Leveraging Project Management Tools

“We’re moving fast. But I’m not sure we’re moving in sync.” That’s what a senior leader at a Fortune 500 pharma manufacturing firm told me. Their department was expanding rapidly. Future-defining initiatives were already underway. But their teams? ❌ Didn’t manage risks ❌ Struggled with scheduling ❌ Didn’t track or communicate project status ❌ Had Asana licenses… but barely used them The result? ↳ Confusion ↳ Overwhelm ↳ Missed opportunities ↳ And growing concern at the leadership level Here’s how we turned that around 👇 🎥 The Situation → Teams were inexperienced with core PM practices → They already had the PM tool—but adoption was nearly zero → High-stakes initiatives that demanded transparency and rigor → Massive growth in team size, and no consistency in managing projects 🔧 The Actions We Took → Reconfigured Asana to match real team needs → Built a "Command Center" for dedicated user support → Partnered with stakeholders to refine project workflows → Designed and ran tailored training, pilots, and reinforcement plans 🚀 The Results → PM practices became normalized, visible, and consistent → Teams actually started using the tool—and championed it → Project outcomes were more predictable—and easier to communicate → Efficiency improved. Coordination got smoother. Overwhelm decreased 💥 Final thought: → You don’t always need new tools → You need to unlock the value of the ones you already have What have your experiences been in increasing you PM tool's ROI?

Imagine you’re leading Amazon’s Prime Day. 📦⚡ You're managing one of the biggest retail events in the world. You need tight logistics (hello, Waterfall) and real-time responsiveness (enter, Agile). Would a single project management tool be enough? Probably not. You need a hybrid approach—and tools that match. Hybrid project management isn’t about choosing between Agile or Waterfall— 👉 It’s about using both, intentionally and strategically. So how do you choose the right tools? Let’s break it down, Amazon-style: 🛠️ Step 1: Start with upfront planning (Waterfall) Just like Amazon precisely outlines every Prime Day milestone, use tools like: Microsoft Project or Smartsheet These offer robust roadmapping, deadline setting, and deliverable tracking—ideal for planning and structure. 🔁 Then, bring in Agile tools for dynamic, adaptive execution: Jira for backlog management and sprints Trello or Asana for real-time team collaboration Miro for visual brainstorming and iterative design 🎯 The key? Choose tools that align with your methodology mix, team needs, and phase of the project. Your tech stack should flex with your project—not against it. 💡 Tools don’t run projects—people do. But the right tools make it smoother, smarter, and more scalable. #ProjectEconomy #ProjectManagement #ContinuousLearning 🎯💡

One of the biggest questions I get asked is "How do you do SO much?" The answer is easy(ish). Project management tools, coupled with rockstar teams of humans who are REALLY good at what they do. Launching, scaling, and managing a business can feel like juggling a million tasks at once. And often, founders are left unfocused, dropping balls and running full steam without direction. Project management tools, allow you to get the plan out of your brain (which is for thinking btw-not to do lists 🧠), and in an actionable and time bound plan. From keeping us organized to implementing teams seamlessly, these tools are the unsung heroes behind every successful venture and every project I take on. Here is why- 💫 Staying Organized: Project management tools like Asana and monday.com help us break down complex projects into manageable tasks, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. 💫 Implementing Teams: Collaboration is key to success, and these tools make team collaboration a breeze. Assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress—all in one place. No micro managing needed! 💫 Live Status Reports: With real-time updates and dashboards, we always have our finger on the pulse of our projects. No more guessing games or missed deadlines! 💫 Centralized Communication: Say goodbye to endless email chains and scattered messages. Project management tools provide a centralized hub for communication, keeping everyone on the same page. 💫 Deadlines and Priorities: Never miss a deadline again! These tools help us stay laser-focused on our priorities, ensuring we meet our goals on time, every time. 💫 Driving to Deadlines: Project management tools take us on a journey from idea to execution, breaking down every step of the process day by day. It's like having a roadmap to success! 💫 My Fave Tools: Personally, I swear by Asana and Monday.com for their user-friendly interfaces, robust features, and ability to streamline workflows. These tools have been game-changers for me and my team, helping us turn dreams into reality one project at a time. I refuse to work on a project or with a company unless we set up comms (Slack) and project management. Whether you're a solopreneur, #startup founder, or seasoned #entrepreneur, investing in the right project management tools can make all the difference in your business's success. Trust me, you won't know how you ever lived without them! What is YOUR favorite tool, or are you headed to sign up now 😉

Here is a list of project management software that I've used in the past 12 years. Asana, Microsoft, Google, Atlassian, Clarizen (Now Planview AdaptiveWork), Slack, Lark, Workday, Trello, Notion, Miro, and Smartsheet. Each of them have their own unique use case, purpose, integration capabilities, design, and support system. I've enjoyed using them to help me create project plans, run scrum meetings, facilitate retrospectives, create dashboards, automations, and customize workflows. However, there is one important element that you must know. None of these tools will work to their full potential without having a strategy and/or change management plan. For non project managers, it can be a daunting task for team members to keep up with tickets, multiple interfaces, and tons of chat messages. Often times we will blame a specific product for failures when it's actually an adoption/change/ training issue. Personally, each of these tools have done wonders for my career growth, stakeholders, learning & development, and becoming a better project/program manager. It's not always about the software you use but how you intend to use it. Here are some steps to help think about this further. 1️⃣ Determine who are your stakeholders and type of work that they do (e.g. engineering, finance, or business) 2️⃣ Compare and contrast different software by testing functionality and/or a smaller pilot with users 3️⃣ Get feedback (e.g. create surveys & focus groups) 4️⃣ If you are rolling out a brand new tool, consider the time it would take to implement and train versus customizing/enhancing an existing tool 5️⃣ Be patient. Adoption will take time and you will not see results overnight. However, over the long run, this can save you tons of time, money and improve productivity. What is your favorite project management software? Are there any others ones that you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments! 😄 #ProjectManagement #Software