Accept Project Management and Collaboration Into Your Corporate Culture
Posted by Dana Larson
Personal story alert: I used to work in a company that vehemently objected to implementing an online project management and collaboration system in their business. Their excuses were the same that we hear from many other businesses: It takes too long to implement. We would waste time. We don’t know how to research a solution. We don’t think anyone would use the solution we choose.
And eventually, the decision was made to overcome all those objections and just move forward with a project management solution, come hell or high water. And the results are were the same that we hear from many other businesses: Projects were managed better. Team members communicated more. Collaboration took place around business plans and documents. Supervisors were able to oversee all projects easily.
By now, we all know the benefits that effective project management and team collaboration can offer the modern business. But there are still the objections, the wariness, the suspicions of moving forward with accepting project management and collaboration practices into the business. And perhaps it’s because business owners just don’t know how to takes those first few steps toward improved business organization and communication.
So, here are tips for accepting project management and team collaboration into your corporate culture.
Test Solutions Together
Your team may resent a mandated change in which they have no say. Allow them the opportunity to test out project management and collaboration solutions before you select the final product for your business. They will be the ones using it most often, and their opinions will shape the way the projects are managed in the future.
Start With One Project At A Time
Don’t dive in head first with this new process. Pick and choose one or a couple projects to start out with to get everyone used to the new system. This way, your team will learn the new processes, iron out the wrinkles in the system and discover more efficient ways of managing their work before all the projects are there.
Create A Timeline
Even though you are starting out slow, you need to have an end in sight. Set a timeline indicating when all projects, work and communications will need to be 100% inside your new system. This will give everyone a goal to shoot for, and will ensure you don’t fall back into your old habits.
Offer Encouragement
Everyone likes a little encouragement, right? When you see a teammate fully accepting and adapting to the new project management and collaboration system, let them know they are doing a good job! Encourage them to continue with their new productivity skills, and to help others if needed as well.
Make It Fun!
When first encouraging your team to get involved in their new project management system, make sure they have fun when they are there. Don’t just work on and collaborate around business stuff – play games and hold exciting discussions to keep people coming back. Offer a prize for the most creative project title. Collaborate together on editing photos of your teammates. Discuss what the mother-to-be should name her new baby. All of these fun little games can encourage people to enjoy using the new project management and team collaboration solution while also learning more about it in the process.
Once you’ve taken the first big step to deciding to move forward with a project management and team collaboration solution, you need to encourage the rest of the team to step along with you. By following the steps above, you’ll be working more efficiently and effectively in no time, and collaborating on improved outcomes together.
Cloud Computing Standardization
Posted by Brad Egeland
This is basically just an opinion article based on what I’m seeing, reading and hearing so take it just for what it is … my thoughts. I believe that the industry is still at least two years away from truly standardizing cloud computing and understanding the full potential, the security issues, and the expenses or cost savings related to cloud computing. What that means is that we would also be a couple of years away from being able to standardize how we offer cloud computing and implement cloud computing with clients on projects with the knowledge that we’re offering the best process possible and that we’re offering a high likelihood of project success due to tried and true practices.
It was interesting to find, when attending a session at Interop 2010 in Las Vegas last month, that a handful of executives from different organizations sitting on a discussion panel on cloud computing all had basically different information and views of what cloud computing meant to their organization. And they definitely had varying degrees of successes and frustrations during and after implementation.
At the end of the day, cloud computing may still mean different things to different people. As of now, there are a variety of things that you can do to actually be computing in the cloud and utilizing cloud services. However, for the project manager or IT consultant, until the industry is able to get a better handle on what those cloud computing services really are and how far reaching the organizational benefits are, it may still be a hard sell with our customers. The keys being security, data safety, and data access.
Project Management Software: What To Look For
Posted by Dana Larson
It’s no secret – there is a plethora of project management software, tools and solutions available for you to utilize in your company. There are companies that spend months test driving 25+ options for their project management software, and finally narrow it down to one solution to utilize for their business.
But how do you choose? Here is a list of features and capabilities to look for in your potential new project management solution to benefit your business organization. Read more »
Collaboration Within Project Management Increases Business Effectiveness: 3 in 3-Part Series
Posted by Dana Larson
If you’ve been keeping up on your reading, you’ve seen me discuss how better business and team collaboration within your current project management solution and process will increase business effectiveness. I said that 3 ways in which increased collaboration within project management aids in increasing business success are
1. Checks and Balances
2. Communication and Project Management in One Place
3. Increased Pride in Final Product
I also talked about how having a strong checks and balances system and integrating communications and project management in one place are keys to more effective business collaboration.
Today, we’ll review the final way collaboration positively impacts business effectiveness: Increased Pride in the Final Product. Read more »
Collaboration Within Project Management Increases Business Effectiveness: 2 in 3-Part Series
Posted by Dana Larson
Last week, we discussed how better business and team collaboration within your current project management system and process will increase business effectiveness. I said that 3 of my favorite ways in which increased collaboration within project management aids in increasing business success are
1. Checks and Balances
2. Communication and Project Management in One Place
3. Increased Pride in Final Product
We then talked about how having a strong Checks and Balances process in effect within your project management process will lead to a better outcome for all involved. Today let’s discuss point number 2. Read more »
