The Rules Have Changed—A New Paradigm for Managing Project-Based Work

 

I don't typically talk too much about what @task is doing specifically to impact project management, but we're making an announcement today at our User Conference that I believe is a real game changing event for project management, and felt it needed to be shared in this forum.

Over the last couple of months, there has been a lot of discussion in this blog, and others, about the value of social networking tools and the role they should or shouldn't play in the project management process.  It's no secret that I believe we are facing a paradigm shift regarding the traditional methods of communication used by project teams and the proliferation of social media networking tools.  Traditional software methods for capturing project information are so inherently complex, they alienate team members and force managers to beg, cajole, and nag for status updates—while providing an incomplete story of what's happening within the project.

A survey conducted by Elizabeth Harrin of the Girls Guide to Project Management blog titled Social Media in a Project Environment validated many of my assertions regarding the proliferation of social networking tools and their adoption within the project environment.  62% of the respondents to Harrin's survey said that applying social networking tools to the project management process improved communication, while another 56% indicated it improved collaboration.

As PPM methodologies spread departmentally throughout the organization, one of the greatest challenges facing business leaders is a lack of voluntary team member participation in the project management process.  The traditional top-down work management approach doesn't work with today's workforce, resulting in 1) project information that executives don't trust, 2) an overly structured work environment that nobody likes, 3) frustrated project teams whose accomplishments often go unrecognized.

We've taken a step back and tried to take an objective look at the PPM process with fresh eyes.  By considering the project management process anew, we've discovered that people are the key to project management success and are more willing to interact with the process and provide the valuable, accurate, and timely information business leaders need to lead their organizations when the following is addressed:

1. Empowerment: People want empowerment, with ownership and flexibility regarding their deliverables and deadlines.  A more team-centric task assignment model enables team members to contribute to the establishment of benchmarks and time-lines while creating a greater sense of responsibility among team members.
2. Confidence: Managers and executives consume conversational information about projects, which provide deeper insight into real project status.  Business leaders who leverage solutions that facilitate free-form conversations around assignments capture better information to help them keep an accurate pulse on their business and make more proactive decisions.
3. Recognition: People take pride in their work and they care about what their managers and peers think of them and their accomplishments.  Organizations that facilitate the recognition of individual team member accomplishments and contributions foster an environment where team members are more inclined to participate and provide the information needed by executives to make informed decisions.

@task Stream™—The First Social Project Management Platform

@task provides a totally new PPM approach—building on an integrated social project management platform that addresses the demands of project-based work traditional PPM solutions can't accommodate.  We've recognized a number of benefits that draw people into social networking tools that include ease of use, the positive nature of feedback from their network, and the ability to share conversational information about what they are doing.

Combining the power of social networking with the structure of project management to deliver more relevant information and clearer visibility into business initiatives.  @task Stream facilitates well-informed and proactive decision making by:

1. Empower the front lines, getting teams more involved in project plans and promoting greater individual ownership over priorities and commitments
2. Capturing the real story with a constant flow of conversational information, that delivers greater visibility and a richer representation of what's really happening within a project
3. Recognizing accomplishments by fostering discussion, highlighting accomplishments and keeping everyone engaged—people receive recognition for accomplishments and comment on other's work and accomplishments

Social project management success is all about people—and starts with the people on the front line.

Feel free to share your thoughts about social project management and what @task is doing to encourage a more social approach to the process.  If you'd like to learn more about @task's announcement today or how Stream might benefit your organization, click HERE.