As a project manager, there are endless tools designed to help me track a project from beginning to end. There are even certifications to prove I know how to use those tools, and that I’m fit to manage projects. While I agree, it’s important to be familiar with support tools, and to use them, I think it’s most important to find which tools fit best with your style, your company, and even individual projects.
Sure, the formal tools and certifications are nice, but the reality is that in most companies people become project managers because a project needs to be managed. And more often than not, they don’t have the time to get a certificate before a project launches. That reality was reflected in a 2009 survey by The Economist which reported that while 90% of respondents view project management as critical or important to a project’s success, only about 50% follow formal project management practices, and only about 20% use standardized project management tools.
It sounds like I’m not outside of the norm when I say that I do use a set of tools, but that none are fancy software programs, and none of them include pre-designed charts.
With that said, here are 5 tools I can’t live without as a project manager:
Basecamp: I’ll start with my favorite. I love Basecamp! It manages project timelines, documents, interactions, and people. My coworkers will say that I might be a little overly excited about Basecamp because I regularly send out feature tutorials and talk about Basecamp during lunches like it’s my best friend. But, I mean, have you seen the new Basecamp?! And now they have a mobile app!
Color-coded Composite Notebooks: That’s right, I said it, paper notebooks! I would fail as a project manager without them. I remember things better when I physically write them down. Whether that’s a content change from a customer or brainstorming notes with coworkers, I have to write it down. So, I have a different colored composite notebook for each customer/project. When I see a customer’s telephone number on my caller ID, I grab that notebook and document our conversation there with a date, the person’s name, any new to-do items, and highlights of our conversation.
GoToMeeting: All I have to say about GoToMeeting is that it’s a lifesaver. How did businesses ever function without it?
Microsoft Excel: While some project managers are fighting with features and finagling presets inside some project management programs, I’m creating my own spreadsheet to do exactly what I need it to do for each unique project. Excel can do most things project management tracking programs do, you just have to know how to do it. Some people will choose PM software, I choose Excel.
Basecamp Calendar: Wait, I already said Basecamp? Well, I’m not sure if I made it clear how important Basecamp is to me! The Basecamp Calendar allows me to coordinate my own To-Do’s, as well as the rest of the project team’s To-Dos. But also, I can see what other company-wide projects might conflict with mine for shared resources. A lot of thought has been put into the latest Basecamp calendar, and it’s changed my project management life. Maybe my whole life.
As you can see, for me, it’s best to work with basic tools that fit my needs. However, there are tools designed to meet each person’s individual project management style. I know fellow project managers who are happily using Asana, Flow and other recognized brands. I encourage you to explore what programs and options support your own style and make the most of it.