The Keystone to Successful Project-Based Work

I see on Twitter all the time lists of the best project management software, the best business intelligence tools, or the best portfolio management products. I thought I would toss in my two cents today.

The polish poet, Stanislaw Jerzy Lec said, "The weakest link in the chain is also the strongest. It can break the chain."

When most organizations consider project and portfolio management tools, they look at visibility and business intelligence tools for validating that execution aligns with corporate strategy. This is important, even critical, but most project software misses the point. It ignores the end user, the person who is actually in a position to input the most accurate data. This oversight forces project managers to spend the lion's share of their time chasing down status instead of leading project teams and facilitating successful projects.

Addressing the needs of individual project team members is the crucial link (weak or strong), that determines whether or not the information business leaders use for making decisions is accurate or a bunch of bunk. Making it difficult for team members to contribute to the project management process just doesn't make sense—and virtually guarantees that information will be out of date and unreliable.

What's more, organizations that rely on any solution, including project management software that doesn't automatically capture status information simply can't guarantee that decision-makers have accurate and up-to-date information. They might as well continue to use a spreadsheet and sticky notes.

In my opinion, when looking for project software, I think it's critical to include the following criteria in your evaluation:

1. Does the solution address ease-of-use needs for end users?

2. Does the solution automatically push project status information into reports and dashboards that executives can use to make data-driven decisions?

3. Or does if force project managers to manually input data, duplicating effort, forcing them to ignore their primary responsibilities to keep projects on track and lead project teams?

Admittedly, these are only a few of the questions you'll need to ask as you evaluate the available project management software solutions—but they are critical questions if you want to effectively engage the workforce and enjoy success.

I don't believe the workforce is the weakest link in the chain. In fact, I think they are the keystone to successful project-based work. Workforce involvement in the project management process results in accurate information and good decisions. What are you doing to keep your project teams involved in the process? Are you using software or something else?

About this Author: As an "accidental" project manager and marketing veteran with over 25 years of experience, Ty Kiisel makes the concepts and best practices of web-based project management accessible to both the expert and novice project professional by weaving personal experiences, historical references and other anecdotes into daily discussions around effective leadership approaches that maximize the effectiveness of project teams. Ty is also the host of the popular podcast, TalkingWork.com.