PM Thought of The Week: Manage The Schedule, Not The Tool

Experimenting with new software tools can be extremely fun. When Microsoft releases a new version of MS Project, I enjoy tinkering with the product in my spare time until I learn all the new features without looking at a manual. I rarely look at the help pages too. The benefit for me is that I can quickly become proficient with MS Project and similar tools. The danger is I must always remember not to spend too much time managing the tool. Instead, I must focus on managing the project schedule.

Why should I be concerned about spending too much time on the tool rather than the project? Well, as a project manager my motto is the needs of the project come first. With a sophisticated project management tool, I might be able to easily produce a highly efficient, award-winning, well laid out project schedule. However, if it will take me significantly longer to produce the schedule than what's necessary, more than likely some other area of the project will be neglected. The question that should be asked is: Will it be worth it to have a near-perfect schedule or a schedule that is reasonably close and took less time to produce?

The amount of time you spend using project management software and other tools is totally dependent upon the project complexity, risk, available time, etc. As a result, it's imperative for a project manager to spend his/her time wisely. A project manager should be focused on creating and managing the project schedule. Spending too much time using the tool to perfect the schedule can be hazardous to the project and the team.

PM Thought of The Week: Manage Your Tasks

A while ago I read David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" and was impressed. In his book, Allen documents a personal management system that categorizes one's tasks as items that should be: 1) done immediately, 2) deferred to a later date, 3) transferred to someone else, or 4) dropped.

I incorporate a similar management system into my personal and professional life. If you find you do not have enough time to get all your work done in a day, consider this simple 4-step process:

1. Incorporate a good task management tool: There are plenty of free task list tools on the market. Spend some quality time looking for the tool that will work well for you. I use the iPhone product "TouchTodo" to manage and synch tasks with my Google Calender. Using TouchTodo along with Google Calendar, I always have my task list at hand!
2. Review your tasks in the morning: Try to focus on no more than 3-5 of your most critical tasks each day. If you a lot of overdue tasks, declare the day a "catch up day" and don't add new tasks to your list.
3. Complete your tasks: Cross off tasks as they are completed and move on to the next item on your list. Challenge yourself to get through your list before the day ends. I am less stressed when I make some sort of game out of completing tasks too.
4. Update your task list at the end of the day: Review your task list to ensure tasks are completed, categorized and prioritized correctly. Reviewing tasks at the end of the day builds a sense of accomplishment and gets you motivated to complete tomorrow's tasks.

In summary, don't overwhelm yourself with tasks. You may have a lot to do, but you can't do everything at once. As I create tasks, I move them to a bucket of "no due date" tasks unless a due date is absolutely necessary. As I review tasks in the morning or evening, I look for tasks in my "no due date" bucket that can be completed in the next day or two. This helps me keep my day much more manageable.