Have you ever been so excited to start a project, and having that feeling of joy and excitement that you’re about to turn an idea into something real? We know you have, we all have. We know these extraordinary moments, and that enthusiasm…that soon starts to fade away. So, what happens? Why do we struggle to maintain our excitement and keep things in line to meet our initial expectations? Why do you keep switching to something else and dumping that project in the graveyard of unfinished work? Well, we’re no psychologists to explain the reason behind that, so let’s just go with the usual that ✨that’s just life✨ and move on to some points that will make this process for you easier to avoid.
Here are some no-brainer tips for maximizing productivity with your team on large or small projects, as well as meeting all points on your to-do list.
1. Create clear goals
We know, ‘Create clear goals’ sounds like the kind of advice you’d give to a friend when they’re going through something and you’re at a loss for words, but we promise we’re getting somewhere with this. Feeling so strong and “head over heels” that you’re about to do something great can sometimes result in blurry vision rather than clear one, so take a chill pill and remember that neither you nor your team have superpowers to finish a million tasks that aren’t even that relevant to your goal. Before you start jotting down tasks, make your list as practical as possible, including only tasks that directly contribute to the project’s success. While you’re at it, encourage team collaboration while avoiding micromanagement so that everyone can focus on doing their job; create the right space for your team to experiment rather than limiting them over minor details. Keep in mind that reassignment is the number one killer of motivation.
2. Let your team prioritize tasks
Oh well, another point that says the same thing as the previous one? Not at all. This one is just to remind you that while you don’t have the ability to complete a million tasks at once, you also don’t have the ability to determine and set deadlines better than the people who will be working on these tasks. Encourage communication with your team, and get everyone’s thoughts on when these tasks should be completed. Keep your team up to date on your progress and avoid putting undue strain on them.
3. Set up daily meetings with your team
Make consistency a priority not only for a specific project, but also for day-to-day tasks. You can do this depending on your industry and projects, but a (1)(5)-minute morning meeting every day appears to be the cherry on top of successful teams. You can discuss the day’s objectives, feedback from one another on specific tasks, and any other issues that have arisen. Try to schedule face to face meetings or virtual meetings if you’re a part of a remote team, but avoid making emails and phone calls a thing. This way you can build the necessary transparency to collaborate more effectively.
4. Use a simple task management tool
We’ve talked about the importance of priorities, goals, meetings, and the impossibility of having superpowers, so what’s next?
We often hear people say things like, “We don’t need a management tool because our office and team are still small,” especially in small businesses. These are common mistakes made at the start of any business; yes, you’re doing well, but you could be doing better. Knowing the rules up to this point is insufficient, as you’ll need tool that keeps everything in one place. Even if you work in an office where you bump into each other while passing by, that doesn’t mean you can just go back to each other’s brain and see how they’re doing. Oh, you use a chat group where you discuss things, that’s great. How long does it take you to go all the way up to see what someone said about that specific task? How are you doing with these projects precisely? Can you visualize a graph on which days you’ve been the most productive? Honestly we could go about this for hours but you get the point. If you have the tiniest second thought that this could be useful, keep reading👀.
While searching for a management tool, you don’t want to start with a tool that has so many unnecessary features that it appears to be designed to torture you rather than help you. That is why you should begin by using a simple tool that will bring your tasks and team members together and help you avoid the hassle of dealing with those that require multiple clicks for a simple solution. With task management tools such as Ambra, you can improve workflows with the shortest learning curve.
FYI, in our next article, we will discuss the benefits of agile, including scrum meetings, burn up and burn down charts, sprint goals, and many other factors that are a must to know for every team nowadays.
5. Track your Progress
Here we go again, another reason to start using a tool? That was not the intention, but take it as such.
Another critical step in project success is to keep track of your progress. This allows you to determine the best time to set up tasks and estimate how long the next similar project will take to complete. Depending on the tool, some will allow you to view your process in graphs, while others won’t. Make an informed decision, as this is one of the most important steps. To stay on top of your goal, mark which tasks have been completed, raise any issues that need to be addressed, decide how to proceed with the project, and be as flexible as possible.
Last but not least
There are a million ways to work within a large or small team, and some of these that many businesses use today are unfortunately outdated and inefficient in contrast with technology that is constantly bringing simpler solutions, but the suggestions above should give you an idea of where to start in order to succeed.
Examine your resources thoroughly, communicate frequently with your team, value each other’s opinions and feedback, pick an easy to use task management tool and the success and value of your work should be a piece of cake!
Check out Ambra to learn about some useful features that will make your life easier! 👉 https://ambra.app/
