5 Project Management Tools to Help You Organize Your Day
At this point, you've likely heard about a variety of project management tools,
from to-do lists to task delegation software solutions; Asana, Trello, Monday.com,
and other popular options are likely on your radar. However, did you know that other
(and possibly newer) tools can also make your daily work as a project manager easier?
Below are five types of tools — along with some potential options — that can be
excellent for helping you organize your day.
Dynamic and All-in-One Project Management Tools
While tools like Asana and Trello offer more minimalistic project management support
for processes and workflows, dynamic tools can go a bit further in what they allow
project managers to do. Instead of bouncing between to-do lists, databases, and
document sharing apps, some solutions offer an all-in-one solution (or close to it).
Examples of these types of tools are Airtable and Clickup.
With
Airtable
,
users can store, share, and collaborate on various types of data. This tool is helpful
because it behaves like a database that allows you to group various information types in
a spreadsheet. You can also integrate tools like Google Workspace, ZenDesk, Salesforce,
and other apps.
ClickUp
allows you to have a large amount of control of organizing your workflow and task
management processes. This tool can be used to create spaces for specific groups,
build internal digital folders, customize tasks, track time, automate actions,
and offer many other tools that can make workflows easier to manage.
As we continue to move into a landscape that embraces remote work, more dynamic project
management tools will likely become the norm.
Mind Mapping
Have you ever had a creative thought or idea that you forgot in an instant? Well,
it is possible to have a way to quickly get out those ideas and ensure you're able
to efficiently share them with others and involve your thoughts in your workflows.
A mind mapping tool can be an excellent way for you and your team to track ideas and
build on them to create full-fleshed plans for implementing them. If you're new to this
concept, a tool like
Coggle
is an easy way to get started. This mind mapping tool lets you easily create diagrams
to jot down an idea, branch to other ideas, add collaborators to add their thoughts
and discuss changes within the app.
If your idea is a bit more complex or you've already created assets for it, then
Mindmeister
can be an exceptional alternative. The tool enables you to develop diagrams, like
Coggle, and embed links, videos, or other items that can add context to your ideas.
You can quickly get your thoughts down by using these tools, so you don't lose a
creative concept that can move your teams forward.
Information Organization
One of the most important — and sometimes tedious — tasks that most professionals
engage in is keeping up-to-date on industry happenings through reading and collecting
relevant articles.
Have you ever run into an excellent article that you navigated away from and just can't
remember where you got it? Well, an information organizing tool can help you out there.
Pocket
app and
Instapaper
are great options for keeping track of articles relevant to what you are looking to read.
Both allow you to add articles to your libraries within the app, access them across various
devices, and highlight or track key passages within the articles.
Both tools share similarities, and the way they present their features could be favorable
depending on your preferences. For example, both offer text-to-speech, but Pocket’s may be
more streamlined, since theirs is more customized to each article, while Instapaper’s uses
the text-to-speech default option of each device. On the other hand, Instapaper has more
font options.
You don't have to wear out the bookmark function on your computer — especially if it isn't
synced to other devices. These apps can help you keep track of relevant industry information.
Remote Desktops
This tool may seem like it's only useful for IT professionals, but a remote desktop is
essential for organization and efficient workflows in today's remote work climate.
A remote desktop is a program that allows individuals to access a computer in a separate location.
Why would this be useful? Over the past three years, the need for remote work because of the
impact of the pandemic has risen. As a result, it's become crucial for companies to set up an
infrastructure for people to work effectively in and outside of the office. A remote desktop
makes that possible.
Remote desktops can help you stay organized because it allows you and your team members to
access data regardless of where they are. This tool diminishes the need to stop your workflows
if your teams embrace a hybrid or remote work arrangement. Additionally, remote desktops can
allow your teams to access hardware from a remote location without having to find and download
it on their computers so that everyone will have access to the same hardware and software solutions.
Both
TeamViewer
and
ConnectWise Control
are examples of remote desktop services. Both make it possible to work from anywhere efficiently,
access hardware and software solutions remotely, and collaborate with other team members regardless
of where they're located. The former goes even further to include built-in video conferencing
software, online whiteboards, screen sharing, cross-platform compatibility, and convenient file transfer.
Quick Reminder Tools
Yes, a to-do list is great, but some of us may not process our list of things we need to
accomplish within the day in the form of a to-do list. For many of us, our thoughts and ideas
flow irregularly. Others of us could be caught up with something and not have the time to
revisit or redo our to-do list if something has changed. And this is where a tool like a
virtual sticky note can come in handy.
Imagine if you could attach virtual sticky notes to your computer's desktop without having
to wade through actual physical pieces of paper? Both the Stickies and Sticky Notes app allow
you to do that. This is a great way to organize your thoughts to revisit them later (and you
don't have to keep track of loose papers on your desk).
Find the Right Tools for You
One of the most tedious tasks of organizing your day is finding the tools that make you the
most productive. For you, sticky notes may be what you need to manage your thoughts; for
others, mind mapping could be the best tool for facilitating more streamlined collaboration.
Whatever it is, find the tools that work for you, your team, and your workflow. Once you do,
life will be much easier, allowing you to better tackle the events of your workday.
Sources:
Airtable,
https://www.airtable.com/
ClickUp,
https://clickup.com/
ConnectWise Control,
https://control.connectwise.com/
Instapaper,
https://www.instapaper.com/
Mindmeister,
https://www.mindmeister.com/
Pocket,
https://getpocket.com/en/
Read-It-Later App Showdown: Instapaper vs. Pocket,
https://zapier.com/blog/instapaper-vs-pocket/
Stickies,
https://www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/stickies/download.html
Sticky Notes,
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sticky-notes/nbjdhgkkhefpifbifjiflpaajchdkhpg?hl=en
TeamViewer,
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/