around handling daily crises 
• Are busy but feel inefficient and ineffective
• Have long-term goals but no time or energy to make progress on them
• Have trouble delegating tasks or saying ‘no’

With oodles of time management strategies and tools to choose from, what makes the Eisenhower Matrix so noteworthy? It is remarkable because, despite its simplicity, it has outlived the trends (having often been repackaged and sold as new!) and continues to produce results.

Where Does the Term Come from? 

For those of us more familiar with US History, the name Eisenhower probably rings a bell. The term does indeed derive from the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Having served as a five-star general in the United States Army, better known as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, Eisenhower had to continuously make tough decisions due to the nature of his job and responsibilities. 

“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Fun fact: the method first became popular through its appearance in the genre-defining self-help book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The author, Stephen Covey, repackaged Eisenhower’s decision-making principles into a template to prioritize tasks, now known as the Eisenhower Matrix. 

How Does It Work? The Eisenhower Matrix Explained

The Eisenhower Matrix is an extremely effective way to prioritize and manage both your time and your tasks. Arranged into four categories, the decision-making method is based on two simple criteria: urgency and importance. 

The matrix is systematized with four quadrants, structured according to urgency on the x-axis and by importance on the y-axis. According to priority and urgency levels, the user organizes their tasks and activities into the following categories:

• Quadrant 1: Do first – get it done now
• Quadrant 2: Decide when – make a schedule, set a deadline 
• Quadrant 3: Delegate to – divide the workload 
• Quadrant 4: Delete it – eliminate unnecessary elements 

Why Everything We Know About Productivity Is Wrong: How to Decipher the Urgent from the Important

Being able to categorize your daily and weekly tasks into these four quadrants is a challenge and arguably the fundamental and most complex skill for utilizing this prioritization matrix. 

According to the Pareto-Principle, 80% of the planned results can be achieved with 20% of the total effort. Problem: most people often invest more of their time in miscellaneous activities rather than focusing on tasks that will produce the best results with the least amount of effort.

This is a consequence of “present shock” – a condition in which we lose our sense of the long-term narrative and direction, because of living in a continuous, always-on, ‘now’ moment. Research shows that we live in a pattern, dubbed the “Mere-Urgency Effect”, where we tend to prioritize tasks with deadlines over tasks without one regardless of the impact they can make in the long run.

It is, therefore, pertinent to be able to distinguish the urgent tasks and activities from those that are important. Urgent tasks are things that require an immediate attentive response such as a tax deadline, health scare, or scheduled parent-teacher meeting. According to Brett McKay, founder and editor-in-chief of the Art of Manliness, “Important tasks are things that contribute to our long-term mission, values, and goals.” Deciding which tasks you should or should not do becomes much easier when you are certain about what is important to you.

Rory Vaden, author and Self-Discipline Strategist explains that most people are trading their to-do lists for emergencies. In Procrastinate on Purpose, he describes most successful people as “time multipliers” who begin their day by posing the question: “What are the most important things that I can do today that would free up more time tomorrow?”

So instead of continuing your tiresome and likely unhealthy cycle of decision-making, begin making truly smarter, more conscious choices today.  Stop hustling without purpose.

Popular Youtuber John Green comments on productivity: “I would argue life is not about becoming the most efficient, problem-solving, value-creation machine you can become. To me, productivity is mostly a matter of recognizing that time is what we have and that it is imperative to be a steward of our most precious resource: time.” 

Start Doing What Matters Using the Eisenhower Matrix

1. Do first – Get it done now: Tasks that are urgent and important

Quadrant 1 tasks are inevitable, and characterized as urgent and important; they require direct and immediate attention. These tasks have a tendency to be more tedious and challenging consequently requiring more time and attention to complete.

Tasks that land in the first quadrant are often the direct result of procrastination. They should, however, be tackled first and completed as soon as possible.

Use Mark Twain’s Eat the Frog principle to master possible task paralysis. The term ‘eat that frog’ refers to getting your worst task out of the way first. Eating the frog implies you finish a task you don’t want to do, but know you have to do. These tasks ultimately give you a strong feeling of accomplishment once completed.

For those of us who work best under pressure or with clear deadlines, you can use the Pomodoro technique to help you focus on the task.

Types of Quadrant 1 Tasks include:

• Review a document for your manager
• Finalize the employee payslips
• Pick up the dry cleaning on Friday afternoon for the weekend event

2. Decide when – Make a schedule, and set a deadline: Tasks that are important, but not urgent

Not every important task has to be finished in one day. Tasks that are important, but not urgent are generally long-term projects or assignments that require sufficient planning and a certain amount of time to be executed properly.

Termed the sweet spot of personal time management, the second quadrant is the spot focused on personal improvement in terms of opportunities and growth. Quadrant 2 is the perfect location to write down a list of your meaningful goals. Remember to set realistic deadlines even for tasks that aren’t urgent.

Types of Quadrant 2 Tasks:

• Set up a marketing budget for the following year
• A restart of your fitness regimen
• Update your will

3. Delegate to – Divide the workload: Tasks that are urgent, but not important

Quadrant 3 is where the mere-urgency effect affects lives. Even if you and I were the best multi-taskers and extremely efficient in our jobs, we have to face the fact that we aren’t Superman.

The common phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work” isn’t famous just because it is catchy, but because it is true.

Good leaders and managers know when to do a task themselves and when to delegate the work to someone else. Sometimes it’s best to delegate a task you could do yourself to a co-worker knowing they might be the better person to complete the job.

Types of Quadrant 3 Tasks:

• Schedule a job interview
• Go food shopping
• Book flights for vacation

4. Delete it – Eliminate unnecessary elements: Tasks that are neither urgent nor important

Quadrant 4 is the quadrant of excess and immediate gratification. Tasks that are neither urgent nor important are to be placed in the trash, out of sight and out of mind. Depending on the situation, such tasks could reappear on your to-do list in a week’s time but do not need to be done yet and may even be considered a waste of time.

Types of Quadrant 4 Tasks:

• Buy a new coffee machine
• Renew magazine subscription
• Sort through junk mail

Best Practice Tips for Using the Eisenhower Matrix

• Add a splash of colour! Colour-coding helps give an overview of the categories and quadrants at a glance.
• Do not mix business with leisure! Create separate lists for your professional and personal tasks. This makes it easier to stay organized because you aren’t having to decide between scheduling a doctor’s appointment and booking an important business trip.
• Make it visual! Not a fan of the square layout? Why not organize the matrix Kanban-style! There are plenty of great tools you can use to do this. Here’s a template for implementing the prioritization matrix in Zenkit:

• Put a label on it! Labels are great ways to stay organized. This technique works especially well for tasks or activities that might fall in more than one category for a period of time. Alternatively, you can organize your tasks into the four categories using labels in the Kanban layout.
• Be environmentally friendly! Save paper. Go online! There are many online task and time management tools available nowadays that can help you to track your progress, whether for personal or professional use as a team. (psst! Zenkit!)

Convinced That the Eisenhower Matrix Is for You? Here Are Some Things to Consider

Advantages of the time management matrix:

• It’s free! It’s easily one of, if not the cheapest technique to use. The Eisenhower Matrix is a free resource and you need no special software or tools to get started. 
• UX approved! The method requires no previous knowledge or experience to use either. Since there are no predefined rules telling you what is urgent and what is important, you are free to decide which tasks go into which quadrant according to your preference. So, what are you waiting for? Give the method a try. 
• Designed for decisions! You will become better at making split-second decisions naturally because the method makes you consider the importance of your tasks and reevaluate what is urgent and what isn’t. 
• Review it! Tracking and analyzing your progress and habits after using the matrix helps you practice self-analysis and teaches better self-awareness.

Disadvantages of the Eisenhower Matrix:

• You only have two choices. The matrix is systematized based on two criteria: urgency and importance. It doesn’t take external factors like resources, complexity, or level of effort into account. 
• Not so easy does it. Like all good things, using the matrix takes work. On a daily basis, it can be difficult and time-consuming to categorize your tasks. The matrix serves as an aid to help you start each day with an action plan. Make sure that organizing your tasks doesn’t become the focus.
• No flex room. The grid can easily become overwhelming and quickly generate task paralysis when too many tasks are present. Limiting the number of tasks in each quadrant will keep the chaos contained.

Key Takeaways on the Eisenhower Matrix, Time Management, and the Universe

Staying organized in this time-pressured world can prove challenging due to overlapping commitments and spontaneous ‘urgent’ meetings. A recurring false pretence of urgency can also cloud one’s understanding or definition of an ‘urgent matter’. 

A common cause of stress and job burnout is improper time management. Utilizing this method helps you learn key principles of planning, prioritizing, delegating, and scheduling. The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple aid to help you increase productivity and complete tasks that matter. 

This prioritization matrix may not work for all, but it’s a great starting point. You can use it as a stepping stone to finding a more personalized, better-suited technique. So, what are you waiting for? 

1. Set yourself up for success.
2. Stop hustling without purpose.
3. Switch to prioritizing long-term goals over shallow task wins.
4. Start working on what matters.

Final Thoughts

We know that habits don’t happen overnight. Just like in sports, practice makes perfect. Sometimes it takes a little (or a lot!) of experimenting to find what system works best for you and your team. But the reward for finding the system that fits you best, whether for personal or business use, is incomparable. I think it’s safe to say that it’s more effective to invest enough time for the important but not urgent things now, rather than waiting until the frog has doubled in size. What type of productivity tools and time-saving methods are you using? 

Cheers, 

Jessica and the Zenkit Team

Image Credits: Carl Heyerdahl via Unsplash, fotografierende via Pexels, JESHOOTS.com via Pexels

The post The Eisenhower Matrix: A Task Prioritization Method appeared first on Zenkit.

It’s no secret that project management tools are an asset to many companies. Since their emergence in the 1960s, they’ve helped businesses across an array of industries achieve quality results by facilitating the planning, delivering, and administering of the project management process.

We at Zenkit are, of course, one of these companies. Not only is it our bread and butter, but as a team, we’ve found great value in using project management tools as part of our daily repertoire and for bigger projects as well.

In this article, we’ll be discussing what project management tools are and how they can be beneficial to the teams and people who use them.

What Are Project Management Tools?

Project management tools are resources that help project managers and teams deliver projects from implementation to completion. They assist in organizing and simplifying processes, which allows you to optimize productivity and achieve maximum results.

While you can consider anything that helps execute a project as a project management tool (even a piece of paper and pen!), it commonly refers to the software and applications that allow you to schedule tasks and provide a database for information. They can also refer to the resources and processes that help to execute a project.

You can get the tools as SaaS products, on-premise, and open-source project management tools. The features offered depend on the product’s level of sophistication, but common features of project management tools include the following:

• Planning and scheduling
• Activity monitoring
• Cost control and budget management
• Resource allocation
• Report generator
• Collaboration and communication apps
• Mobile ability
• Integration

Popular Project Management Tools and Processes

Kanban

Kanban is a scheduling system popularly used by many project teams as it provides a visualization of the workflow process.

The way it works is that you have a Kanban board with columns that represent the various stages of the project process such as “to-do, doing, done”. You then use Kanban cards which represent items or tasks and move them along the columns depending on which stage of the process they are up to.

The benefit of using a Kanban project management tool is that the transparency it provides of the project details makes it an efficient way for members of your project team to communicate and work well with each other. This fosters collaboration and can reduce the time spent on face-to-face meetings. The highly visual method is also great for identifying bottlenecks early on in the process, which can allow teams to deliver a higher-quality product.

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Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is another project management tool widely used within project teams. It is a bar chart that represents your project schedule by using a vertical task list against a horizontal timescale design to showcase the broken-down structure of the project work and the relationship between the activities.

The reason why Gantt charts are so commonly used for managing projects is that they can help project managers work out all aspects of the project, from how long a task will take to who’s accountable for it, to evaluating how much the project will cost. As well as planning the project, Gantt charts are also great for tracking a project’s progress. Its visualized structure makes it ideal for reporting information to stakeholders and customers.

Gantt chart project management tools come as specialized software products or all-in-one solutions. You can even create your own Gantt chart using spreadsheet-like applications such as Excel.

Work Breakdown Structure

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual project management tool that highlights all the deliverables of the project arranged in order of priority.

The Project Management Institute defines it as “a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.”

It serves as the foundation for planning and scheduling and outlines all the “what” of a project while prioritizing the deliverables. It allows project managers to break down the scope of the project into manageable and actionable chunks.

A benefit of having a work breakdown structure as part of your project management workflow is that it can help alleviate uncertainty amongst the project manager, team, and stakeholders as they’re all involved in the production. It also helps set the basis for the project schedule as once all the deliverables are established, it makes it easier to allocate deadlines and resources.

Project Roadmap

The project roadmap is a visual overview of the project scope which includes its goals, initiatives, milestones, and deliverables. Usually presented on a timeline, it’s information that the project manager can refer to as a guide throughout the duration of the project to ensure everything is on track.

This project management tool is useful for communicating project details to current and potential stakeholders. It can ensure everyone is on the same page and that expectations are understood and are being met.

Unlike a project plan which covers the details of everything involved in the project planning process from resource to risk management, a project roadmap displays information simply and without specifics so you can have an overview at a quick glance.

The Perks of Using Project Management Tools

Project management tools aim to help project teams achieve the best results possible. They do so by assisting with the following:

Progress Tracking

Tracking the activity of a project is simplified when using a project management tool. Having the details of each task, including what’s involved, the resources needed, and who’s accountable provided in a structured way can help you assess the likelihood of whether the project will meet its deadline and what measures to take in case it looks like it’s going to fall short.

Communication & Collaboration

Project management tools offer your project team a centralized platform where project details can be announced, shared, and updated on. This type of access to information makes it easier for team members to communicate with each other. Documents and files concerning the project can also be kept on the project management tool, which makes team collaboration more effortless as well.

Budget Control

One of the biggest concerns for a project manager is ensuring everything stays within budget. Using a project management tool can help manage and monitor all costs relating to the project. It can provide an overview of where the money is going, enabling you to analyze and cut costs if and when necessary to ensure you don’t go over budget.

Time Management

Meeting deadlines and milestones are important aspects of the project management process, and using a project management tool can help achieve them. The tool can help you prioritize tasks, estimate how much time it will take to complete them, and keep an eye on what causes delays.

Decision-Making

The transparency provided in project management tools can enhance decision-making. Because you have all the project details and information in one place, it can allow you to evaluate things easier and help make better decisions.

Client Satisfaction

Project management tools can bridge the gap between your client’s expectations and your team meeting them. These tools offer a more organized and methodical way of working which can help mitigate risk. Working with a more efficient process can increase your chances of client satisfaction.

Final Thoughts

While you don’t need the best project management tools of 2019 in order to produce the best results, having some sort of project management tool implemented is the best thing you could do for your project. It provides structure and can facilitate the project management process.

What kind of project management tool has worked favourably for you or your business? We always enjoy hearing from our readers, so don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section.

Cheers,

Dinnie and the Zenkit Team

The post Project Management Tools 101: From Planning to the Perks appeared first on Zenkit.

The aim of a project management tool is to centralize and simplify your business operations, assisting you in achieving high productivity. It is almost a necessity to optimize operations with project management software, but if your team is not prepared for the change, the implementation of a project management tool can be a setback for your organization.

Before you proceed with your decision to streamline your operations, you should prepare a roadmap to enable a seamless transition. You should focus on assisting your team and enabling them to understand the evolved workflow. The following tips will be beneficial when equipping your team with the best knowledge and experience regarding a project management tool.

1. Boost Employee Confidence

Old habits die hard. This is true for everyone working in your organization. Your team has adapted to the ongoing project management practices (PMPs). If you all of a sudden introduce a change in PMP, it will be a setback for the employees. They may lose confidence and may resist adapting to this change, resulting in low productivity and higher chances of failure.

As the team or project manager, it’s your responsibility to familiarize everyone with the change. Before deploying a project management tool, consult your employees, note their suggestions, and ensure that their views are taken into consideration. Ask the vendor to demonstrate the functionality of the software. This will introduce the tool to the employees, enabling them to understand the workflow before the deployment takes place.

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2. Let Leaders Spearhead Change

According to the Project Management Survey conducted by Clarizen, 38.2% of participants believe that ineffective leadership is the reason behind project failure. This clearly indicates the influence of leaders in the organization’s operations. So, when it comes to implementing a project management tool, leaders should spearhead the change. Once the software solution is in place, as a leader or project manager, you should be the one to learn everything there is to know about it.

Once you are well-versed with the features and functions, you can introduce them to the team. As you will be equipped with the knowledge to implement it properly, you can quickly address their problems or simply collaborate with them to use it efficiently. Let’s say there’s new CRM software in place. You can run a pilot program to familiarize yourself with the features and then work with your team to streamline customer relationship management operations.

3. Appoint Coaches and Schedule Training Sessions

Do you know our brain processes visual content 60,000 times better than textual content? For an in-depth understanding of your new project management tool, focus on arranging visual training programs, preferably on-premises, by arranging training classes, webinars, and live demonstrations. An appointed coach will be able to guide the project management team at every instance, whether it’s dispensing knowledge or clarifying doubts. When you combine practical training and expert guidance, the team learns and implements in an efficient manner.

Ask the project management solution provider to provide dedicated support, accessible via chat, voice call, and video call if possible. The team will experience problems like bugs, workflow errors, the need for an update or a feature, and so on. When a customer representative is present to resolve issues, your project will progress faster and more efficiently.

4. Define the Process & Proceed Gradually

According to PMI’s 2018 Pulse of the Profession survey, organizations waste $1 million every 20 seconds due to poor implementation of business strategies. This means you should have a detailed plan on the table before you initiate the project, and if the project management tool drives the project, it is crucial to be well-versed with everything the tool has to offer. Therefore, it is advised to proceed gradually, step-by-step, before completely commissioning the project management software.

While working on the project, unexpected issues may arise, but when the team is accustomed to the way the project management tool works, they can work effectively with confidence.

5. Be Open to Feedback

Once the team starts using a project management suite, they will get to know about its features and drawbacks. You should be ready to register feedback from your employees, whether they are relevant or not. The feedback will assist you in identifying the bugs or scope for improvement in the project management tool. Moreover, you can create strategies and implement them on regular basis. To measure the effectiveness of these strategies, you can ask for feedback again.

To collect feedback, you can conduct periodic surveys or meetings; say once every couple of months. Team members who participate in the survey will experience a boost in their self-confidence as they feel their importance in the organization. One-to-one interactions in meetings are also beneficial for getting detailed feedback and suggestions.

Final Thoughts

Deploying a project management tool is easy, but using it effectively to attain maximum efficiency is a challenge. However, service providers are relentlessly working to develop interactive project management tools that ensure convenience, stability, scalability, and power-packed performance. Use these tips to train your team, and equip them with the best practices pertaining to the project management software you’ve chosen.

Author Bio:

Mohit is a digital marketing expert with experience in marketing, communications, and e-commerce development. His interests include e-commerce software, billing software, and content marketing. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, and friends, and playing chess.

The post How to Implement a New Team Project Management Tool appeared first on Zenkit.

Online project management tools are great for projects—that’s a given. But due to the versatility and flexibility found in a lot of products, they can also be great for planning other occasions in life.

In this article, I’ll discuss five other instances where using an online project management tool will come in handy.

Why Project Management Tools?

There are many reasons to be managing your tasks online. Online project management tools offer ease of collaboration, centralized space for storing tasks and resources, and the opportunity to access information from just about anywhere. Which, to me, gets the thumbs up for efficient and effective organization.

If you Google “project management tool”, you’ll find that they come in many shapes, sizes, and price ranges. That’s because projects also come in various forms and only having one simple project management software on the market wouldn’t really work. To cater to all kinds of projects, you’ll discover that some tools specialize in simplifying tasks and workflow, while others may focus on collaboration or time tracking. Whatever your project is, there’s no doubt you will find a tool perfect for it.

Once you’re accustomed to using a particular online project management tool, you’ll eventually start to realize the different ways it can be useful. For instance, being a Zenkit user (of course), I’ve found its focus on task management and visual representation of data to be great for processing, arranging, and keeping track of information for not only my work but also personal matters.

And with that, I’ve discovered five other occasions where Zenkit, or any other Kanban-based tool, can help with organizing life.

Ways to Plan Your Life with an Online Project Management Tool

1. Trying to get your diet straight

Meal planning isn’t just for mothers and health enthusiasts. There are many perks to enjoy when planning ahead, especially if you’re trying to get your diet in order. 

Whatever your reason for meal planning is, whether you’re trying to get healthier, have special dietary requirements, or just need some extra time during weekdays, you’ll be surprised at how easy it can be to get organized using an online project management tool.

While complying with the Kanban principles isn’t needed for meal planning, its visual features—the Kanban board and cards—make it a practical way to organize recipes.

If your tool also comes with a to-do list feature, then you can use it to record recipes and create a shopping list for all the ingredients of the meals you’ve planned ahead.

2. Organizing a getaway

Whether it’s a family holiday, a friends getaway, or a solo trip, planning a vacation requires you to coordinate activities, organize resources, and stick to a budget (sounds just like a project, doesn’t it?). Using an online project management tool will enable you to do all of this, as well as track your planning and be reminded of important dates and deadlines.

Another great visual feature (along with Kanban) is a mind map. If your chosen tool comes with this free-flowing diagram it will allow you to explore ideas for destinations and/or activities. As a visual representation of organized information, mind maps are a great tool for brainstorming ideas as they can offer clear thinking and help with decision-making.

Just like meal planning, using Kanban features would be the best way to plan a vacation as it will enable you to document tasks, ideas, and activities. There are no concrete rules on how you use personal Kanban, it just offers a great way to keep your visual planner clutter-free.

3. Building an editorial calendar

Any blogger, journalist, or managing editor will know how imperative having an editorial calendar is for generating consistent and quality content. It’s a great tool for tracking what is going to be written, who will write it, when it will be published, and where it needs to be shared.

As well as using Kanban to create your editorial process, having a calendar feature in your online project management tool can help you and/or your writers to schedule important dates and keep on top of deadlines.

4. Starting a small business

Most businesses that start off don’t usually have the budget to splurge on fancy tools and systems, however, they are an imperative asset for day-to-day operations. The best project management software will go beyond its initial function and expand with features that can include creating cost-effective databases and systems.

For example, every Zenkit user can enjoy pre-built templates that can help kickstart their new business ventures. It includes templates such as an inventory database, a CRM system, and a place to track public relations. Having templates or the features that allow you to create your own business tools enable you to keep track of all the information that passes through your business, from sales leads to managing profits to potential candidates.

5. Event planning

Putting together an event is a project in itself—you have to manage resources, work with a budget and a deadline, and have a group of people to please. Which is why using an online project management tool is ideal for planning things such as a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, or sports viewing party.

A Kanban-based tool will allow you to visually represent your tasks and their progress. Having this kind of overview is helpful for ensuring you keep within budget and deadline. Just keep in mind that your tool will also need to be fast, reliable, and accessible for all involved because planning a special event can take a village.

Additional helpful features would be a task list for tracking the supplies and guest lists, and a Gantt chart to monitor the event’s activity timeline.

Final Thoughts

As highlighted in the examples given, using an online project management tool can help beyond the realms of traditional work projects. Whether you’re working on improving your diet, planning your big day, or establishing a small business, having a tool on hand can help keep important details in place, streamline the delivery, and improve the overall process.

Cheers,

Dinnie and the Zenkit Team

The post 5 Times an Online Project Management Tool Will Make Your Life Easier appeared first on Zenkit.

Nobody likes a creep: be it a person acting distastefully around you or an unconstrained expansion in a project’s scope, we don’t want it hanging around.

Which is why in this article we’ll share some tips on how you can prevent scope creep from taking over your project, as well as show you how you can use a Kanban board to create the perfect change control process to help tackle it.

What is Scope Creep?

Scope creep, also known as feature creep or focus creep, refers to “the changes or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, at any point after the project begins.”

It is essentially any last minute, sometimes unavoidable changes that occur usually when a project’s scope isn’t properly defined or when the project manager hasn’t diligently implemented a change control process.

Scope creep can have detrimental effects on your project. Not only can it demand additional time, budget, and resources, but it is can also result in a different project outcome than what was originally envisioned. Oh, and it can also be a total buzzkill on team morale.

Common causes of scope creep include:

• Underestimating the complexity of the project
• Lack of stakeholder/sponsor involvement
• Conflicting parties within a company
• Poor change control

Every project manager wants to avoid scope creep, but unfortunately, sometimes it’s something that naturally happens. With that being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s completely unmanageable. Good news is that there are ways to overcome it.

How to Prevent Scope Creep from Taking Over Your Project

Have a clear and comprehensible project schedule

Using a project management tool that visualizes the schedule and allows you to share it will provide a concrete guide for anyone involved in the project’s execution. This can ensure that everyone is on the same page and is working towards the same goal.

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It will also make any changes visible to team members. For instance, when creating additional tasks on Zenkit, you can send notifications to team members so that they know instantly when a change has been made.

Understand the client’s vision & stakeholders’ requirements

Understanding the purpose of the project, as well as the expectations that come with it, is essential to avoiding scope creep. Best practice is to record the project’s requirements clearly and thoroughly, and communicate them to the project team whenever there is doubt.

You must also have clear and consistent communication with clients and stakeholders throughout the project to ensure nothing goes amiss.

Make sure everyone is aware of its impact

As a project manager, and because it is your responsibility to create and manage the schedule, you need to be conscious of how even the smallest of changes can impact the whole delivery process. Make sure the project team, clients, and stakeholders are aware of this too.

Everyone involved in the project must be aware of the effects that implementing a change on their own accord without following a set process can have on the entire project.

Change is Inevitable, Be Prepared for It

When it comes to project management, change is inevitable, and the best way to confront it is to be prepared for it. Any good project manager will have some sort of process in place that will manage any unsuspecting adjustments that may come their way smoothly.

“Project managers are the most creative pros in the world; we have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” — Fredrik Haren

Your change control process doesn’t have to be complicated, all it needs is to include the steps that will be taken when a proposed change is introduced during the project’s delivery.

The process needs to include the person/people responsible for reviewing and approving the changes as well as how approved changes will be incorporated into the project. Additional costs and resources required to implement any changes need to be accounted for as well.

A great way to create and monitor such a process (and any kind of process) is by using a Kanban board. Kanban is a scheduling system that is part of Lean and Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. It is a highly visual method that depicts the workflow process and the work passing through it. Its visualization of the workflow makes it the perfect tool to use for your change control process.

How to Create a Change Control Process in Zenkit

Step 1: Create a collection

Using the Kanban view to create your change control process is your best bet. So when creating a new collection, select the Kanban view, enter the name of your collection, and hit ‘Create’.

Step 2: Set the stages & enter the changes

Each column represents a stage in your change control process. How many stages and what to call them is entirely up to you, just make sure you include details such as what the proposed change is, its current status, and when it was integrated into the project. We’ve gone with the following:

1. Proposed change
2. In review
3. Rejected
4. Accepted
5. Integrated into project

Once the stages have been set, it’s time to add the proposed changes as new items (this can be updated as each new proposed change comes in of course!)

Step 3: Add Custom Fields

Every field in Zenkit is one of 11 different custom field types. What this means is that you are able to include all kinds of additional information, from extra dates to priority level to each proposed change. You also have the ability to sort and filter your data, as well as use special functions such as formulas and references if needs be.

This feature allows you to incorporate additional information into each proposed idea. Things like who proposed the change, when it was proposed, and the reason for its rejection can be included.

Don’t want to built it yourself? Download our handy change control process template.

Step 4: Live your best Kanban life

The Kanban method works by visualizing each stage of development with each column representing a different stage. While there are no set rules of Kanban as such, there are six general practices to remember when applying it. They are:

1. Visualization
2. Limiting work in progress
3. Flow management
4. Making policies explicit
5. Using feedback loops
6. Collaborative or experimental evolution

Move each proposed change along by dragging and dropping it into the correct stage of the process. Remember that whoever you share this collection with will see all the activities being made to the process.

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One of the core responsibilities of a project manager is to ensure all the tasks, resources, and deadlines of a project (as well as everything else in between!) are coordinated in such a way that you and your team are able to deliver the project on time and within budget.

This is where project scheduling software becomes your best friend.

Why is Project Scheduling So Important?

A project is made up of tasks, and being able to effectively coordinate, delegate, and manage them is truly what can make or break the project. However, tasks aren’t the only elements. There are also resources, activities, deadlines, and milestones that also need to be planned and organized.

Project scheduling enables you to create and monitor dependencies, manage costs and resources, apply realistic timeframes, keep slip-ups to a minimum, and track the overall project. Where it was once maybe documented on a whiteboard or a flip chart, nowadays it’s commonly done so on project scheduling software.

Project Scheduling Software

Project scheduling software, which is often bundled with project management software, allows you to create project schedules online. Not only is this a more convenient method than using a whiteboard and marker, but it can make the entire project process a smoother affair.

Creating your project schedule online makes it easier to share the schedule with team members, as well as swiftly alert them of any immediate changes or updates (think notifications). Some products even include project scheduling templates to give you a head start.

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There are many different types of project scheduling software, from free project scheduling tools that will suit smaller businesses to applications designed for particular industries. Construction project scheduling software, for example, caters specifically to the industry as it is designed to meet the niches and regulations that are required to carry out projects within that field.

Project Scheduling Software Must-Haves

The ideal project scheduling software for you and your team will depend on a few factors. Things like the size of your team, the type of project you will undertake, and the industry you are working in will influence the decision. However, there are a few features that any tool worth considering should include. They are:

1. Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are a valuable asset in any project management toolbox. The bar chart visualizes your project schedule by using a vertical task list against a horizontal time scale design to highlight the broken-down structure of the project work, and the relationships between the activities.

Being aware of task dependencies is imperative for successful project delivery, and having a Gantt chart included in your project scheduling software can help to manage that.

2. Alternative Views

A good project scheduling software should include more than one option to format your schedule. While Gantt charts may be the preferred view, keep in mind that not every project is best displayed that way. In some instances, a calendar may make the most sense, or maybe even a Kanban board.

3. Resource Management

Resources are just as important as tasks in a project (and usually as plentiful, too) so it’s crucial for your project scheduling software to include a feature that helps to coordinate them.

On top of overseeing cost and supply details of material and equipment, being able to manage the details of your team members is important too. Your software should allow you to track working hours, holidays and time off, as well as the different locations and time zones of any remote employees.

4. Collaboration

It never hurts to have input from your team on what should go into the project schedule — after all, they too will need to rely on the document throughout the project. A great project scheduling software should allow you to stay in control of creating the schedule, but also give you the option to collaborate with fellow employees.

An example of a collaborative feature is the “@mentions” available on Zenkit. Using this feature allows you to communicate with other team members about important updates and/or anything else to do with the schedule.

5. Mobile Apps

The post What to Expect from Your Project Scheduling Software appeared first on Zenkit.

Embarking on your first project management role will no doubt be a little daunting. There will be many tips and tricks people will impart to help ease you into the experience. But for however many you may come across, there is one you must actually take on board — use a project management tool that grows with you.

What Do You Mean by a ‘Tool That Grows with You’?

A project management tool that grows with you is essentially software that evolves as you do. Just think about what your first foray into the industry would look like compared to, let’s say, 10 years down the line — your skills, experience, and knowledge, as well as the types of projects you take on board, will almost certainly look a little different. Not only should the tool constantly update to keep up with the latest technology, but it should also keep up with the changing demands, and evolving skills of your job as a project manager. An imperative decision, get this right, and everything else will fall into place.

Project management is the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team that meets an end goal within specific criteria and timeframes. And it is a project manager’s job to facilitate all of this. So complex is the nature of projects nowadays that being a project manager has become a lucrative asset to many businesses.

So, what does it take to become a good project manager?

Aside from the formal qualifications and certificates required for employment, there are certain skills that you must possess as an individual in order to excel at the job. The essentials include:

• Planning skills
• Communication skills
• Task delegation
• Risk management
• Time management
• Change management
• Budgeting

Project management newbies will come to understand that to master the role, is something that needs to be learned along the way. No matter how many project management for beginners books, courses, and e-learning material you read, it will be your experiences that help you develop your skills, and use the right project management tool as your guiding light.

You Don’t Have Any Other Tips?

Sure, I can tell you how to organize your workload a little better, or introduce a system that can improve collaboration amongst your team, but here’s the thing — all of this comes with using a great project management tool.

Upon implementing your chosen system, and then introducing it to your team, you will realise the many benefits using a project management tool can have. Not only is it a more efficient way of working, but it can enhance certain skills that can make your team more productive, and you a better project manager.

What are these benefits, you ask? Well, here are a few:

It will increase collaboration

Using a project management tool centralizes all the information, allowing each team member to know what’s going on. Features such as file sharing enable the ease of data visualization and transporting. Also, it will not only boost collaboration amongst the members of your team, but if used company-wide, then it can also have a positive effect on cross-team collaboration as well.

Your organization game will be elevated

Time management is one of the most imperative skills to have as a project manager. Not only do you have to make sure you’re on the ball, but you are also responsible for keeping the team on track. Not sticking within allocated time frames could slow the entire process, resulting in the delay of the finished goal. Using the right system helps to avoid that.

Enhanced communication

Many project management solutions include chat features, which means ‘so long’ to the days of email-only communication with your peers. Instant chat is a more effective way of communicating as it keeps things short and sweet and doesn’t inundate your inbox.

Optimized decision-making

The analyzing and organizing of data helps you to understand what works and what doesn’t. With all the project’s information in one place, forecasting becomes an easier challenge, which in turn, helps with decision making.

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Task delegation will be a breeze

Resource and task delegation will become an easier part of your job thanks to your project management solution. Keeping a transparent record of everything you allocate, to the people you allocate it to, will keep you on top of it all.

Customers will be happier

With such organization and transparency available you’ll be able to provide feedback to customers and stakeholders in a prompt manner. This type of efficiency will no doubt leave them more satisfied as you are able to give them regular updates on how the project is tracking, and whether or not success is foreseeable.

But Does Such a Project Management Solution Exist?

Among the abundance of project management products available on the market, you are sure to find a solution that goes above and beyond your expectations. Find out the things that will matter the most, and select a software that not only caters to that but has the potential to do more.

For any project management beginners out there looking to increase productivity, and up their organization game without having to switch between a million apps, then you needn’t look further than what we’re doing here at Zenkit. A service that gives you data visualization while allowing you to switch between views (think Kanban or Mind Map), add custom fields, is accessible just about anywhere (even without an internet connection!), and offers high-end customer service and regular updates, it is a tool that will definitely grow with you.

Already on board? Let us know how much we’ve grown with you in the comment section below!

Cheers,

Dinnie and the Zenkit Team

The post The Biggest Project Management Tip for Beginners appeared first on Zenkit.

It takes a village to raise a child, and the same can be said for the successful implementation of a project. Here are the villagers you’ll need on your project management team to make it happen.

Projects vary from big to small and are prevalent in just about any industry you can think of. So depending on which line of work you are in, and the size and nature of the business or organization, your members will vary. However, there are key roles that every project management team should ensure they have.

The Key Members Every Project Needs:

Project Sponsor

A member of senior management, and someone who has a vested interest in the project’s outcome, the ‘project sponsor’, also known as the executive sponsor, secures resources, provides direction, and champions the project at the executive level. They hold overall accountability for the project and are the ultimate decision-maker with nothing — such as changes to the project scope — happening without their approval. As the business representative, they are the communication link between the project team, the stakeholders, and the business community.

Project Manager

This is the gal, or guy, who’s at the centre of it all. The person whose role it is to initiate, plan and execute the project, usually with the help of team management tools. In line with the project sponsor’s objectives, the project manager constructs the team’s goals, and how they will tackle them. It is their job to monitor the project’s progress, and to look out for, and minimize, any potential risks that could affect the project’s outcome. They are also accountable for the working team’s performance if there isn’t a team leader involved.

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Working Team Members

At the heart of every operation is the project’s working team members. These are the people with the industry skills and expertise who are responsible for developing the product or service. Due to the highly collaborative nature of project management, the ideal group would also demonstrate interpersonal skills, and an aptitude for learning — because what good is someone who comes with a wealth of knowledge yet has trouble interacting with their colleagues?

In some bigger teams, you may also find these two roles:

Team Leader

Reporting to the project manager, the team leader leads the team (obvs), while also being a working member. It is their job to motivate other team members and resolve any conflicts that may arise. Without the same authority as the project manager, their influence is set through the example of their own actions and behaviour.

Project Coordinator

The project coordinator takes care of all the administrative duties so that the project manager can focus on the bigger fish to fry. Despite some of their tasks being a little mundane, such as stationery orders or minute-taking in meetings, they play a necessary and important role in the project’s success.

The Attributes Required for Successful Teamwork

You will only get so far with a team that possesses excellent technical abilities but lacks interpersonal skills. As previously mentioned, team project management is a collaborative environment, and in order to achieve success, yours will also need to have the following attributes:

Leadership

With no one steering the ship, it may accidentally crash into an iceberg (sorry, that was too easy). It is the responsibility of the project sponsor, project manager, and/or team leader to provide direction and guidance and encourage a collaborative and accessible culture.

Commitment

Teamwork can only happen when everyone’s on board and on the same page. Objectives and instructions must be clarified to the team in order for the project’s end goal to be achieved. It is also very important to ensure every single member is reminded of their contribution and value as this can provide purpose, and reinforce the commitment.

Communication

An essential trait of any successful team, communication within the project management group not only encourages collaboration, but also keeps people up-to-date with the process, and ensures everyone is doing their individual tasks correctly. With everyone kept in the loop of important information, it ensures no one is left in the dark, and everyone feels part of the team.

Project Management Software

OK, so not an attribute per se, but definitely an essential factor for the successful implementation of a project. Once you introduce your team to a project management tool, you’ll be able to see the benefits it can have. Software solutions are available to accommodate any team, regardless of their nature and size. For instance, if your team consists of less than five people, then you’ll be able to enjoy Zenkit at zero cost.

Speaking of Zenkit, for any project managers (aspiring or old school) out there looking for an application that can provide them with the tools needed to organize their team’s project management process, then look no further. Because every village could use a system that simplifies daily activity, right?

Does your team have what it takes? How do you keep your project team motivated and all working toward the same goal? Let us know in the comments below.

Cheers,

Dinnie & the Zenkit Team

The post How to Assemble the Perfect Project Management Team appeared first on Zenkit.