You’re managing a team project. What tools do you need to make it successful?

Utilize collaboration tools like Asana or Trello for task management and communication, coupled with video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams for seamless virtual collaboration, ensuring project success.

Key thing: you'll need not only tools, but clearly-defined and agreed-upon processes. For example, take communication. There will be a mix of 3+ modes: email, messaging, verbal. Each has advantages and disadvantages. You can use any email tool, they're all good enough (google, ms, etc.) You can use any messaging tool (slack, teams, etc.) It's HOW they are used that makes them effective. Email is best for broadcast communication, for instance a mail to the entire team, or from the team to stakeholders. Messaging is useful for ad-hoc communication, within the team or a subset thereof. Verbal communication is for collaboration and problem solving, but then needs to be put into text form for clarity. Define how each should be used.

Stay focused, one tool is enough to manage a project and ensure the team is not overwhelmed. Feedback is an essential tool for project management.

- If possible, select best possible team members with skills aligned with the success of the process - Request input from the team on best practices to successfully complete the project - Communicate clear objectives - Identify success metrics and establish progress benchmarks - Delegate clear responsibilities for each team member and follow up regularly - Institute proven processes, procedures and systems to effectively and efficiently complete the project - Recognize and reward team members regularly for accomplishments

The most important pre-start is a super clear alignment amongst all stake holders on 1) What needs to be achieved? 2) How it has to be achieved? 3) By when it has to be achieved? 4) What are the roles & responsibilities with timelines of each stakeholder 5) Clarity of dependencies bw stakeholders and the impact of delay. I am saying this because, no tool can help you complete the project if the above points are not ticked - dont waste money on any project planning tool if you don't plan to do the above.... and if you do the above well, a simple excel sheet is good enough..., while a decent project management tool will help in making it easy and nice from Ux point of view!

There is a lot of noise these days... People mark everyone in the mail & send at odd times to just show off that they are working hard. It is sad, but true. Unfortunately, these meaningless mails in your mail box creates clutter & noise and are a total waste of time & creates gossip content. Leaders should keep communicating to the team about the right expectations on aspects of verbal & written communication, dos & don'ts of email communication. Now, coming to the question of effective communication tools for projects, have a common communication dashboard visible to all the relevant members with SLAs... Treat it like an army staging an attack - All soldiers are aware of all the moves that are happening/thereby ensuring symphony in action

When discussing communication, we must know each team members communication style. I utilize personality test so that I know the best way to communicate to individuals. I make sure the team can see them as well. Communication is dead if you don't know the best way it will be received. I also utilize Slack, Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. In addition, I get feedback from team members on how they like,dislike, or can do better as far as communication tools. Team members must know their opinions matter and see recommended changes (if it makes sense) for engagement.

Nowadays all you need is a collective approach to use tools available out there…i personally use Google Meet and Slack to always stay connected with team members and clients too…i try to always emphasize that tools are as good as people using them…

Effective communication begins by comprehending the communication needs and styles of all stakeholders. Fostering two-way communication from project initiation to closure promotes collaborative engagement between the project team and stakeholders.

Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can facilitate real-time communication, file sharing, and the creation of dedicated channels for specific topics or projects.

If you’re in the office, nothing beats a good ‘ol working lunch! Cater in some BBQ or a Burrito Bar and sit in a conference room with your team and have everyone go through their piece. Not only does this provide clarity for the entire team on what the process is from start to finish, but it also helps uncover what gaps were not thought of initially.

All of the above and Motivation, Skills and dedication would be of great value. The project’s success is tied to the team’s success.

Collaboration tools like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 enable real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Provides cloud storage for easy access and sharing.

Collaboration tools are essential for managing a team project successfully, as they facilitate communication, coordination, and the sharing of resources among team members. Collaboration tools like 1. Project Management Software: Trello, Asana, Monday.com, and Jira. 2. Document Collaboration: Tools like Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Microsoft Office 365, and Dropbox. 3. File Sharing and Cloud Storage: Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. 4. Instant Messaging and Team Chat: Platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Discord. etc.

Collaboration tools enable joint work on documents, files, or platforms, streamlining workflow, reducing duplication, and boosting creativity. They leverage diverse team skills and foster a shared project vision. Notable tools are Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Miro, and Figma.

Feedback tools is what’s needed to make a team project successful . Feedback is a way to find out if your on the desired right track of the project and it’s success. When multiple eyes have a chance to view your project as a team it helps finds overlooked issues .

Comprehensive feedback is critical to a successful project. I believe there is a direct correlation between the complexity of the project and the importance of proper feedback. When requesting feedback, it’s imperative to provide a “safe” environment with no possibility of negative repercussions for honesty. This is usually accomplished by allowing anonymity. Lastly, it’s important to request feedback from all relevant participants in the project.

For comprehensive feedback collection and analysis, tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms are excellent for creating customizable surveys that can be easily distributed to team members, stakeholders, and customers, allowing for systematic and structured feedback. Platforms like UserVoice or GetFeedback specialize in gathering customer insights, offering features to collect, manage, and analyze feedback directly from users in a user-friendly manner. Additionally, tools like Miro or Trello can be used for internal team feedback, enabling collaborative and visual ways to share, discuss, and track feedback on various aspects of the project.

Feedback tools are crucial for gathering and analyzing input from team members, stakeholders, and customers. They help in evaluating project performance, identifying areas for improvement, and facilitating continuous learning. Tools such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Feedbackly, and Lighthouse are popular choices.

One helpful thing is to consider the feedback a gift. Basically can help to improve performances through a continuous coaching process starting from a punctual feedback between the Team members : Leader vs team and vicecersa

In my experience before evaluating the team activities is important to agree , share and create SMART objectives. In this way you can then assess the results and monitor them as well.

When talking about evaluation tools I look first at those tools that help me understand the people who make up the team...what makes them unique, what skills and strengths they posses... and what will motivate them to be fully engaged.

A fundamental flaw in the evaluation cycle is often follow up. During my time on Air Staff collecting lessons learned for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force we utilized a graceful and highly effective solution called Joint Lessons Learned Inventory System. In any complex organization, a user-friendly database with high-level detail, and effective dashboards is critical. Also, two key components to any evaluation cycle are an established point of contact who has accountability and a definitive timeline for resolution. Without these two important elements, the lessons learned will likely be lost.

In my experience, evaluation tools are instrumental in pinpointing areas for improvement in team projects. They enable a detailed comparison of actual outcomes with initial goals, revealing gaps and highlighting successes. By analyzing this data, teams can identify specific aspects needing enhancement, leading to targeted actions for future project success. These tools also foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.

Evaluation tools assess project results against initial goals, documenting learnings and insights. They determine project success, capture lessons learned, and identify future opportunities and challenges. Tools for this purpose include Smartsheet, KPI Dashboards, SWOT Analysis, and After Action Reviews.

A tool you need for your team project is a team-building tool that helps you strengthen your team cohesion, collaboration, and morale. A team-building tool can help you create a positive and supportive team environment, foster trust and respect, and enhance communication and problem-solving skills. A team-building tool can also help you have fun, reduce stress, and increase motivation and satisfaction. Some examples of team-building tools are icebreakers, games, quizzes, and challenges.

Some of the best team building tools in 2024 are: * Scavify: an app that lets you create and run scavenger hunts for your team. * Kahoot!: an app that lets you create and play quiz games with your team. * Playmeo: a platform that offers a large database of fun and effective team building games and activities. * Good & Co Teamwork: an app that analyzes your team’s personality and compatibility using a psychology-based quiz. * Team Building Books: a list of books that cover topics like communication, creativity, and positive energy for teams. * Team Building Movies: a list of movies that showcase teamwork and collaboration in different scenarios. * Team Building Hub: a website that provides tips, ideas, and resources for team building.

To successfully manage a team project, essential tools include: 1. **Project Management Software** (Asana, Trello): For task assignments, tracking progress, and deadlines. 2. **Communication Platforms** (Slack, Microsoft Teams): For daily communication and virtual meetings. 3. **Document Collaboration Tools** (Google Drive, Dropbox): For sharing and collaborating on documents. 4. **Time Management Tools** (Clockify, Toggl): To track task durations. 5. **Calendar Tools** (Google Calendar, Outlook): For scheduling and reminders. 6. **Feedback Tools** (SurveyMonkey, Google Forms): To gather team feedback. 7. **Task Automation Tools** (Zapier, IFTTT): For automating repetitive tasks 8. **Version Control** (Git): Essential for software projects

I love a company called Clover. They have multiple assessments that can be taken by every individual on a team and you then can see everyone’s results individually as well as on one screen to get an overview of where your entire team is at on your company playing field. You can easily identify organizational hiring and development strengths as well as team gaps. I have been consulting for over a decade and this is the resource that I recommend. Team development is my passion!

Team building is a powerful tool and skill to create strength in teamwork and bond with all involved, I love to see motivation movies and find new ways to build confidence in everyone to be the best we can be!

Team building is the most important part of Project Management. Every team consists of different members with diverse experiences and diverse backgrounds. Many of them may be experts of their domains but may be quite new to the assignment on hand. So it is the duty of the team leader to ensure that each member understands his/her role and responsibility for successful completion of the project. Team members need to be given time to understand their assigned job. When new types of projects are undertaken with very few people having the domain knowledge, Capacity building becomes a very important aspect of team building. This needs hand holding of all stake holders including industry partners to understand the intricacies of the project.

A project manager's role is to bring the expertise of individuals together to achieve the desired outcome. Tools do not ensure one achieves this outcome. They are a means, structure, or framework to assist. Each project will be unique because the outcomes, the individuals, and the environment will vary. A great Project Manager consistently knows how to bridge those variances and the tools to use to assist them in managing the project.

Seems simple, but a critical step: At the start it's important to have all involved articulate the goals of the project - asking people declare (verbally or in writing) what "we" are here to do is crucial to getting alignment from the start. Throughout the project, continue to check in that the group is in fact, working towards the intended outcomes, and that all are still on the same page.

No matter how good the tools, they are only as good as the person using them. Your innate intentions as a leader matter because they show up in how you use the tool. For instance, if you believe in command and control, your communication tool will see decisions following top down and updates flowing upwards and your conversations will be more normative in nature. It is not a bad thing in itself, provided it is the outcome you seek.