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Navigating through a sea of urgency and identifying what truly deserves our focus can be challenging. Multiple tasks and responsibilities demand our immediate attention making it hard to just keep up.
This is where the Eisenhower Matrix comes in. Developed by President Dwight Eisenhower, this matrix is a simple yet effective tool for prioritizing tasks based on their urgency and importance.
Throughout this article we’ll explain:
The history and rise in popularity of the Eisenhower decision matrix
Concise description of how the matrix classifies tasks
A practical example of the matrix in action
How to apply the Eisenhower matrix for time management into your task management
Let’s get started. 👇
History of the Eisenhower Matrix
What is the Eisenhower Matrix? The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a time-management and prioritization framework developed by President Dwight Eisenhower.
President Eisenhower used the matrix to manage his time and make important decisions during his presidency term. The Eisenhower prioritization Matrix has garnered popularity for its simplicity and effectiveness in distinguishing between task urgency and importance.
We often find ourselves caught up in a never-ending loop of urgent tasks, neglecting the ones that are truly important. This leads to a lack of progress on our long-term goals and a feeling of constant busyness without true accomplishment.
By using the matrix, individuals can avoid getting overwhelmed by urgent but unimportant tasks. Instead, the framework focuses on the tasks that will have the greatest impact in achieving company goals and objectives.
How One Self-help Book Popularized The Priority Matrix From Eisenhower
Stephen R. Covey popularized the Eisenhower Matrix in his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Covey recognized the value of the matrix as a tool for prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively.
His endorsement of the matrix made it widely popular among organizations seeking better productivity and decision-making.
The book emphasized the importance of distinguishing between urgent and important tasks. Covey believed that people often focus on urgent tasks that may not necessarily contribute to long-term goals. Meanwhile, tasks that are important but not urgent were neglected.
He encouraged individuals to allocate meaningful time to important tasks, even if they are not urgent, in order to achieve long-term success.
Covey also discussed eliminating or delegating tasks that are not important, regardless of their urgency. As a result, people can set aside more time and energy to what truly matters.
The Eisenhower Decision Matrix Explained
The Eisenhower prioritization matrix consists of four quadrants that categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance.
Urgent & Important (Quadrant I): Included in this quadrant are activities that require immediate attention and have a significant impact on long-term goals. Tasks in this block demand your immediate action and have a big impact on your goals.
Not Urgent & Important(Quadrant II): Think of activities that are crucial for your long-term success but do not require immediate action. Activities are often associated with personal development, strategic planning, and goal setting.
Urgent & Unimportant (Quadrant III): Work that is urgent but does not contribute significantly to your long-term goals. Quadrant III activities are often distractions, interruptions, or tasks that can be delegated to others.
Not Urgent & Unimportant (Quadrant IV): These tasks are neither urgent nor important and should be minimized to maximize your effectiveness. Not urgent and unimportant tasks often include unnecessary meetings, or trivial tasks.
The different quadrants emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the urgent and the important. This way we can avoid getting caught up in tasks that are merely urgent but not truly important.
The Importance of Distinguishing Between the Urgent and the Important
Distinguishing between the urgent and the important is crucial for making progress on your goals and achieving long-term success.
When you focus on tasks that are important, even if they are not urgent, you can proactively work towards your long-term goals. Applying this strategy can help you avoid the constant firefighting mode of addressing only urgent tasks.
Let’s see what actually implementing this framework would look like with real life Eisenhower Matrix examples.
Eisenhower Matrix Examples: The Case of The Project Manager
For this Eisenhower Matrix example, let's say you are a project manager working on multiple projects with strict deadlines. You have a long to-do list that includes tasks such as meeting with stakeholders, reviewing project documents, and updating project status reports.
You are also responsible for managing your team and ensuring they are staying on track. Using the Eisenhower decision matrix, you categorize your tasks as follows:
1. Urgent & Important (Quadrant I):
Meeting with stakeholders to address any issues or concerns that may impact project progress.
Resolving any critical project errors
Related problems that need immediate attention.
2. Not Urgent & Important (Quadrant II):
Reviewing project documents to identify any potential risks or areas for improvement.
Setting long-term goals for your projects and creating a plan to achieve them.
Allocating time to mentor and support your team members to enhance their skills and productivity.
3. Urgent & Unimportant (Quadrant III):
Responding to non-essential emails or phone calls that require immediate attention but do not contribute directly to project success.
Attending meetings or conferences that are not directly related to your project but deemed as urgent by others.
4. Not Urgent & Unimportant (Quadrant IV):
Checking social media or browsing the internet for personal or non-work-related purposes.
Participating in non-work-related activities during office hours.
By using the Eisenhower Matrix, you can prioritize your tasks in a better way:
Your primary focus would be on Quadrant I tasks to ensure project success and address any urgent issues.
You would also allocate sufficient time for Quadrant II activities to prevent urgent issues from arising and work towards long-term project goals.
Delegate or minimize Quadrant III tasks as much as possible to ensure they do not take away valuable time from important activities.
Avoid spending significant time on Quadrant IV tasks that do not contribute to your work or project success. (For example, cancel a meeting if you are not contributing to it)
Applying the Eisenhower Matrix in your project management role allows you to work more effectively and efficiently. The framework allows you to manage your time, prioritize tasks, and achieve long-term success in your projects.
Implementing the Eisenhower Matrix in task management apps like Rock can further enhance productivity and make progress towards achieving success. Let’s go over that.
Putting The Eisenhower Decision Matrix Into Action With Task Management
Implementing the Eisenhower Matrix in a task management app provides users with a visual representation of their tasks' urgency and importance. By using this matrix, users can prioritize effectively, focus on important tasks, delegate when necessary, and eliminate unnecessary activities.
The best Eisenhower Matrix app can makes easier for you to prioritize tasks effectively. Rock allows you to do so by incorporating the matrix into lists based on their urgency and importance.
The key benefits of implementing the Eisenhower Matrix in a task management app is that it helps users distinguish between tasks that are urgent and those that are important.
Here’s what Rock would look like when used as an online Eisenhower Matrix app:
Urgent and important (Quadrant I): Do
Urgent but not important(Quadrant II): Delegate
Not urgent but important (Quadrant III): Schedule
Not urgent and not important (Quadrant IV): Delete
By delegating or eliminating unimportant tasks, users can free up valuable time and focus on more meaningful and impactful activities.
We’ve created a dedicated template where you can easily convert Rock into an Eisenhower Matrix app. Try it out for free yourself!
Many teams often get lost in the day-to-day of tasks, deadlines, and projects. However, there is so much more to effective team collaboration. Incorporating check-in questions can be a great strategy to keep up with team members and uncover important details.
At the heart of every successful venture is an engaged and motivated team. Smart check-in questions help managers and employees alike to measure moods, discuss doubts and start open conversations.
We've curated a list of over 100 check-in questions designed to break the ice, ignite engaging conversations, and foster a deeper understanding among team members.
Buckle up and get ready to transform your meetings and build better, more connected teams with definitions, 100+ check-in questions and implementation strategies.
What are check-in questions?
Check-in questions are a communication method used at the beginning of meetings, workshops, or team sessions. The questions serve to gauge participants on how they’re feeling, what they're thinking, or where their focus is.
The purpose of good check-in questions is to encourage active participation, build team rapport, and set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Identify issues or distractions that can affect the meeting's productivity, and ensure team members feel heard and understood.
Incorporating check-in questions into your routine can be especially helpful for remote and hybrid teams, who might not have as many daily or in-person interactions.
Why you should use check-in questions
Check-in questions can be a valuable tool for staying in tune with your coworkers. Spot potential roadblocks or bottlenecks and find a helping hand if needed.
Good check-in questions provide an opportunity for everyone to speak, no matter where they’re located or how long they have been part of the team. Great questions also give context for conversations and assignments other attendees might not be aware of.
With more background on someone’s workload, another coworker might be able to help or offer answers. You can have these questions explicitly stated in your meeting agendas or not.
Good check-in questions are part of virtual meeting best practices and should help build a positive team and company culture. Elicit a brief answer from your team members.
You want more than a “yes” or “no” response while also staying away from turning your meeting into a free-for-all storytelling session.
Good check-in questions share several characteristics that boost effectiveness and efficiency in promoting open dialogue and fostering team rapport. Here are 7 key characteristics to implement in your questions:
Open-ended: Effective check-in questions are usually open-ended, inviting more than a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Clear and concise: The question should be easy to understand and not overly complicated. Ensure that everyone can engage in the conversation, regardless role or experience.
Non-judgmental: Create a safe space for honest responses. No one should feel judged or criticized for their answers.
Relevant: The question should be relevant to the team members and the context of the meeting.
Encourages reflection: Good check-in questions prompt team members to reflect on their current state of mind, their feelings, or their position on a particular topic.
Promotes engagement: Stimulate the conversation and foster engagement among team members.
Positive Tone: While not all check-in questions need to be positive, it’s often beneficial to frame questions in a positive way to foster a supportive environment.
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5 Signs of bad check-in questions
Make sure that questions aren’t negatively impacting the meeting to prevent a toxic work culture.
Check-in questions can be a powerful tool to foster connection, but should not become the main act. Avoid these 5 pitfalls to effectively implement this communication strategy:
Avoid leading questions: Leading questions subtly guide a person towards a particular response, resulting in a sense of pressure.
Don't make check in questions mandatory: Forcing someone to answer a question when they're uncomfortable can create resentment or discomfort. Allow team members to pass on answering if they wish.
Avoid personal or sensitive topics: Foster connection and understanding without invading personal privacy unless it's appropriate and consent is given.
Don't rush: Give team members time to think and respond. When people feel rushed, they might not share fully or honestly.
Don't dismiss or ignore responses: Make sure that thoughts and responses of team members are acknowledged.
100+ Check-in questions that set you up for success
Check-in questions can adapt to fit your needs. They can be as fun or business-like as you want them to be. You can ask the same question at each meeting or switch up your questions to get different perspectives. We’ll discuss the following categories:
Daily check-in questions
Mental health check-in questions
Team check-in questions
Fun check-in questions
Future-oriented check-in questions
Review these 100+ check-in questions and decide what works for your team and meeting.
Daily check-in questions
Daily check-in questions are prompts used at the beginning of meetings or workdays. Think of daily standups.
These questions are best for agile workplaces, remote teams, or among teams that strongly value interpersonal communication and team cohesion. Use them as morning meeting questions to set the tone for the day.
What do you want to accomplish today?
Can you mention a work challenge you’re facing?
Can you list your biggest priorities?
How can your team support your work?
What's one word that best describes your mood today and why?
What's the most interesting thing you've learned or read about recently?
What's one thing you're looking forward to today?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your energy level today, and why?
What is your main focus for today's tasks?
What was the highlight of your day yesterday?
Is there anything that you're worried might get in your way today?
What's one thing you could use help with today?
What's something you're proud of from your work yesterday?
What's something you're grateful for today?
Are there any obstacles that you anticipate facing today?
How can we as a team make today a great day?
What's one thing that could be done to improve our work process today?
What's a positive change you've noticed in our team recently?
Is there anything you feel stuck on and need some input or help with?
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Mental health check-in questions
Mental health is a key priority and dedicated check-in questions can give you a glimpse of your team’s mindset. Keep the professional context of work in mind and avoid any overly personal questions.
These don’t have to be regular morning meeting questions or asked on a daily or regular basis but are important to bring up to spot team members who feel overwhelmed or burnt out.
You can also incorporate mental health check-in questions into one-on-one meetings or more formal situations, like yearly reviews.
How would you describe your current mindset?
What tasks are in outside of your comfort zone?
What has made you feel proud recently?
How is your workload affecting your mindset?
What is your main concern right now?
How are you feeling today, really?
What's one thing you've done for yourself today?
Are you finding it easy to relax and switch off from work?
What's something that's been bringing you joy lately?
What's something that's been causing you stress or worry?
Are you feeling more tired or fatigued than usual?
How are you managing to stay connected with friends and family?
Do you feel like you have someone you can talk to about things that are bothering you?
Are you managing to find time for activities or hobbies you enjoy?
How would you describe your current work-life balance?
What's one thing you could do to take care of your mental health this week?
Are there any tasks or responsibilities that are feeling particularly overwhelming right now?
How are you feeling about your current workload?
Do you feel like you're able to express your feelings and concerns openly?
Is there anything we could do as a team to better support your mental well-being?
What's something positive you've experienced or learned recently?
Check-in questions for groups
Check-in questions for groups serve as conversation starters that allow teams to discuss their collective strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement.
Questions can cover various aspects such as communication, collaboration, team culture, shared goals, and more.
What's one thing you appreciate about our team?
What's one way we could improve our communication?
What's a strength of our team that we could utilize more?
What's one thing we accomplished recently that you're proud of?
What's a challenge we've faced as a team, and how did we overcome it?
How would you describe our team culture?
What's one thing you think our team could do better?
What's a team tradition or practice you love?
What's a recent example of great teamwork you've observed?
What's one way we could better support each other?
What's an aspect of our team dynamic you think we could improve on?
What's something you've learned from a team member recently?
What's a project we worked on that you felt we collaborated well on?
How do you feel our team handles feedback and criticism?
What's a team goal you'd like us to aim for?
What's a skill or strength you think our team is missing?
What's one thing we did as a team this week that you think we should do more often?
What's something you wish people outside our team understood about us?
What's a way we could improve our team meetings?
What's something our team did recently that made you feel valued or appreciated?
What's a quality you admire in one of our team members?
What's an area where you think our team could use more training or knowledge?
What's a recent situation where you felt our team was particularly supportive?
What's something you think our team does really well?
What's a way we could make our team feel more inclusive or welcoming?
Fun check-in questions
Fun check-in questions are light-hearted, entertaining questions used at the beginning of meetings to foster a positive mood. Break the ice, or help new team members get to know the rest of the team better.
The goal is not only to make meetings more enjoyable but also to encourage team members to learn more about each other in a non-work-related context.
Share fact that most people don’t know about you?
If you could have a superpower, which one would it be?
Are there any surprising facts about yourself?
What is your favorite movie?
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
What's the most interesting fact you know?
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?
What's your favorite guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
What's something you're absolutely terrible at doing?
What's the strangest food you've ever eaten?
If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
What's your favorite joke?
What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
What's your go-to karaoke song?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What's a movie or book that you think is overrated?
If you could teleport to any place in the world right now, where would you go?
What would your dream vacation look like?
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
What's the weirdest gift you've ever received?
If you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be and why?
If you were a kitchen appliance, which one would you be and why?
If you could learn a new language right now, which one would it be and why?
Future-oriented check-in questions
These group check-in questions are designed to foster forward-thinking and proactive behavior. Encourage team members to think ahead, set goals and anticipate challenges.
Future-oriented questions can be particularly useful in work settings. Help team members stay focused on achieving company goals and objectives, plan for upcoming tasks or projects, and think about their professional development.
What are your top priorities for the coming week?
What's one thing you're looking forward to in the next month?
What's a personal goal you have for the upcoming quarter?
What's one challenge you anticipate facing in the next week? How are you planning to tackle it?
What skill do you want to improve or learn in the next six months?
What's one thing you would like to change about your work routine in the upcoming week?
What project are you most excited to work on in the near future?
What's one way you hope our team will grow in the coming year?
What's a professional goal you're working towards this year?
What's a change you would like to see in our work process in the next month?
What's an upcoming event or meeting you're preparing for?
What's one thing you're hoping to achieve by the end of this month?
What's a habit you're planning to develop in the next few weeks?
What's one way you're planning to challenge yourself in the near future?
What's something you're hoping to learn from your colleagues in the upcoming weeks?
What resource do you think would most help you in your work in the next quarter?
What's one thing you'd like to do to help improve our team dynamic in the future?
What's a book or course you're planning to dive into soon for your professional development?
What's a future project or task that you could use help with?
What is one thing you are aiming to improve in your work-life balance in the next month?
What is one positive change you hope to see in our workplace in the near future?
What's one upcoming challenge you would like the team's input on?
What's a milestone you're hoping to reach in your career in the next year?
What's a leadership quality you're looking to develop in the future?
If you could achieve one big thing in the next six months, what would it be?
Other ways to engage the team besides group check-in questions
It’s important to do what works best for your team. Sometimes, meetings aren’t the best place for individual or group check-in questions — whether you don’t have the time or your meetings include a large number of people.
Create a water-cooler space
Virtual water-cooler spaces enable team members to share non-work-related things and connect. We use group spaces in Rock for this exact purpose.
This is valuable for us as we work asynchronously, subsequently team members can’t always respond in real-time. Water-cooler spaces allow the team to still bond with others across timezones and create interpersonal relationships.
Conduct recurring polls with your team
While it’s not the same level of interaction as an actual or virtual face-to-face, it’s valuable to have a communal space. Rock’s messaging feature enables you to conduct polls to get a quick read on your team’s opinions and mindset.
Polls can help you get an idea of workload, who is busy, and how people are feeling about their work. Team members can tag tasks or projects that they are having trouble with so you can see exactly what they’re talking about. Teams can respond with messages or emojis to continue the conversation or show their support or lack thereof.
Leverage direct messaging or 1:1 channels to check-in with team members
Keep up with your team individually in your one-on-one spaces and follow up on check in questions for staff meetings. If a team member mentions that they feel overwhelmed or bored, creating and following through on action items can demonstrate that you’ve heard them and you’re addressing their concerns.
To be more effective, convert check in-responses into tasks in your personal space so you can follow up on something. Rock’s task management feature enables you to assign tasks to yourself or others, creating an actionable step.
Taking notes is also a good idea, this can help you track progress of a team member who is struggling or burnt out. You can also make sure that your team’s answers to check-in questions are remembered for future reference.
Nurture team relationships through (virtual) coffee chats
You should always be thoughtful about using time for meetings, and cancel meetings where you add no value to the conversation. Nevertheless, coffee chats can be a great strategy to effectively incorporate check-in questions.
(Virtual) Coffee chats offer a relaxed and informal platform that can be extremely beneficial for checking in with team members, particularly in remote or distributed work settings. Here are some reasons why they can be effective:
Informal Check-in: Virtual coffee chats can serve as a less structured, informal way to check in on team members' wellbeing, mood, and general job satisfaction. This can help managers or team leads identify any issues or concerns that may not come up in a more formal setting.
Reducing isolation: For remote and hybrid teams, virtual coffee chats can help reduce feelings of isolation and disconnection by providing regular social interaction.
Boosting Morale: Boost team morale by providing a break from the routine and a chance to relax and enjoy social interaction.
Promoting Inclusivity: Virtual coffee chats, especially when scheduled at times that work for all team members, can help promote a sense of inclusivity and belonging.
It’s not “just” a check-in question
Good check-in questions can be a valuable part of meetings. They offer insight into your team’s current mindset, offer team members a chance to be heard, and help your team connect..
If check-in questions don’t fit in your meetings or don’t work for your team, find another way to touch base. Create a water-cooler space, set up coffee chats or engage your team members more through 1:1 spaces.
What’s your favorite check-in question? Let us know on Twitter!
In an ever-connected world where speed, efficiency, and convenience matter, instant messaging apps have taken center stage.
Messaging apps are not just about quick chats anymore— they're about sharing files, making voice and video calls, and even hosting virtual meetings. We've curated a list of the 10 best instant messaging apps that are redefining digital communication.
We know, we know, that’s us. But you won’t regret giving our instant messaging app a chance!
Rock's messaging is not just your average chat tool—it's a powerhouse for working effectively and efficiently. Rock is designed to meet the diverse needs of teams in 2023: connect with team members, freelancers, or clients in the same place.
You get the freedom of sending unlimited messages, creating unlimited 1:1 spaces, and sharing files with anyone. Our messaging app is designed to make cross-organizational collaboration a breeze, allowing you to add collaborators from other companies, agencies, or freelancers to the same space.
You can also mention tasks, notes, people, files and spaces in every chat. No more juggling between tabs or losing context—everything you need is in the same project space: instant messaging, task management, note taking and file management.
Share audio messages, conduct polls, express with emojis, or use the advanced search functionality to find any task, note, file, or message. You can even schedule messages and pin important announcements when you upgrade to Unlimited.
The best part? Rock's Messaging is mobile-friendly, so you can take your conversations, tasks and work files wherever you go. Messaging on the platform is secure and made to supercharge your team's communication.
Ready to get started with the best messaging app? Start today with Rock’s all-in-one messaging platform.
Main benefits of selecting Rock for instant messaging
Integrated task management: Project spaces include much more than messaging. The chat is natively connected to tasks, allowing users to discuss work, assign tasks, and track their completion all in one place.
Collaboration with external parties: Quickly add other companies, agencies, or freelancers to a workspace.
Integrations: Connect and manage apps like Zoom, Google Meet, Figma, Dropbox, Notion and others directly within the group message app.
Quick connect: Create a custom invite link which allows others to open a project space with you within seconds.
Flat pricing: Unlike other tools on the market, Rock does not have per-user pricing. Teams can collaborate with unlimited team members, freelancers and clients at a flat rate.
Slack is a cloud-based collaboration tool that aims to bring all communication together in one place. The instant messaging app is designed to support the way people naturally work together, making it easy to collaborate with individuals and workgroups in real time.
Users can organize team conversations in channels. Channels can be based on anything, be it a team, a project, a department, or even office-related random discussions. An intuitive structure helps keep track of important decisions and discussions, which otherwise get lost in email chains.
Slack doubles as a hub for all your essential work tools. By integrating with services like Google Drive, Salesforce, or Asana, Slack brings all your tools under one roof. No more tab-switching.
Slack does have its Achilles' heel: cost. To unlock most of the platform's powerful features, teams must subscribe to one of Slack's premium plans. The cost can escalate quickly for larger teams with per-user pricing, making it a less desirable option for those mindful of their bottom line.
Benefits of using Slack as your messaging app
Channel-based organization: The concept of channels, which are essentially conversation threads, is a defining feature of Slack. Channels can be created for specific projects, teams, or topics, and can be made public or private.
Secure collaboration: Slack offers enterprise-grade security with features like two-factor authentication and data encryption.
Customizable notifications: Slack offers keyword notifications, where users can be notified whenever a specific word or phrase is mentioned. This level of notification customization is not commonly found in other group message apps.
Microsoft Teams is an app for messaging that's part of the Microsoft 365 suite. Teams provides a hub for communication, including messaging, video meetings, and file-sharing.
Conversations are organized in a threaded manner, preserving the context and history of discussions. Users can also draw attention to specific messages using @mentions for individuals or the entire team.
File sharing is integrated directly into the chat, and users can collaborate on these files in real-time. Additionally, Microsoft Teams allows for the integration of other Microsoft 365 apps within the chat interface, such as SharePoint, OneNote, and Planner.
A common complaint about Microsoft Teams is that its user interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming, especially for new users. Some users also report that the group message app can be slow or laggy, particularly when handling large files or during periods of high activity.
Benefits of using Teams as your messaging app
Integration with Microsoft 365 suite: Microsoft Teams is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, and this allows seamless integration with other Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Outlook. This is a big advantage for organizations already using these tools.
Walkie talkie feature: Teams includes a walkie-talkie feature in its android and iPhone messaging app, providing clear, instant, and secure voice communication over the cloud.
Inline translation: Teams can automatically translate messages in channels and chats, making it a great tool for international teams.
Discord is a messaging app primarily designed for the gaming community, but it has also been adopted by a variety of other user groups. The platform offers features such as voice channels and text messaging.
Messaging in Discord is organized into servers, which are further divided into channels. Each server can have multiple text and voice channels for different topics, games, or conversations, and users can easily switch between these channels.
Discord supports direct messages for one-to-one conversations and group messages for small, private discussions outside of servers. Users can also use @mentions to get the attention of other users or entire roles in a server.
A common complaint about Discord is its lack of native support for threaded conversations. Unlike some other apps for messaging like Slack or Microsoft Teams, Discord doesn't offer an easy way to reply to a specific message in a thread-like format. As a result, conversations can sometimes become difficult to follow, especially in busy channels with a lot of active users.
Benefits of using discord as your group message app
Voice channels: Discord includes voice channels that users can join and leave at will. Native voice channels provide a convenient option for impromptu or ongoing audio conversations.
Custom emojis and reactions: Upload custom emojis and use them in your server. You can also react to messages with any emoji, adding a layer of expressiveness to conversations.
Live streaming and screen sharing: Discord users can live stream video and audio in channels, or share their screens. Streaming or screen sharing can be useful for presentations, demos, or collaborative work.
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging app recognized for its emphasis on speed and security. Businesses can create channels to disseminate updates, news, or promotional materials to an unlimited number of subscribers.
Businesses can also program bots to perform a multitude of tasks, such as providing customer support or sending scheduled updates.
It is worth noting that Telegram lacks productivity features that are typically found in other business-focused messaging apps. For instance, it does not natively support features like task management, calendar integration, or threaded conversations.
The absence of these features in an instant messaging app can make the management of work-related tasks and less streamlined.
Unique instant messaging features that can be found on Telegram
Supergroups: Telegram supports supergroups that can accommodate up to 200,000 members, ideal for large-scale internal communication.
Bot integration: Telegram supports the integration of bots, which can be programmed to do a variety of tasks. Think of customer support, scheduled updates, or automated responses.
Privacy and security: Telegram offers Secret Chats with end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages.
WhatsApp messaging app is a free-to-download app specifically designed for small businesses. Businesses can interact with their customers by using tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to messages.
Both one-on-one and group messaging are supported on WhatsApp business. The messaging app offers a variety of tools, such as automated greeting and away messages, quick replies for frequently asked questions, and the ability to label chats for easy organization.
Scalability is a common issue with using the WhatsApp messaging app. For example, it lacks advanced business features such as integration with CRM systems, detailed analytics, or support for multiple operators.
Features that make WhatsApp a great app for messaging
Global Reach: TheWhatsApp messaging app is hugely popular worldwide, which can be an advantage for businesses looking to reach international customers.
WhatsApp Business App: specifically designed for small businesses, allowing them to create a business profile and catalog their products and services.
Labels: Organize chats using labels, making it easier to manage and locate conversations with customers.
7. Chanty
Via Chanty
Chanty is a team collaboration and communication tool designed to improve team productivity. A user-friendly interface makes it an appealing choice for businesses seeking a simplified, efficient communication group message app.
Chanty’s messaging app offers one-on-one and group messaging, voice and video calls, and screen sharing. One of the key features of Chanty is its Teambook feature, a single hub where team members can find shared files, tasks, pinned messages, and conversation histories.
Some users have reported a lack of features like polling or scheduling within the app, which are available in some competing platforms. In terms of integrations, the app also lacks some common third-party apps.
Relevant business instant messaging app features found on Chanty
Teambook feature: A single hub where team members can find files, tasks, pinned messages, and conversation histories. The teambook makes it easy to keep track of important information and tasks.
Voice transcripts: Chanty can provide transcripts for voice messages, making it easier for users to catch up on missed conversations.
Simple interface: A user-friendly interface makes it easy for teams to get started with the app for messaging.
8. Flock
Via Flock
Flock is a team instant messaging and collaboration app that offers a chat, file sharing, and task management. Designed to streamline work processes and boost productivity, Flock offers both direct messaging and group conversations, along with video and voice calls.
One of Flock's standout features is its robust app integration with third-party applications like Google Drive, Trello, Asana, and more. Users can also access a built-in task management feature with due dates, and progress tracking right within the app for messaging.
Some users find the notifications to be overly persistent and disruptive, especially when working across multiple channels. Others have expressed that the mobile app can sometimes be slow and less responsive compared to the desktop version.
Features that make Flock a solid instant messaging app
Mailcast: Create mailing lists using Flock channels. Any email sent to the mailing list will appear as a message in the channel.
Read-only channels: Create read-only channels where only admins can send messages.
Pinned messages: Pin important messages in conversations, making it easy to reference key information.
9. Pumble
Via Pumble
Pumble is a collaboration and business messaging platform that aids in fostering communication and productivity within work environments. Users can set up channels for different teams or projects, use instant messaging, and share files.
The messaging app is designed to centralize communication in a way that's organized and accessible. As a result, people won’t need long email chains or disjointed conversations across multiple platforms.
Users looking for more sophisticated project management tools or extensive third-party app integrations might find Pumble somewhat lacking. Some users have also reported occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt the workflow.
Benefits of using Pumble for your instant messaging needs
Rich-Text Editing: Users can format their messages with bolding, italics, bullet points, and more to enhance clarity.
Threaded Conversations: Pumble supports threaded conversations, allowing users to keep track of different discussion topics within a channel.
24/7 support: Pumble has 24/7 customer support coverage and guarantees support from a real person.
10. Rocket.Chat
Via Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat is a comprehensive open-source team collaboration platform that facilitates seamless business messaging. Users are offered a wide range of communication options, from one-on-one messaging to group chats.
One of Rocket.Chat's standout features is its open-source nature, allowing for extensive customization and adaptability. Customize the user interface, develop new functionalities, or integrate with a multitude of third-party apps.
The open-source nature, while a strength, can also be a drawback. Rocket.Chat’s app for messaging can seem complex and intimidating for teams without the required technical expertise. Some users have also reported that the mobile app experience is not as smooth or stable as the desktop version.
Features that make Rocket.Chat a great app for messaging
Open-source: Rocket.Chat allows for extensive customization. Businesses with the necessary technical know-how can tailor the platform to meet their needs.
Self-hosting option: The instant messaging app can be self-hosted, providing businesses with full control of their data and greater privacy.
Real-Time Translation: Users can access real-time translation of messages, helping bridge communication gaps in diverse teams.
Which messaging app are you staying with?
With so many apps on the market you have a great amount of choice when it comes to business messaging apps. What makes Rock the best messaging app for your team?
Rock combines messaging and tasks in one place so your team can get all their work done without leaving the platform. Integrate with your favorite tools, collaborate with anyone, and upgrade at a flat price.
Project vs Task: A project is a large, overarching goal that involves multiple steps, stages, or tasks to complete. Meanwhile, a task is a single, specific duty or action that contributes to the completion of a larger project. In essence, a project is like a book, while tasks are the individual chapters that make up the book.
In the fast-paced world of productivity and project management, clarity is the compass that guides us towards success. When it comes to projects and tasks, understanding their nuances is crucial for efficient execution and achieving company goals and objectives.
Now, when we discuss project management vs task management, there are different priorities and activities. Throughout this article we will delve into the differences between project vs task and offer dedicated templates and software to manage tasks and projects.
Project management vs task management
Project management and task management are both crucial parts of staying organized at work and achieving goals, but they focus on different scales and complexities.
Project management is a holistic approach that involves overseeing a large initiative or a complex project from start to finish. It includes defining the project's scope, setting timelines, allocating resources, managing risks, and coordinating the various tasks in a project. A project management framework can take many shapes and forms, with some more complex than others.
Task management is about handling individual tasks efficiently. It involves defining, assigning, and project task tracking to ensure they are completed on time. While task management is a component of project management, it doesn't capture the entire picture - it doesn't necessarily involve coordinating multiple tasks or managing the overall project scope, timeline, or resources.
So, while both are important, project management is a broader, more strategic process, while task management focuses more on the tactical, day-to-day execution of individual tasks in a project.
Here’s another example of project vs task: Imagine you are relaunching a brand for a company. There are multiple elements to a new brand, including on-product branding, logo design, website, and a marketing brochure. Within each of these elements, you have to complete a number of tasks.
In the brand launch example example something like a marketing brochure would be a project tackled by multiple team members. A set of multiple task would take it from concept to reality.
🎁 Free resource: This comprehensive guide will introduce you to the 10 best project management software tools
The 9 most important project management components
Now that we have defined project vs task, let's delve into the essential components of project management
Scope Management: Defining and controlling what is and isn't included in the project.
Time Management: Planning and scheduling timelines to ensure project completion within the specified timeframe.
Cost Management: Estimating, budgeting, and controlling costs to ensure the project is completed within the approved budget.
Quality Management: Ensuring that the project's output meets the required standards and customer expectations.
Risk Management: Identifying, analyzing, and responding to potential risks that could negatively affect the project.
Resource Management: Managing all resources, including people, materials, equipment, and technology, efficiently.
Stakeholder Management: Managing the expectations and interests of those who have a stake in the project.
Integration Management: Coordinating all aspects of the project to work together seamlessly.
Task management: 8 components your team should focus on
Next up, let’s do a deep dive into the components you should focus on when discussing task management with your team.
Task Definition: Clearly defining the tasks that need to be completed.
Task Assignment: Allocating tasks to individuals or teams based on their skills and availability.
Prioritization: Determining the order in which tasks should be completed based on their importance, deadlines, or dependencies.
Project task tracking: Monitoring the progress of tasks to ensure they are completed on time.
Collaboration: Facilitating communication and collaboration among team members to complete tasks effectively and efficiently.
Status Updates: Regularly updating the status of tasks to keep everyone informed about their progress.
Time Tracking: Recording the amount of time spent on each task.
Notifications and Reminders: Sending alerts or reminders about upcoming deadlines or pending tasks.
Project vs task: 3 templates to get you started
Everything on the task vs project front should be clear now. Let's dive into the dynamic world of projects and tasks with 3 power-packed templates that are set to revolutionize the way you work!
The simple project planner serves as a visual roadmap, helping you navigate tasks, ideas, and progress. It's a versatile tool, suitable for both individual and team-based projects.
Here's a snapshot of what the simple project planner template offers:
It's divided into four intuitive categories: Brainstorm, TODO, DOING, and DONE.
The 'Brainstorm' category acts as a think-tank, promoting the generation and refining of ideas through essential questions.
Once an idea matures, it transforms into a task and finds its place in the 'TODO' category.
The 'DOING' category is a hub for tasks that are currently underway.
Upon completion, tasks move to the 'DONE' category, marking your progress and achievements.
The template allows the addition of extra lists and labels, offering a deeper level of organization.
Agile sprint planning revolves around brief, designated timeframes in which a team tackles predetermined tasks.
Sprint planning unfolds in several stages: initial planning, task breakdown, key performance indicators (KPIs) establishment, and feedback analysis.
Initial planning sets the stage, laying down sprint objectives, highlighting priority items, and crystallizing requirements.
The project plan template not only helps in defining tasks but also facilitates daily operations, team communication, and sharing of meeting agendas.
Task breakdown, or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and assign work to team members, ensuring clear responsibility and accountability.
Establishing KPIs provides a yardstick to monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness of sprint goal attainment.
The feedback analysis or retrospective phase is a learning curve, pinpointing areas of improvement and fine-tuning processes.
The project plan template is user-friendly, adaptable, and infinitely reusable.
By optimizing your Scrum process, you can boost efficiency and consistently hit the bull's-eye with every sprint. So why wait? Propel your engineering team towards peak performance and success.
Preview of the Marketing Campaign Management template
A structured approach to marketing campaigns is not just a benefit, but a necessity. It can be your time saver, stress buster, and the secret sauce to ensuring your marketing endeavors hit the mark.
Yet, for many marketing teams, the management of campaigns often feels like juggling flaming torches - chaotic and overwhelming. This is where our tailor-made template steps in to bring order to chaos.
Here's what our marketing campaign project task plan template brings to the table:
Peak Efficiency: Say goodbye to misallocated resources and wasted time. Our template ensures a smoother, more efficient management of campaigns.
Superior Organization: With clearly assigned tasks and defined roles, confusion is out and enhanced organization is in.
Strategic Foresight: Align your marketing blitz with your overarching business objectives for a more strategic campaign planning and execution.
ROI Boost: With streamlined processes, improved organization, and data-backed decisions, watch your marketing ROI skyrocket.
Adapt and Overcome: Stay on your toes and swiftly respond to market shifts or consumer trends, keeping your campaigns fresh, relevant, and engaging.
To harness the full power of your marketing prowess and fuel business growth, it's time to embrace effective marketing campaign management.
🎁 FREE Resource: Check out these 16 must-have project plan templates that are absolutely FREE.
Projects vs Tasks: 3 project management and task software
Ready to transform the way you’re managing tasks at work? Unleash the power of organization with as we explore 3 game-changing project management and task software to streamline your workflow and supercharge productivity
Rock is a complete, unified project management and task software designed to bring teams together, streamline workflows, and elevate productivity. Packed with a suite of robust features, Rock is the ultimate destination for efficient teamwork.
At its core, Rock consolidates messaging, tasks, notes, files, and your favorite apps in one place, allowing you to reclaim valuable time and focus on work that matters.
Users can access a free full-fledged messaging experience. Discuss projects with your team and external users alike in every 1:1 and group spaces. With Rock, communication is both synchronous and asynchronous, adapting to your team's needs and working styles.
Tasks are given a new depth with Rock's full-fledged task management functionality in every space. Whether you need a simple task list or advanced features like multiple assignees, checklists, and labels for complex project tasks, Rock has got you covered.
Regardless of your team size and the industry you're in, Rock can help you organize, discuss, and get things done. It's perfect for marketing, engineering, freelancers, educators and more. Plus, with Rock's straightforward pricing and a free tier available, getting started is as easy as signing up.
Experience the future of managing tasks at work with Rock. It's more than a tool - it's a platform built to power your team's best work.
Notion offers surprisingly simple yet powerful document creation capabilities, making it ideal for crafting engaging, next-generation documents. Its wiki feature allows you to centralize all your knowledge, making it easier to find and share information.
In addition to being a robust document and wiki solution, Notion shines as a software to manage tasks and projects. It allows you to manage any type of project efficiently without the need for separate, clunky systems.
Asana is software to manage tasks and projects that aims to help teams organize, project task tracking, and manage their work. The platform facilitates team collaboration and work management, allowing teams to coordinate tasks and hit deadlines.
While Asana is a robust and comprehensive project management tool, it can be overwhelming for new users owing to its vast array of features. Some users have expressed frustration about the steep learning curve, especially for team members who are not technologically savvy.
Project vs task: manage both in one place with Rock
To wrap projects vs tasks up: one of the biggest differences between task management and project management is the scale.
Projects involve organizing wider teams and stakeholders.
Tasks concentrate on managing singular activities and an individual’s work.
Manage task projects in a single place with Rock’s all in one project management and task software. Sign up for free today to learn more about how Rock can improve your workflows and bring order to chaos.
Effective project management software is more crucial than ever. Whether you're leading a small team or managing complex projects in a multi-national corporation, the right tool can be a game-changer.
Tools in project management are about more than just task management. Nowadays, managing projects is about involving different stakeholders, juggling communication channels, and ultimately driving success.
Finding the perfect fit for your unique needs can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack with all the tools available on the market,.
But fear not.
This comprehensive guide will introduce you to the 10 best project management software tools available in 2023.
Our list includes something for everyone – switch up your current tool or start using free project management software for the first time. From feature-rich platforms to streamlined, user-friendly interfaces, let's explore the solutions currently available on the market.
Read our related article on the best remote work tools for teams who are looking to stay productive in 2023.
10 Project Management Software Tools Worth Checking Out In 2023
Let’s delve into the details of 10 tools in project management that are worth checking out this year.
We've done the heavy lifting for you, examining each tool's features, pricing, as well as listing their pros and cons. Read along to learn more about the best project manager software!
Rock is the ultimate project management software tool on the market. All-in-one functionality allows users to switch between tasks, chat, notes, files, topics and meetings without leaving their project space.
Users can start projects with anyone both in and outside of their organization. This makes Rock a great solution for teams what work with clients, freelancers, and other external stakeholders.
Every project space includes native file management and integrations popular providers such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Figma and OneDrive. Users can attach cloud files to task cards and notes to more easily access work on the cloud.
A flat pricing model makes Rock a very attractive tool for project management. Teams can collaborate with unlimited users both in- and outside of their organization without their bill skyrocketing at the end of the month.
Working with more than 5 or 6 people? Then Rock is most probably your cheapest option if you want to access premium project management software functionality.
What Features Are Available Within Rock’s Project Management Software?
Rock offers all-in-one functionality in one place. Reclaim valuable time and focus on your work. Here are some of the key features within the project management tool:
Spaces: You can organize everything into different spaces. Create a space for 1:1s, group conversations, or projects. Add anyone, inside or outside your organization, to a space so they can participate in a conversation, work on tasks, read notes, and access any file they need.
Task Management: You can use Rock to organize all your work. This feature allows you to create, assign, and manage tasks, making it easier to track project progress and deadlines.
Full-fledged Messaging: Rock features a built-in messaging system that allows you to discuss and connect with anyone, reducing the need for multiple communication platforms.
Meetings: You can conduct video meetings directly within the platform. This feature further enhances the platform's role as a one-stop solution for collaboration and communication.
Dashboard: Rock provides a unified dashboard for all your projects, with a built-in time tracker to help you stay on top of priorities.
Custom Workflows: With Rock's API documentation, you can build custom workflows and tools tailored to your team's needs.
Set Aside: This feature allows users to go through their messages, tasks, and mentions and decide what to work on now versus later.
Quick Connect: With Quick Connect, you can start collaborating with anyone quickly using your own personal link. Anyone on the internet that clicks on your link will directly be redirected to a project space with you.
Rock offers two pricing tiers: Free and Unlimited. Pricing is unique to other tools on the market because it's flat. Teams pay a single price regardless of the number of users collaborating in their project spaces.
Free Plan: This plan is best for small projects, and it’s a free software for project management. It includes the following features:
Messaging, tasks, and notes are available in every space.
Up to 50 tasks and 50 notes can be created per space.
Free cloud file storage and meeting integrations.
Import tasks from popular project management and messaging apps.
Unlimited 1:1 peer spaces and 3 group spaces.
Each free group space hosts up to 10 members.
Unlimited Plan: This plan costs $69 per month on a monthly basis and $49 per month if billed yearly, saving 29%. It's best for both small and large teams, especially those who often work with external collaborations such as clients or freelancers.
The Unlimited Plan includes, among other things, the following features:
Unlimited tasks and notes in every space.
Each space hosts up to 1000 members.
Unlimited storage per space is provided.
Online/offline and static user status is available.
Advanced features like time tracker for PRO spaces, 5 managers who can change unlimited spaces to PRO, team dashboard, time tracker dashboard, and custom Quick Connect URL.
Workspaces (50), spaces per workspace (50), group spaces (unlimited), and peer spaces (unlimited) are also included.
The Unlimited plan also provides access to premium features like advanced task functionality, automations, custom integrations, and the ability to build your own bots with the Rock API.
For more information or questions, Rock offers 24/7 customer support and priority support to Unlimited plan users.
Pros And Cons Of Using Rock As Your Project Management Software Tool
The pros and cons of user Rock can vary depending on the specific needs and circumstances of your team or project. Take advantage of the freemium plan to see if Rock is the right fit for you.
Pros Of Using Rock
✅ All-in-one platform: Consolidate messaging, tasks, notes, files, and other favorite apps into one space
✅ Integration with other apps: Work with a large number of other popular tools, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Zoom, and Github.
✅ Collaboration features: Quickly add other companies, agencies, or freelancers to a space and give everyone access to everything they need to get work done.
✅ Flexible use cases: Rock is designed for a wide variety of use cases, including marketing, startups, freelance, educators, engineering, and more.
✅ Affordable pricing: Upgrade to the Unlimited Plan for a flat price. The paid plan makes Rock a cost-effective solution, particularly for larger teams.
Cons Of Using Rock
❌ Limited offline capabilities: As an online project management software tool, Rock does not offer offline functionality.
What Other People Think About Using Rock
“As a freelancer I work on several projects at the same time with many different people and organization. I use Rock to organize every project in different space, inviting the people I work with. We share plan, tasks, files, and they can follow my workflow, which task is completed or not etc. The massive change compare to Trello and Slack I've been using is that we can discuss at the task level. This means if I'm working on a project with several tasks, we don't have to have endless emails discussing them one by one, the client can just add inputs or comment within the task.” - Capterra Verified Review
"It's easy to use. Quick to setup and basically got all the functions we need to run a collaboration between team members." - Capterra Verified Review
MeisterTask is a comprehensive project management software designed to facilitate effective and efficient team collaborations.
Stemming from the principles of Kanban, MeisterTask presents tasks on a board where they move across columns as they progress through stages. A visual interface allows for an easy overview of project status and workflow at a glance.
The platform is customizable and adaptable, catering to various use cases such as task management, agile project management, workflow management, and teamwork.
MeisterTask Key Features
Kanban-style Project Boards
Task Creation and Management
Personal Agenda Board
Task Assignees and Watchers
Built-in Time Tracker
Attachments
MeisterTask Pricing
MeisterTasks’ management software offers the following pricing plans:
Basic Plan: free, providing core task management features for single users.
Pro Plan: $12 per user per month.
Business Plan: $24 per user per month and is designed for larger teams.
Enterprise Plan: This plan offers custom pricing for large companies with specific requirements. The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into software to manage projects
Pros and Cons Of Using MeisterTask For Project Management
Pros of using MeisterTask
✅ Kanban-Style Boards: MeisterTask uses Kanban-style boards to visualize workflows. Board view can help teams better understand their progress and what needs to be done next.
Cons of using MeisterTask
❌ Pricing: Teams can quickly rack up a large bill at the end of the month when paying 12$ or 24$ per user per month.
❌ Potential for Feature Overload: MeisterTask’s project management software offers a lot of features, potentially overwhelming users. Especially those who prefer a more straightforward, simple task management solution.
Hive is a management software designed to optimize workflows, increase productivity, and enable seamless team collaboration.Functionality includes task tracking, time tracking, setting and visualizing milestones, collaboration and messaging, and AI-powered content creation.
Designed for the hybrid working model, Hive is a free project management software that is versatile enough to cater to diverse teams and projects.
Hive offers extensive functionality, but this complexity can sometimes also be an issue for users. Some users have reported finding the interface overwhelming due to the multitude of features and options available.
Additionally, there have been mentions of occasional glitches, and some users have expressed the need for better customer support.
Hive Key Features
Project Management
Time Tracking
Goals
Collaboration & Messaging
Notes AI
Analytics
Hive Pricing Plans
Hive offers three different pricing plans catering to different needs, which are:
1. Solo: This is a free plan aimed at individuals who need to organize their projects in one place. This plan includes:
Up to 2 workspace members
Gantt, Kanban, Calendar & Table views
Email in Hive
Native chat messaging
2. Teams: This is the most popular plan and costs $12/month per user. It's designed for those who need to work without limits and customize their project management experience. This plan includes everything in the Solo plan plus:
Unlimited workspace members
Seven flexible add-ons (extra)
External guest access
Shareable forms
Time tracking
In-app calendar
3. Enterprise: This plan is for users who need more flexibility, extra support, and security. The price isn't listed on the website and you're encouraged to get in touch with Hive for a quote. The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into apps for project management.
Pros and Cons Of Using Hive As Your App For Project Management
Pros of using Hive
✅ Integrations: Hive can be integrated with a wide array of external apps, helping to streamline work and centralize information.
Cons of using Hive
❌ Cost Implications: With a rate of $12 per user each month, teams might find themselves with a substantial cumulative expense for management software by month's end.
❌ Learning Curve: Given the wide array of features and customization options, new users might face a steep learning curve.
Trello is a project management tool designed to foster team collaboration and work organization. The platform uses a card-based system where each card represents a task, which can be organized into different lists representing the stages of a project.
Trello strives to make project management simple and efficient for teams of all sizes with features such as automations, power-ups and project plan templates for easy setup.
Although Trello's free project management software is great for visualizing stages, it can lack depth for detailed project management needs. Users have also expressed a need for more robust reporting and analytic features to better track and evaluate the overall progress of their projects.
Standard Plan - $5 per user/month if billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
Premium Plan - $10 per user/month if billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly).
Enterprise Plan - $17.50 per user/month if billed annually ($210.00 annual price per user). The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into apps for project management.
Pros And Cons Of Using Trello For Project Management
Pros Of Using Trello
✅ Kanban-Style Boards: Trello uses Kanban-style boards to visualize workflows. Board view can help teams better understand their progress and what needs to be done next.
Cons Of Using Trello
❌ Pricing: Teams can quickly rack up a large bill at the end of the month when paying 5$ or 10$ per user per month.
❌ Potential for Feature Overload: Trello offers a lot of features, potentially overwhelming users. Especially those who prefer a more straightforward, simple task management solution.
Monday.com is a Work Operating System (Work OS) that enables organizations to manage tasks, projects, and team work in one collaborative space. Functionality is designed to suit various team sizes and industries, offering solutions for marketing, sales, engineering, recruiting, and more.
Monday’s management software allows users to create their own workflows, centralize all work and communication in one place, and integrate with other popular tools like Slack, Dropbox, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
While Monday.com’s project management software provides a host of benefits, it isn't without its drawbacks. One common user complaint is about its pricing. Some users feel that the platform can be quite expensive, especially for small businesses or startups.
Furthermore, users have noted a steep learning curve, making initial setup and adoption a challenge.
Monday project management functionality
Boards
Views
Dashboards
Integrations
Automations
Apps
Docs
Monday pricing options
Free Plan - $0 forever
Basic Plan - $8 per seat/month ($24/month total - minimum 3 users) billed annually
Standard Plan - $10 per seat/month ($30/month total - minimum 3 users) billed annually
Pro Plan - $16 per seat/month ($48/month total - minimum 3 users) billed annually
Enterprise Plan - Pricing is provided upon contacting sales. The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into software to manage projects
Pros And Cons Of Using Monday Com As Your Project Management Software
Pros Of Using Monday
✅ Customizable views: Monday.com offers 10+ customizable views including Gantt and Kanban, which allows users to visualize tasks and projects based on their specific workflows.
Cons Of Using Monday
❌ Pricing: Teams can quickly rack up a large bill at the end of the month when paying 8$, 10$ or $16 per user per month.
❌ Notification Overload: Some users have reported receiving too many notifications, which can become overwhelming and potentially disrupt productivity.
Microsoft Teams is a unified project management tool that integrates workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. The service is part of the Microsoft 365 family of products, providing a hub for teamwork.
Users can create shared workspaces, use AI-powered experiences to make collaboration smarter and easier, and even empower their frontline workers with intelligent operations and seamless communication.
A common complaint from users is that the interface can be somewhat non-intuitive and confusing, especially for first-time users. UI issues within the project management software can lead to difficulties in navigation and locating specific features or tools.
Working with Microsoft Office already? Add the OneDrive integration to your Rock spaces for seamless file access.
Project Management Features In Microsoft Teams
Meetings and Conferencing
Teams Phone
Chat and Collaboration
Teams Devices
Apps
Frontline Workforce Solutions
Real-time Coauthoring
Microsoft Teams Connect
Teams Channels
Microsoft Teams pricing
Teams does not have a free software for project management. Instead, pricing is divided among the following plans:
Microsoft Teams Essentials: Starting from $4 per user/month (Annual subscription—auto renews).
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: Starting from $6 per user/month (Annual subscription—auto renews).
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: Price: Starting from $12.5 per user/month (Annual subscription—auto renews).
Pros And Cons Of Using Microsoft Teams As For Project Management
Pros Of Using Microsoft Teams
✅ Collaborative Workspace: Microsoft Teams integrates with other Microsoft 365 apps like SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, and Power BI, making it a comprehensive platform for team collaboration.
Cons Of Using Microsoft Teams
❌ Integration with Non-Microsoft Apps: While Teams integrates well with Microsoft's own apps, it may not integrate as smoothly with third-party apps.
❌ Notification Management: Users have reported that managing notifications can be overwhelming and confusing.
Asana is a popular project management software that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work. Their primary goal is to facilitate team collaboration and improve productivity.
With a user-friendly interface, Asana allows you to create and assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and add task descriptions. You can visualize your work in various ways including lists, task boards, calendars, or Gantt charts with the Timeline feature.
Teams can share notes, upload files, and communicate directly in the context of each task or project, keeping all relevant information in one place.
Features that can be found within Asana
Task Management
Project Visualization
File Sharing
Collaboration Tools
Workflow Automation
Integrations
Custom Fields
Goals
Forms
Asana pricing
Basic: This is for individuals or teams just getting started with project management. It's free forever.
Premium: $10.99 per user/month if billed annually ($13.49 billed monthly)
Business: This plan is for teams and companies that need software to manage projects across initiatives. $14.99 per user/month if billed annually ($30.49 billed monthly)
Enterprise: This is Asana's most comprehensive offering, providing powerful, intuitive work management with advanced admin features and security at scale. The price for the Enterprise plan is not provided and you are prompted to contact their sales team for more information.
Asana Pros And Cons For Project Management
Pros Of Using Asana
✅ Features: Asana provides robust features such as task assignments, due dates, project timelines, comments, file attachments, and more.
Cons Of Using Asana
❌ Pricing: Some users find Asana to be expensive, especially for small businesses or startups, as some of the advanced features are only available in the premium tiers.
❌ Overwhelming for Simple Projects: If you're managing a straightforward or small-scale project, Asana might be more complex than you need.
Jira, developed by Atlassian, is a popular issue and project tracking software that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing work in agile teams.
The project management software covers aspects from work management and IT service management to agile and DevOps, catering to various team sizes and industries.
One of the most common criticisms of Jira is its complexity. The platform is robust and highly customizable, which can make it overwhelming and difficult to navigate for newcomers.
Jira’s Tools For Project Management
Issue and Project Tracking
Prioritization and Discussion
Fast Release
Reporting
Automation
Templates
Customization
Integration
Open DevOps
Different Pricing Options Within Jira
Free Plan - $0 forever
Standard Plan - $21 per seat/month ($63/month total - minimum 3 users) billed monthly
Premium Plan - $47 per seat/month ($141/month total - minimum 3 users) billed monthly
Enterprise Plan - Pricing is provided upon contacting sales. The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into apps for project management.
Jira Pros And Cons For Project Management
Pros Of Using Jira
✅ Strong Support for Agile Methodologies: Jira offers strong support for Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban. Features like customizable boards, backlogs and sprints, make it a good fit for Agile teams.
Cons Of Using Jira
❌ Complexity: The high degree of flexibility and customization can lead to complexity, making it difficult to configure and manage without dedicated administrators.
❌ Cost: While Jira does offer a free tier, the costs can increase quickly as you add more users and need more advanced features.
9. ClickUp
Via ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based project management platform designed to bring all of your work into one centralized location. The platform is designed to be flexible and customizable, enabling teams from all sectors and sizes to plan, organize, and stay organized at work.
ClickUp's goal is to make the world more productive by removing the friction caused by using so many different apps, and to provide a single unified platform for work.
While ClickUp’s project management software is highly praised for its versatility and wealth of features, it also receives some criticism. A common user complaint is about the platform's complexity due to its extensive features and customization options.
Additionally, some users have reported that the software can occasionally be slow and laggy, especially when managing a large number of tasks, which can impact productivity and the user experience.
ClickUp’s Tools For Project Management
Task Management
Customizable Views
Collaboration Tools
Time Tracking
Custom Fields
Integration
Reporting
Automation
Pricing Plans Within ClickUp
Free Forever
Unlimited: $7 per member per month on an annual plan
Business: $12 per member per month on an annual plan
Enterprise: Contact Sales for pricing. The enterprise plan is best for large organizations (1000+ employees) looking into apps for project management.
ClickUp Pros And Cons For Managing Your Project Management
Pros Of Using ClickUp
✅ Collaborative Tools: Users have noted that ClickUp's collaborative tools, like comment sections and document sharing, are very useful for team projects.
Cons Of Using ClickUp
❌ Mobile App: Some reviews indicate that the mobile app could be improved in terms of functionality and performance.
❌ User Interface: A few users have noted that the user interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly.
10. Basecamp
Via Basecamp
Basecamp aims to eliminate the need for multiple apps for chat, file sharing, tasks, or basic scheduling. Thereby, reducing time spent bouncing between different platforms and increasing overall productivity.
Users are offered a unique set of tools for project management like Hill Charts, Campfire and Card Table.
While Basecamp is lauded for its simplicity and ease of use, some users have expressed dissatisfaction with its lack of advanced features, such as Gantt charts and time tracking, which are commonly found in other project management tools.
Lack of functionality may limit its applicability for teams or projects that require more complex or specialized project management functionalities.
Basecamp Project Management Features
Home Dashboard
Messages
File Sharing and Discussion
Schedule
Automatic Check-ins
Reports
Pings
Pricing Options within Basecamp
Basecamp does not offer a free software for project management, instead users can make use of a 30-day trial. Instead, it offers the following two plans:
Basecamp: The pricing model is on a month-to-month basis and is charged at $15/user per month. Only employees are billed, and guests can be invited for free.
Basecamp Pro Unlimited: The cost is $299/month, billed annually with no per-user charges. If you prefer to pay month-to-month, it’s $349/month.
Basecamp Pros And Cons For Managing Your Project Management
Pros Of Using Basecamp
✅ Project Organization: Users appreciate the centralized location for project management, including task assignments, discussions, file sharing, and scheduling.
Cons Of Using Basecamp
❌ Integrations: While Basecamp does integrate with some other tools, users have expressed the desire for more extensive integration capabilities with external apps and services.
❌ Pricing: Some users find the pricing model, especially for small teams, to be more expensive compared to other project management tools.
Get The Most Out Of Your Work With The Best Project Management Software
Wave goodbye to clutter, chaos, and confusion. Embrace the power of seamless collaboration, streamlined communication, and effective tools in project management.
Rock is the best project manager software. You're not just managing projects, you're mastering them. Elevate your teams, optimize your workflow, and start making every project a success story today.
Your journey to effortless project management starts here! Time to get the most out of your work, one project at a time.
What is file management? File management, in its simplest form, refers to the process of organizing and controlling data files stored on the cloud, or a device, such as a computer or smartphone. Virtual filing systems involve the way files are named, stored, retrieved, and organized.
The situation is all too familiar: you know the file you need, if only you could find it! The file could be in your inbox, desktop, or maybe someone else has a more recent version?
You unnecessarily waste time when you’re spending hours searching through work files. Different types of filing then become a roadblock that's entirely avoidable.
How can we avoid doing deep dives into unknown folders? For starters, it doesn't involve plumbing the depths of inboxes or shared drives.
Read on to learn more establishing an effective file management system for your project management!
What are the benefits of a file management system?
When left to their own devices, each worker will likely organize their documents and files in their own way - some may be similar to each other, while others may be wildly unique.
A good file system will standardize the organization of information so everyone is familiar with the structure and location of documents. It should also make the information more accessible so it can be used more easily.
You’ll be able to leverage the following benefits when implementing structured file management:
Improved organization: Systematically organized work files are easy to locate and access when needed. You can also prevent duplicate files taking up unnecessary storage space.
Increased productivity: When virtual files are easy to find and manage, you waste less time searching for them thus improving effectiveness and efficiency.
Version control: A virtual filing system often includes version control features. Use version control to track changes, revert to previous versions, and prevent accidental overwrites.
Scalability: As your organization grows, so does the amount of data. A good file management system can scale with your needs, making it easy to manage an increasing number of files.
With an intuitive structure, new team members will be able to pick up on how things are done more quickly and anyone can find important details without needing to bother another team member.
Looking for a free project planning template? Well, you can get started with the Simple Project Planner Template for free!
File management makes asynchronous work easier
Asynchronous work is a work style that allows team members to complete their tasks and communicate on their own schedules, rather than requiring immediate responses or actions. In other words, work doesn't have to happen in real-time or face-to-face. Team members can contribute whenever they can or prefer, within agreed-upon deadlines.
Structured virtual file systems help keep your team on the same page. Whether team members log on at 6am or 6pm, they don’t have to ping a coworker to find an important work files.
Well organized files are a must for asynchronous work to succeed. Synchronous communication becomes needed when people can't access important information in their own time. Subsequently, certain team members block work progress when others can’t find their files
A well organized file system provides structure and an intuitive arrangement of important documentation. You won’t need to wait for a coworker to log on to get information because information is easy for you to retrieve and use.
It's time to take control of your hectic schedule and unleash your true potential with our FREE productivity training!
Sharing is caring for your work files
A logical grouping of folders and files makes information more navigable that people outside your organization — like clients and freelancers. In today’s interconnected world, it shouldn’t be a hassle to connect outsiders to your teams digital file organization.
The correct file management system makes it easier to loop key stakeholders in. Any invited person can review and revise files wherever they can connect to the internet. Hosting your work files on the cloud also means that you won’t need to track multiple versions of the same file.
When external partners are more involved in the review and editing of files, the flow of communication is better and you can be confident that you’re delivering a better product.
Don't leave stakeholder engagement to chance—take control of your project's success by leveraging the power of our FREE Stakeholder Engagement Plan Template.
6 Popular File Management Systems That You Can Use For Free
In an era where digital data is integral to our daily operations, the importance of efficient file management cannot be overstated.
Whether you're an individual trying to keep your personal documents in order, a small business owner juggling multiple tasks, or a team leader coordinating collaborative projects, reliable documentation management systems can be a game-changer.
Fortunately, the market offers a variety of robust virtual filing systems that are not only user-friendly but also free to use. Next up, we'll delve into six popular free file management systems that can help with staying organized at work.
Rock features a file management system that enables teams to store files in multiple different formats through the files mini-app. Every project space comes with file storage where your team can store relevant work files in a single place.
Any file that is uploaded to the chat, notes and topics mini-apps also become easily retrievable from within the files mini-app.
Rock also features free cloud integrations with file management systems such as Figma, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Adobe CC and Smartsheet to Rock spaces. These files can then directly be added into individual task cards, notes and topics.
🚀 Run any project on Rock, work together within seconds and stop switching between different apps to get work done. Try it out for free!
2. Google Drive
Google Drive is readily available to just about anyone with internet access. With it, you can upload documents to your Drive or create new ones. You can store documents, work files and folders in the cloud; readily available for everyone.
When you give team members or clients access to files, you can determine whether they’ll just be able to view the file (good for clients or final drafts) or if allow them to edit the work files. This ensures only the appropriate people are making changes to documents.
🚀 Rock offers a free integration with Google Drive in every project space. Add relevant folders and attach documents to tasks, notes and topics for easy access. Try it out for free!
3. Dropbox
Dropbox provides a centralized file management system that’s cloud-based. Tailor your organization structure and file hierarchy to your team’s needs and workflows with a customizable system.
With these features, you can ensure that file organization is easy to understand. Additionally, you can navigate and track different versions of work files because edits are synced almost instantaneously.
🚀 Rock has a free file management integration with Dropbox in every project space. Attach folders and documents to tasks, notes and topics for seamless project management workflows. Try it out for free!
4. OneDrive
With Microsoft’s OneDrive, workers can access files anywhere since it is also a cloud-based file management system. OneDrive enables people to edit, share and collaborate more easily. OneDrive also connects seamlessly with some organizational platforms.
Think of Word, Powerpoint and Excel easily integrated into your documentation management systems.
🚀 Rock offers a free file system integration with OneDrive in every project space. Add relevant folders and attach documents to tasks, notes and topics for easy access. Try it out for free!
5. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a cloud-based platform that combines elements of project management, task collaboration, and a file management system into one versatile tool. Teams can plan, capture, manage, automate, and report on projects, all while storing and organizing related files and documents.
A spreadsheet-like interface allows users to navigate and manage data. Robust file management ensures that all project-related files are easily accessible and securely stored.
🚀 Rock offers a free file management integration with Smartsheet in every project space. Add relevant folders and attach documents to tasks, notes and topics for easy access. Try it out for free!
6. Notion
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines elements of note-taking, database management, project management, and digital file organization into one platform.
Individuals can create, share, and manage a wide range of content, from simple notes to complex projects. Within its user-friendly interface, Notion's file management system enables users to store, organize, and access related files and documents.
🚀 Rock offers a free work files integration with Notion in every project space. Add relevant folders and attach documents to tasks, notes and topics for easy access. Try it out for free!
Streamline your digital file organization
Introducing streamlined file management can make your team’s everyday lives easier and less stressful.
Pat yourself in the back if you already have a unified system in place and have avoided different types of filing. But remember, simply having a file management system in place isn’t enough. Your documentation should be optimized to work with other remote work tools and your team, aligning with your workflows and always remaining intuitive.
With a digital file organization, you can empower your team by giving them convenient access to the information they need. With the right information at their fingertips, they can boost their productivity and streamline their work.
Since they can get relevant work files and folders whenever they need to, your team can eliminate roadblocks and extra steps from the process.
Starting a new project can sometimes feel like setting sail in uncharted waters. While mapping out a clear plan is crucial, getting started can often feel like a daunting task.
To assist you in your next project, we have curated a collection of 16 must-have project plan templates that are absolutely FREE. Workflow templates are designed to address a wide array of project types, simplifying your planning process.
Whether you're a seasoned project manager or a beginner, these project management templates will act as your compass, leading you to project success.
Looking for an efficient way to manage SEO projects? Streamline your SEO workflow and ensure that content is optimized for search engines.
Search engines demand constant adaptation and improvement to stay relevant. To be productive, an SEO project plan template needs to be well-documented, data-driven, and easily accessible.
Whether you're working on keyword research, outlines, or optimization, this template has everything you need to manage your content.
Your workspace in the project plan template also includes features like notes and files, as well as chat and meeting integrations. It is designed to help you produce high-quality content that attracts traffic and improves search engine rankings.
SEO content creation requires ongoing adaptation and improvement
An efficient SEO workflow needs to be well documented, data-driven, and easily accessible
Access a step-by-step guide for keyword research, content outlining, creation, optimization, and promotion
Features like notes and files, as well as chat and meeting integrations, help keep all information and discussions centralized
Follow the step-by-step guide and leverage all the features to produce high-quality content that attracts traffic and improves their search engine rankings. Start using the template for planning freely and start ranking in search engines today!
The way you onboard your customers sets the tone for your relationship, establishes expectations, and aligns goals. If done poorly, it can lead to miscommunications, missed deadlines, and ultimately, a strained relationship. But fear not, because we have the solution!
Introducing our comprehensive client onboarding project plan template. Designed to be universal and applicable to various types of agencies and freelancers. This checklist will guide you through the seven stages of the client onboarding process, providing actionable insights and best practices at each step.
By adopting this project management template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
Main takeaways:
The checklist includes stages such as conducting an onboarding questionnaire, sending a welcome letter, planning kick-off meeting…
Each stage of the project plan template provides actionable insights and best practices for successful onboarding.
The template for planning onboarding enables agencies and freelancers to gather comprehensive client information, assign a dedicated team, understand client needs and expectations…
In today's fast-paced world, having a well-defined process for marketing campaigns is crucial for success. It can save you time, reduce stress, and ensure that your marketing efforts yield the desired results.
However, for many marketing professionals, managing campaigns can be overwhelming and disorganized. That's where our custom template comes in to help.
Key Benefits of the marketing campaign project plan template:
Increased efficiency: Allocate resources more effectively and reduce time spent on managing campaigns.
Improved organization: Clear task assignment and defined responsibilities eliminate confusion and enhance overall organization.
Strategic planning: Align marketing efforts with business goals to take a strategic approach to planning and executing campaigns.
Higher ROI: Streamline processes, improve organization, and make data-driven decisions to significantly increase marketing ROI.
Better adaptability: Quickly identify and respond to market changes or consumer behavior to keep campaigns relevant and engaging.
To unlock the full potential of your marketing efforts and drive business growth, invest in effective marketing campaign management. Get started with the dedicated project management template and say goodbye to disorganization, while maximizing ROI.
Planning an event can be a complex and time-consuming process. However, with the right tools and resources, you can streamline the planning process and ensure a successful event. That's where our Free Template comes in.
This template for planning events covers various stages of making an event a reality;, including goal setting, venue selection, budgeting, branding, publicity…
With our free event project plan template, you'll have a step-by-step checklist to guide you through the entire planning process. From setting goals to post-event tasks, stay organized and ensure a successful event.
The creative workflow project plan template is a user-friendly solution that helps organizations organize, plan, and oversee the production of creative content. Your team can improve efficiency, communication, and the overall creative output by implementing the project plan example.
Outline your content requirements, set deadlines, assign tasks to team members, and track progress in real-time. By streamlining your workflow, you can eliminate bottlenecks, improve collaboration, and boost productivity.
Don't miss out on the advantages of a well-organized content creation process. This project management template sets you up for a timely delivery of high-quality content by ensuring important steps are not overlooked.
This streamlined workspace is designed to kickstart your next project with ease. How you plan projects does not have to be complicated. Get started with intuitive functionality that can be shared by inviting others to your space!
The dedicated project management template provides a visual way to organize tasks, ideas, and progress; making it a great tool for teams and individuals alike.
The template includes four lists: Brainstorm, TODO, DOING, and DONE.
The Brainstorm list helps generate and refine ideas by answering key questions.
Once an idea is fleshed out, you can create a task and add it to the TODO list.
The DOING list is for tasks currently in progress.
When tasks are completed, they can be moved to the DONE list.
Additional lists and labels can be added for enhanced organization.
Messaging functionality alongside note-taking, videoconferencing and file storage can be accessed from the same workspace.
The project plan template is suitable for solo projects or team collaborations.
This simple template for planning is a powerful and user-friendly setup for organizing and managing projects. Using it offers you a streamlined workspace for brainstorming, tracking progress, and celebrating accomplishments.
Missing deadlines can be a costly mistake in content marketing. Stay on track with a checklist-based project plan template. Ensure that every step in your content creation and distribution is completed, including social media promotion and meta descriptions.
No more wondering if you've forgotten something - workflow checklists keep you organized and efficient.
This example of a project plan includes features such as task management, messaging, and integrations with various tools. All these features are present to make it easier to monitor the blogging workflow and collaborate with team members.
In today's competitive business landscape, providing exceptional customer service is not just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have.
Customers have more choices than ever before, and their expectations for great service are higher than ever. Organizations that fail to meet these expectations risk losing valuable customers and damaging their reputation.
So, how can businesses effectively manage their customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty? That's where this project plan template comes into play:
Using the task board as a customer relationship management (CRM) system help businesses manage customer interactions and data.
Collecting and analyzing customer feedback is essential for improving products and services.
Effective customer service management leads to higher customer satisfaction and retention.
Ongoing effort is required to meet evolving customer expectations and compete in the market.
To streamline customer service, businesses can use this dedicated workspace to document and discuss different customer interactions and feedback points.
Effective agile sprint planning is crucial for staying organized and accomplishing tasks in the fast-paced world of Scrum. Project management templates offer a reliable sprint workflow that streamlines the process.
A project plan offers predefined tasks, functionality for day-to-day work, team communication, and meeting agenda sharing.
WBS outlines tasks, subtasks, dependencies, and assigns them to team members.
Setting KPIs helps measure progress and effectiveness in achieving sprint goals.
Retrospective is a feedback stage for identifying improvements and refining processes.
The project plan example is user-friendly, versatile, and can be used unlimited times.
Streamline your Scrum process, increase efficiency, and achieve optimal results in every sprint. Take the next step towards becoming a high-performing and successful engineering team.
Are you a freelance designer or branding specialist looking to keep your branding design process organized? Look no further than this dedicated project management template!
Use this project plan template to streamline the branding steps and ensure that both you and your clients know what's happening at every stage of the branding process.
Break the work down into manageable tasks to ensure that you never miss an important step. The design project management template allows you to track progress, assign tasks, and collaborate with your team and/or clients.
Break down the brand process into manageable tasks.
The project management template allows you to track progress, assign tasks, and collaborate effectively.
Ensure that you never miss an important step when branding a new product or service.
The example of a project plan covers all key stages, including onboarding, creative brief, discovery, design phase, client review meetings, revisions, and final handoff.
Keep clients updated on progress and aligned with their vision.
In conclusion, the Branding project plan example is a valuable tool for freelance designers and branding specialists. Give it a try to experience the benefits firsthand.
Are you tired of sifting through stacks of resumes, trying to keep track of candidate progress, and juggling communication channels?
As a human resources professional, recruiter, or hiring manager, your time is precious. You need a solution that simplifies and streamlines the recruitment process. That's where a recruitment project plan template comes in.
A recruitment tracker is a powerful tool that can revolutionize the way you manage and monitor the hiring process. With the ability to consolidate all recruitment-related information in one place, project plan template eliminates the need for scattered spreadsheets, messy email threads, and endless file searches.
Key points discussed in the project management template:
Rock is a comprehensive candidate tracker that streamlines the recruitment process.
Rock offers features such as notes, files, meetings, and tasks to enhance efficiency.
The example of a project plan includes lists for resume review, interviews, offers, rejections, accepted candidates, and the option to customize and personalize.
This project plan template for tracking applications is a useful tool for HR departments, recruiting agencies, and hiring managers to streamline the recruitment process. Take the next step and experience recruitment made easy!
Managing multiple integrated campaigns can be challenging, especially when it comes to organizing content and assets. This inbound marketing project plan template solves collaboration challenges within your inbound marketing strategy through intuitive, all-in-one functionality.
Inbound content marketing focuses on creating valuable content to attract and convert leads.
The process involves attracting, engaging, converting, nurturing, closing, and delighting prospects.
The inbound content marketing template offers a centralized location for content and assets.
The project plan example streamlines task management and facilitates collaboration within the team through chat, notes and files.
Using tools like Rock can improve workflow and boost marketing results.
Managing an inbound marketing strategy can be overwhelming, but with our project template, you can streamline your workflow and maximize the efficiency of your day-to-day collaboration.
Plan projects today and see how it can improve your workflow and boost your results. Take the next step towards enhancing your inbound marketing strategy and gaining a competitive edge in today's digital landscape.
Our development roadmap project plan template revolutionizes your process by providing a clear, organized, and collaborative approach.
Say goodbye to scattered Google Docs and hello to efficient task management and streamlined communication. Get started for free and take your product management to the next level.
A product roadmap communicates the vision, direction, and progress of a product over time.
Roadmaps are crucial for aligning stakeholders and prioritizing development.
The product roadmap template includes themes, features/epics, timeline roadmap, status updates, and resources.
Task management can be helpful for visualizing progress in the roadmap.
The free product roadmap project plan template suggests stages such as sharing ideas and suggestions, product design…
The roadmap project plan example offers a comprehensive tool for product managers to effectively organize and prioritize their product development. By following the suggested stages, product managers can track progress and optimize their workflow.
Building a new website can be complex and time-consuming, but with the right roadmap, you can create a successful website. Streamline the process and finish up your successful and well-designed website well before the due date.
The website development process involves creating, designing, and launching a website.
A well-developed website is functional, visually appealing, and user-friendly.
Benefits of an effective web design workflow include clear objectives and goals, efficient resource management, improved communication and collaboration, and better project management.
The website building template helps organize web design projects and gather necessary information.
The project management template allows for easy collaboration and documentation in a single project space.
Don't let building a new website overwhelm you. Plan projects effectively and create a successful website with ease. Get started today and experience the benefits of a streamlined process.
Stakeholder relationship management is a critical component of any successful organization. But how can you ensure that the management of stakeholders is both effective and efficient?
You can do just that by following the step-by-step process outlined in our stakeholder project plan template. Start working with tailored strategies and processes that address the unique needs and expectations of each stakeholder group.
Identifying stakeholder communication tasks: List all communication tasks related to stakeholders, such as updates and meetings, to create a foundation for the task board.
Crafting task cards: Write each communication task on a separate card with relevant details, such as stakeholder name and due date, which will be used to populate the task board.
Organizing tasks on the board: Arrange task cards in columns based on their current stage in the communication process to provide a visual organization and easy identification of task status.
Assigning responsibilities: Clearly indicate team members responsible for each task to foster accountability and collaboration within the team.
Updating the board regularly: Move the task cards across columns as tasks progress, enabling progress tracking and prompt issue resolution.
Conducting regular reviews: Periodically review ongoing tasks with the team to discuss progress, address challenges, and plan for future communications, promoting open dialogue and collaboration.
Implementing this project management template helps streamline communication processes, enhance collaboration, and ensure timely interactions with stakeholders.
Are you a graphic designer looking to create a portfolio that will impress potential clients and showcase your skills?
Gone are the days of spending hours trying to figure out the best way to present your work.
Our project plan template provides a clear and intuitive task management process, ensuring that every essential aspect of creating a graphic design portfolio is covered. Now, let's dive into the stages our template walks you through.
Research and gather data to tailor your portfolio website to impress clients
Design wireframes and mockups that incorporate cohesive and polished elements
Choose the right content management system to showcase your work effectively
Test your website for functionality and user-friendliness
Showcase your best work through case studies and testimonials
Employ strategies to launch and promote your portfolio website effectively
Our example of a project plan for portfolio design provides a simple and efficient way to create an impressive preview of your graphic design skills.
Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting out, this project plan example will save you time and effort while showcasing the best side of your business.
Must-Have Project Plan Templates: Access More In The Template Gallery
The project plan templates highlighted in this article are only the tip of the iceberg. With the breadth of templates available in our Template Gallery, you're sure to find a design that fits your unique project needs.
Whether you're managing a small team project or overseeing a larger, more complex initiative, the right project management templates can make all the difference.
So, don't stop here. Dive into the Template Gallery to explore more options and discover the perfect layout that will guide your project to success.
The way we interact with our clients can make or break a business relationship. Client communication can be seen as an intricate dance - one wrong move can lead to a misstep, and potentially a fall.
Communication is your ticket to success if you pay attention and learn to do it effectively. - Theo gold
This article is your guide to mastering the dance of communication, ensuring your team always stays in step with your clients. Let's dive into the essential etiquette rules with 10 do’s and don’ts your team should know.
Apply these habits today and transform your client relationships from good to great!
Why is effective client communication important?
The most important thing when it comes to client communication is understanding why you need to properly communicate in the first place.
Here are some of the main benefits you can get out of effectively communicating with clients:
Building trust: Clear, consistent, and open communication helps establish trust between a business and its clients. You show that you value the input clients provide and are committed to meeting their needs.
Understanding needs and expectations: Communication with clients allows you to understand the project better. By actively listening and responding appropriately, you can provide tailored solutions that align with your shared goals.
Problem-solving: Issues and misunderstandings are inevitable in any business relationship. Effectively communicating with clients enables you to address these problems effectively and efficiently, minimizing their impact on the client relationship.
Client retention: Clients are more likely to stay with a business that works effectively with them. Regular updates, prompt responses, and proactive outreach make clients feel valued and appreciated, increasing their loyalty.
New business referrals: Word-of-mouth referrals are still one of the most effective forms of marketing. When you communicate effectively, clients are more likely to refer your services to others.
Boosting your sales: Through effective communication, you can identify upsell or cross-sell opportunities. By understanding your clients' needs and providing value, you can increase sales and drive business growth.
Remember, effective client communication is not only about speaking or delivering a message. It's also about listening, understanding, and responding in a way that adds value and strengthens the client relationship.
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
Client communication: 10 do’s and don’ts your team should follow
Navigating the world of communicating with clients can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope. The right words strengthen relationships, foster trust, and drive business growth. Meanwhile, missteps can lead to misunderstandings, lost opportunities, or damaged reputations.
So, how can your team ensure they're always on the right side of this delicate balance?
Below, we’ve listed 10 do’s and don’ts to provide a foundation for client communication and set your team up for success.
1. Do actively listen to your clients
Active listening is about fully engaging with the client. Show empathy and understand the underlying messages or emotions being conveyed.
You’re not just listening so you have something to reply back; you’re listening so that you can get to know the client better. With active listening you enrich your partnership by encouraging honesty, collaboration, and mutual understanding.
Here's how you can implement active listening in client communications:
Pay attention: Focus on the speaker, avoiding distractions.
Show that you are listening: Use non-verbal cues (like nodding or maintaining eye contact) and verbal affirmations (like "I see" or "Noted") to demonstrate that you're engaged.
Provide feedback: Summarize or paraphrase what the client has said to ensure you've understood correctly.
Ask questions: Ask clarifying questions to gain a deeper understanding of the client's needs or concerns.
Avoid interrupting: Allow the client to finish their thoughts before you respond.
Remember, active listening is one of the client communication skills that that takes practice to develop. However, its impact is significant and well worth the effort.
🎁 Free resource: Don't let your voice be drowned out in the noise of the world—take control of your life through the Assertiveness Training Template.
2. Don’t make it all about you
Remember, client communication is about understanding and meeting the needs of the client. Don’t spend the valuable time you have together just talking about your own products, services, or achievements.
Here are a few strategies to ensure the focus remains on the client:
Open-ended questions: Encourage clients to share more about their needs, concerns, and goals through open-ended questions.
Listen more, talk less: Allow the client to do most of the talking. Gain a deep understanding of their situation first, then provide input second.
Tailor your responses: When you do speak, ensure that your responses are tailored to the client's needs. Highlight how your products or services can address their specific challenges.
Show empathy: Demonstrate that you understand and care about the client's concerns.
Communicating with clients is a two-way street. By ensuring the focus remains on the client, you're more likely to build successful, long-lasting business relationships.
3. Do respect your client’s time
There’s a saying that “time is gold,” and it rings true especially when it comes to client communication. Everyone's time is precious and demonstrating respect for your client's time can significantly enhance your relationship with them.
Here are the two main reasons why respecting your client’s time is so crucial:
Increases efficiency: By being concise and staying on topic during communications with clients, you can ensure that conversations are productive and efficient. This is especially important in meetings, where time is often wasted on irrelevant details.
Promotes Professionalism: Respecting time is a professional courtesy that can enhance your reputation and image in the eyes of your clients.
To respect your clients time, consider implementing these strategies:
Be punctual: Always be on time for meetings and calls. If you're running late or need to reschedule, notify the client as soon as possible.
Stay on topic: Keep conversations focused on the topic at hand. Avoid going off on tangents that may not be relevant to the client. A meeting agenda can be helpful to do so.
Respond timely: Reply to emails, calls, or messages in a timely manner. Even if you don't have a full answer yet, a quick acknowledgement can let the client know you're working on their request.
Set clear expectations: Be clear about timelines for deliverables. If a delay occurs, let the client know as soon as possible and provide a new estimated timeframe.
Choose the correct communication channels: cancel the meeting if you can just send an email or assign a task and get the same result. Being intentional when you communicate with clients shows them that you take your partnership seriously.
🎁 Free resource: Ready to become a well-rounded expert on canceling meetings? Get started with the dedicated FREE template!
4. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries
While it's crucial to be responsive and available to your clients, it's equally important to establish clear boundaries. Maintain a balanced and healthy business relationship and clearly define what to expect from each other.
Here's why setting boundaries is crucial in client communications:
Managing expectations: Manage your client's expectations about what they can and should expect from you. Include availability hours, response times, scope of work, and more.
Preventing burnout: Constant availability can lead to stress, a toxic work culture and burnout for you and your team. Ensure that everyone has the time they need to rest, recharge, and maintain peak performance by setting boundaries.
Professionalism: Boundaries help maintain a professional relationship with your clients. Ensure that the relationship remains focused on the agreed-upon services and outcomes.
Quality of work: When boundaries are set, you can better manage your time and resources, leading to better quality of work.
Here are some simple strategies you can implement today to set boundaries in your client communication:
Be clear from the start: Throughout your client onboarding process, be clear about your working hours, response times, and scope of work. When clients know what to expect, you can avoid misunderstandings further down the road.
Communicate your boundaries: Don't be afraid to communicate your boundaries If a client is making demands that are outside of the agreed-upon scope.
Stay consistent: It's important to consistently uphold your boundaries. When you make exceptions too often, clients start to expect this as the norm.
Use tools to your advantage: Leverage tools like email auto-responders or scheduling apps to help communicate your availability.
Remember, setting boundaries is not about being less committed to your clients. It's about ensuring a healthy, productive, and mutually respectful business relationship.
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
5. Do document as much as possible
Keeping thorough records of your interactions and agreements with clients ensures clarity, consistency, and accountability. Here's why documentation is so crucial:
Avoid misunderstandings: Ensure that both you and the client have the same understanding about what has been discussed and decided.
Maintain continuity: In situations where multiple team members interact with a client, documentation ensures everyone is on the same page. Facilitate seamless transitions and consistent communication, even if the point of contact changes.
Dispute resolution: Having a paper trail provides a reference point that can help resolve the issue more quickly and fairly.
Performance and progress tracking: Documentation can also serve as a record of your work performance and the progress of the project. Tracked work can become the foundation for performance reviews, future planning, or evaluating success.
Here are some strategies to ensure effective documentation in client communication:
Use CRM systems: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are a great tool for documenting interactions with clients. Store emails, notes, call logs, and other communication in one place.
Document key decisions: After important meetings or calls, send a follow-up summarizing the key points and decisions. Follow-ups not only provide a written record but also give the client an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings.
Store relevant files: Keep track of all relevant files, such as contracts, proposals, and project plans. Make sure they are stored in a file management system where they can be easily accessed.
Update Regularly: Make sure to regularly update your records to reflect the most recent interactions and decisions.
Remember, while documenting may require an investment of time and effort, the benefits in terms of clarity, consistency, and accountability make it well worth it.
6. Don’t be a yes-man in your client communication
Being a yes-man means automatically agreeing with everything the client says or asks for. Doing so comes in the way of offering honest, professional advice and feedback.
Not becoming a yes-man is important if you want to improve client communication, here’s why:
Integrity: Maintain your professional integrity and be honest with your clients, even if your viewpoint differs from theirs. Honesty helps build trust and respect in the long run.
Avoiding unrealistic expectations: Always saying "yes" leads to unrealistic expectations. When you agree to something that's not possible or not in the client's best interest, it can lead to disappointment and damage the relationship.
Providing value: Part of your role is to provide expert advice and guidance. Sometimes, this means pushing back against a client's ideas and suggesting more effective alternatives to achieve company goals and objectives.
Mutual Respect: Respectfully expressing differing opinions promotes a sense of mutual respect and equal partnership in the business relationship.
Here's how you can avoid being a "yes-man" in client communication:
Be assertive, Not aggressive: It's important to express your views assertively, but not aggressively. Respect the client's viewpoint and express your disagreement in a professional, respectful manner.
Provide evidence: When you're advising against a client's idea, providing evidence or examples can help them understand your viewpoint. Think of data, case studies, or professional experience.
Being a "yes-man" can be detrimental to both the client relationship and the success of the project.
Your client is working with you for a reason. You have something to add to their business – something that can help them grow – so don’t just agree to all of their ideas right away.
🎁 Free resource: Don't let your voice be drowned out in the noise of the world—take control of your life through the Assertiveness Training Template.
7. Do practice transparency with everyone
Being dishonest when you’re communicating with your client is one way to break their trust. Always practice being transparent, even when it’s a difficult conversation.Give updates as necessary, even without them needing to ask.
Don’t beat around the bush when talking to clients either – favor being straightforward, clear, and direct.
Transparency is about being open, honest, and straightforward in your interactions with clients. Doing so helps you build trust, ensures accountability, here’s how:
Builds trust: Clients appreciate honesty and are more likely to trust a business that is open with them.
Ensures accountability: By being open about what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how it's being done, you hold yourself accountable to your clients.
Here's how you can practice transparency in client communication:
Share your processes: Be open about your processes and how you work. Help clients understand what to expect and why certain decisions are made.
Communicate challenges: If you're facing challenges, let your clients know. They'll appreciate your honesty and it could lead to a collaborative solution.
Be open about pricing: Be upfront about your pricing. Hidden costs can damage trust and lead to unpleasant surprises for your clients.
Admit mistakes: Turn the situation around and increase a client's trust in you by admitting the mistake and moving on. If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize, and explain how you plan to rectify it.
Transparency isn't about sharing every minute detail with your clients. Instead, focus on being open and honest in your customer communications.
8. Don’t make promises you can’t keep
Manage expectations and ensure that your commitments to your clients are realistic and achievable. Don’t give guarantees on things you aren’t sure of, whether it’s related to project results or the level of service you can provide.
Here's how you can avoid making promises you can't keep in client communication:
Set realistic expectations: Be honest about what you can deliver. Consider this for everything from project timelines to the results you can achieve.
Under-promise and over-deliver: It's often better to promise less and then exceed expectations than to promise more than you can deliver.
Know your limits: Understand your capabilities and limits. Don't make promises based on best-case scenarios; account for potential obstacles and delays.
I's natural to want to please clients and say "yes" to their requests, but honesty and reliability are far more valuable in the long run. Always strive to deliver on your promises and maintain the trust you've built with your clients.
9. Do ask your clients for feedback
Regularly seeking your clients' opinions about your work and your relationship leads to continuous improvement. Here's why regular feedback is so important for client communication:
Improvement: Gain valuable insights into areas where you can improve.
Client Satisfaction: Asking for feedback shows you value the opinions of your client and are committed to meeting their needs. In term, this increases client satisfaction and loyalty.
Here's are some best practices when asking for feedback in your client communication:
Regular check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins with your clients to ask for feedback. Chat with your clients after a significant milestone has been completed, quarterly, or at another interval that makes sense.
Surveys: Send out surveys to your clients asking for feedback on various aspects of your work and your relationship.
Ask specific questions: When asking for feedback, be specific. Instead of just asking "How are we doing?", ask questions about specific projects, interactions, or aspects of your service.
Feedback is a tool for growth. Even if it's negative, it provides you with the opportunity to learn and improve. Always thank your clients for their feedback, take it into consideration, and act on it where appropriate.
10. Don’t forget to use effective communication tools
The right tools streamline communication, improve collaboration, and ensure that everyone stays on the same page. Choosing the right remote work tools improves customer communications in the following ways:
Efficiency: Streamline your interactions with clients by automating routine tasks. Keep conversations organized, and manage your communication more effectively by keeping everything in one place.
Collaboration:Some communication tools allow for real-time collaboration, which can be a game-changer for projects. Tools like shared documents or project management platforms keep everyone in the loop and foster a collaborative environment.
Record Keeping: Communication tools also serve as a record of your customer interactions. A solid record of interactions is crucial for transparency, accountability, and conflict resolution.
Accessibility: The right tools can make communication more accessible and convenient. For example, tools that support mobile access allow you and your clients to communicate and collaborate from anywhere.
Here's how you can make the most of customer communication tools:
Choose the right tools: There are many tools out there, from email and instant messaging platforms to project management tools and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The right tool for you will depend on your needs and those of your clients.
Train your team: Make sure everyone on your team knows how to use your chosen communication tools effectively. Mastering a new platform might involve formal training or just a simple tutorial.
Establish norms: Set norms for how and when to use different communication tools. For example, you might use client correspondence emails for formal communication, a project management tool for task updates, and instant messaging for quick questions.
Ask for client preferences: Some clients might prefer certain communication tools over others. If possible, accommodate these preferences to make communication smoother and more comfortable for your clients.
The goal of using communication tools should be to make communication clearer, easier, and more efficient. The right tools can greatly enhance your client communication and improve your working relationships.
That’s a wrap – Effectively communicate with clients today!
Mastering client communication etiquette is crucial for every team. The ten key dos and don'ts discussed in this guide provide a solid foundation for creating respectful, effective, and beneficial client communication strategies.
The goal of these principles is to foster trust, mutual respect, and long-term relationships with your clients. Keep these client communication best practices in mind, but also be flexible and responsive to your clients' unique needs and preferences.
After all, communicating with clients is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. All good communication requires active listening, empathy, and a genuine commitment to serving your clients' best interests.
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
What can a business do to improve its productivity? Companies always strive to maximize productivity to remain profitable and competitive. In this article, we share 11 simple strategies you can implement today if you want to improve team productivity.
Labor productivity is defined as a measure of performance. The metric compares the amount of goods and services (output) to the number of labor hours used. Productivity is typically calculated as output divided by labor hours.
Improving labor productivity means more goods and services can be produced with the same amount of labor. Factors that can improve the output of your workforce include technology, training, and worker efficiency.
“Time is money” when it comes to the output and ultimate efficiency of your team. Read along to learn how to improve productivity and get more out of your time with these productivity resources today.
How to improve productivity in an organization
With an increase in digital distractions and the stresses of everyday life, it can be hard to stay focused. Productivity can be improved by implementing these 11 simple strategies.
1. Set clear goals and milestones
A large part of teamwork is taking responsibility for goals that need to be met on schedule. Confusion arises when this is not the case. You need to make sure people are held accountable with clear and achievable goals and milestones.
Every business should have goals aimed at increasing productivity in the workplace. The more productive your company is, the easier it is to boost profits and improve business relationships. - Beth Worthy @Forbes
Ticking off completed goals gives employees a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Remember, a goal can be finalizing a task/project or it can be quantitative, such as hitting a certain number or metric.
Having a clear timeframe for a goal, whether it be quarterly or yearly, also helps employees remain motivated and materializes productivity planning.
🎁 Free resource: Define your goals and objectives within your organizational strategy with this Long term planning template.
2. Trust your team & say no to micromanagement
When asked how to implement productivity improvements, bad managers might describe micromanagement practices. Think of an overload of meetings (that could have been an email), reviewing every small activity, asking for updates that offer no new information…
Micromanagement is a costly management style. Not only does it decrease both employee and manager productivity, but it can also lead to increased employee turnover.
Replacing an employee can cost companies from one-half to two times that employee’s salary. - Ben Wigert from Gallup
Promoting ineffective workflows is a leadership flaw that kills the productivity of employees. Micromanagement can bring the mood down and lead to unproductive types of communication styles among the team, such as passive-agressiveness.
While supervision at work can be complementary to productivity, going overboard has negative impacts. Instead, try promoting accountability, documentation and assertiveness in your team:
Accountability: Encourage employees to take responsibility for their tasks. This fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their work, which can boost productivity. Progress reports can help maintain accountability without being intrusive.
Documentation: Implement a system of documenting work processes and progress. This not only provides a tangible record of an employee's work but also can serve as a guide for future tasks.
Assertiveness: An assertive team is one that feels empowered and confident, which can lead to increased creativity and productivity. Foster a culture of open communication where problems and challenges can be addressed quickly and efficiently.
🎁 Free resource: Don't let your voice be drowned out in the noise of the world—take control of your life through the Assertiveness Training Template.
3. Leverage asynchronous communication channels
Asynchronous work refers to the exchange of information that does not require participants to be available at the same time. Examples of asynchronous communication include emails, instant messaging, collaborative documents, and task boards.
Leveraging these channels can significantly improve productivity in several ways:
Flexibility: Asynchronous communication allows team members to respond when it's most convenient for them. Flexibility is particularly beneficial for remote or distributed teams across different time zones.
Efficiency: Asynchronous communication enables people to take the time to think through their responses. As a result, there will be more thoughtful communication and fewer misunderstandings.
Record Keeping: Written asynchronous communication provides a record of discussions and decisions. This can be helpful for reference, accountability, and bringing new team members up to speed.
Reduced Interruptions: Instead of constant meetings or messages that require immediate attention, employees can handle asynchronous communications at their own pace.
Inclusivity: Some individuals may feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas in writing, rather than in a live meeting. Asynchronous communication can provide these team members with a more comfortable platform for participation.
However, it's crucial to balance asynchronous communication with synchronous (real-time) communication to maintain personal connections.
Rock has multiple asynchronous communication channels in a single workspace, such as tasks, file sharing, and audio messages.
4. Document as much as possible
Documentation is the process of providing written evidence or records. It's a way of keeping track of various processes, decisions, and actions in a structured file management manner.
How you store information plays a significant role in organizational productivity. Here's why:
Knowledge preservation: Documentation ensures that the critical knowledge and information are preserved and accessible. When employees leave or roles change, this documentation can be invaluable in transferring knowledge to new employees.
Efficiency: Well-documented processes or procedures provide clear instructions that can prevent confusion or mistakes. You can save a significant amount of time that might otherwise be spent on troubleshooting or redoing tasks.
Training and Onboarding: Documentation can serve as a training guide for new employees. Having a detailed record of procedures and policies can help new team members become productive more quickly.
Consistency: Documentation ensures that tasks are performed consistently, regardless of who is performing them. Work uniformity improves the quality of work and the efficiency of processes.
Accountability: When tasks and processes are documented, it is easier to hold people accountable for their responsibilities. Documentation provides a clear record of what was done, by whom, and when.
Communication: Documentation helps maintain clear and consistent communication among team members. Everyone can stay informed by having a solid record of information, decisions, and plans, .
To start documenting effectively, consider using tools like shared drives, project management software, or wikis. Remember, the goal is to make information accessible, organized, and easy to understand. This maximizes both employee and manager productivity.
With Rock, everything is more structured and documented, particularly task management. Employees know where to find the documents and information for every task being worked on in a company.
Along with documenting your tasks, other team members can easily take over tasks asynchronously without waiting for a meeting.
5. Reduce meetings
Meetings are an important part of a company’s day-to-day, we are not denying that. However, many employees spend too much time of their day in meetings. Often, employees find that they don’t have time to get their work done as a result of all the meetings they have to sit through.
Meetings have increased in length and frequency over the 50 years. More than ever before, with the popularity of remote working, Zoom fatigue is the reality for many.- The Harvard Business Review
If you value your employees’ time, it’s time to save meetings for when you really need them.
There’s a clear difference between an unproductive meeting and a good one. The latter is usually established by a clear meeting agenda. What is the meeting about and what are the desired outcomes?
A good meeting is not set last minute, but rather, fits around the productive working hours of employees. Encourage team members to cancel the meeting if they believe that it is not productive to get together in real-time.
🎁 Free resource: Ready to become a well-rounded expert on canceling meetings? Get started with the dedicated FREE template!
6. Adopt task management
Task management refers to the process of managing responsibilities through actionable and timeboxed task cards. Work is typically tracked over a view such as list, Kanban boards or calendars.
Tasks are a crucial component of improving productivity in both personal and professional settings. Here's why:
Prioritization: Task management helps in identifying what tasks are most important and need to be done first. Critical tasks aren't overlooked and you can prevent wasted time on less essential tasks.
Organization: Keeping track of all tasks, big or small, prevents them from falling through the cracks. A well-managed task list provides a clear overview of everything that needs to be done.
Delegation: In a team setting, task management makes it easy to assign tasks to different team members, ensuring a balanced workload and clear responsibilities.
Progress Tracking: Having an overview of progress not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also identifies bottlenecks or issues in the process.
Various digital tools can assist with task management, ranging from simple to-do list apps to comprehensive project management software. This allows you to focus both on employee and manager productivity.
🎁 Free resource: This streamlined workspace is designed to kickstart your next project with ease. Get started with the Simple Project Planner template and invite anyone!
7. Promote time off
A well-rested team is a more productive team. Promoting time off provides burnout relief while simultaneously promoting innovation.
Without recovery periods, the ability to perform at a high level diminishes. Taking time off is not a luxury, but a necessity for productivity.The Havard Business Review
Without time off, employees will not have the mental ability or motivation to be productive. Many employees might opt from taking their vacation time so managers must persuade them to do so.
Time off from everyday corporate life allows employees to stimulate their creative muscles and come up with groundbreaking ideas. Fun fact - Kevin Synstrom came up with the idea for Instagram while vacationing in Mexico.
8. Nurture organizational culture
How can businesses increase productivity if they neglect organizational culture? They can’t!
Organizational culture refers to the collection of values and practices that guide team members. The way a company’s culture makes its employees feel affects organizational productivity. It all starts with nurturing connection.
Employees must feel like managers have their back and support them, rather than work against them. Here are a few ways through which you can promote a strong team culture:
1-1 Check-ins: Managers can foster relationships by booking 1-1 check-ins to discuss their employees’ well-being. By fostering open communication and trust, employees are also more likely to respond positively to feedback and implement it.
Check in questions for meetings: Make sure to use check in questions for meetings to let employees know you have their back, are receptive to feedback and want to learn more about them.
Mindfulness: In a traditional workplace setting companies can set up meditation rooms, there are many remote alternatives. Companies can organize a weekly meditation session via video chat, followed by a presentation by a mindfulness coach.
Career affirmations:Career affirmations are phrases or statements that are used to challenge and overcome self-doubt and negative thoughts. They can help inspire you, boost your mood, and increase your productivity.
9. How to improve productivity in an organization: recognize employees
Recognizing employees for their hard work boosts morale and fosters a sense of fulfillment, motivating team members to work harder. When people are not recognized, they become disengaged, ultimately resulting in a drop in productivity.
Annual losses from lost productivity due to employee disengagement amount to a whopping $483 to $605 billion in the United States alone. - Finances Online
Companies often only reward employees for major accomplishments. To increase company productivity, managers should recognize both large and small achievements.
Rewards and recognition can happen in a variety of ways:
Financial: Offering an employee a pay rise, bonus, or other financial incentives is a clear way of showing your appreciation.
Non-financial: Think of words of recognition, working flexible hours, professional development opportunities, PTO, wellness programs… While not directly involving money, they can also have a significant impact on employee productivity.
10. Invest in training and development
Investing in your team is vital. At the end of the day, the workforce is the most valuable asset to most organizations.
Training and development refers to educational activities that improve the knowledge and skills of employees. Think of an effective 90 day plan for onboarding, ongoing courses and gaining new skills.
Designed to improve the performance of employees, training and development programs lead to increased productivity. Companies committed to the growth of employees will invest in them, leading to greater dedication by the team members.
Training and development can also lead to a decrease in employee turnover. Ottawa University found that 93% of employees will stay longer when a company invests in their development. In fact, these kinds of programs are now seen as a competitive advantage when hiring.
11. What can a business do to improve its productivity: Use all-in-one platforms
Company productivity is directly impacted by the tools used at work. “The more the merrier” is untrue when it comes to productivity. The more tools you have, the more work you have.
The constant context switching will leave you disorganized and makes staying organized at work a real challenge.
An all-in-one platform like Rock solves this issue. Everything is right where you need it, in one place. By reducing the time employees spend looking for documents or tools, they can focus on getting their work done right.
How to improve productivity in an organization: Concluding thoughts
Improving productivity in your business doesn't have to be a complicated process. By implementing these 11 simple strategies you can maximize the efficiency and effectiveness at the workplace.
Remember that productivity is not just about working harder, but also about working smarter.
Create an environment that supports focus, organization, motivation, and continuous learning. You're not only boosting productivity but also fostering a positive work culture that can drive your business to new heights.
As you implement these productivity resources, remember to keep monitoring and adjusting as necessary. Here's to a more productive future!
The importance of warmly welcoming new clients cannot be overstated. How you onboard customers sets the tone for your relationship, sets expectations and aligns goals.
Follow our practical roadmap with dedicated checklists to streamline your onboarding process. The workflow applies to digital marketing agencies, public relations firms, design studios and any other type of agency.
We'll dive into the following 7 stages of the onboarding process for customers:
Document client information
Assemble a dedicated team
Onboarding questionnaire
Prepare accounts
Welcome letter
Kick-off meeting
Regular update flow
By adopting this template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships. Let's get started!
1. Onboard customers first step: document important information
Kickstart the process by entering your clients' information into your chosen spreadsheet or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
Ensure that all the data compiled by your sales crew is documented into this system. Keep this information up-to-date for a complete and precise record of your interactions with the client.
Below, we've listed some of the most critical client details you should gather when you onboard customers:👇
Company Name: The registered name of the client's business.
Industry Type: The specific field or sector where the client's business operates.
Company Scale: The magnitude of the client's business, defined by workforce size or annual turnover.
Primary Contacts: The names, job titles, and contact details of the main personnel you'll be interacting with.
2. Assemble a dedicated team
As a digital agency, the team you bring together when welcoming a new client can make or break success. Depending on the services and requirements, your team could encompass a variety of roles:
Account Manager: Often the main liaison for the client, the Account Manager nurtures the client relationship, understands the client's needs, and ensures those needs are effectively communicated.
Project Manager: The maestro of the project who oversees the timeline, budget, and deliverables for the client's projects.
Strategist: Whether they're a master of content, digital, or overall marketing strategy, the Strategist's role is to devise plans that resonate with the client's objectives.
Creative Team: Graphic designers, web designers, copywriters, and videographers who breathe life into the creative assets.
SEO Specialist: This individual fine-tunes the client's content and website to enhance search engine rankings, ensuring that the client's digital presence doesn't go unnoticed.
Social Media Manager: If the client wishes to amplify their social media footprint, a Social Media Manager is a must. They curate and manage content, engage with users, and stay on top of the ever-changing social media landscape.
Data Analyst: The data analyst monitors and interprets campaign performance data.
Technical Support: When your agency's services involve website development, app development, or other technical aspects, a tech whiz is a must-have.
Legal Advisor: Depending on the client's industry and the nature of the projects, a Legal Advisor may be necessary to ensure all your activities are compliant with laws and regulations.
Remember, the secret lies in assembling a harmonious team that can cater to the client's needs effectively and efficiently. The size and structure of the team may adapt as the client's project changes over time.
Checklist:
Account Manager:
Project Manager:
Strategist:
Creative Team:
SEO Specialist:
Social Media Manager:
Data Analyst:
Technical Support:
Legal Advisor:
3. New client onboarding questionnaire
As an agency, the art of understanding your new client begins with a well-crafted onboarding questionnaire. Gather crucial information that dives deep into the heart of your client's business, their aspirations, and their target audience.
The questionnaire's objective is to harvest as much relevant data as possible about your client. Understand their business model, products or services, target audience, marketing objectives, key competitors, historical marketing efforts, and more.
The content of the questionnaire should be a mix of open-ended questions that elicit qualitative responses. Additionally, add closed-ended questions for gathering quantitative data. Keep your questions straightforward, and free of industry jargon.
After sending the questionnaire, be ready to examine the responses in a follow-up meeting. This provides an opportunity to clarify any ambiguities and delve deeper into certain areas.
Below, we present a checklist of essential questions to consider including in your onboarding questionnaire 👇
Checklist
About the Business
Could you briefly describe what your business does?
In which industry does your business operate?
Who are your main competitors?
Target Audience
Who is your ideal customer? Please provide as much detail as possible (demographics, psychographics, behavior, etc.).
Marketing Efforts
What marketing activities have you engaged in so far? How successful were these?
What marketing channels have you used? Which have been the most successful?
Do you have any existing marketing assets (website, blog, social media profiles, etc.)?
Goals and Objectives
What are your short-term and long-term business goals?
What are your specific marketing objectives?
What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) you use to measure success?
Budget and Timeline
Are there any specific deadlines or key dates we should be aware of?
What is your budget for our services?
About the Brand
What is your unique selling proposition (USP)?
Do you have any existing brand guidelines (logos, color schemes, tone of voice, etc.)?
Expectations and Preferences
What are your expectations from our agency?
How do you prefer to communicate (email, phone, in-person, etc.) and how often?
Are there any specific challenges or obstacles you think we might encounter?
4. Marketing Onboarding: Setting up essential accounts
Set the stage where your collaborative performance will unfold. One of the most significant steps in the onboarding customer process is preparing the necessary accounts.
Let's dive into different accounts you might want to set up when you onboard customers:
Client Portal: If your agency leans on a client portal or a CRM system, creating an account for your new client is step one.
Project Management System: Platforms like Rock, Asana, Trello, or Basecamp are digital workspaces where your client's projects will take shape. Allow clients to keep track of project milestones, facilitate seamless communication and approve deliverables.
Communication Channels: Tools such as Rock, Slack, or Microsoft Teams are lifelines of agency-client interaction. Set up a dedicated channel or space for a smooth, uninterrupted conversation flow.
Digital Marketing Tools: Depending on your service offerings, you may need to establish accounts on various digital marketing platforms. These can range from Google Analytics, Google Ads, to social media accounts.
Billing and Invoicing: This involves registering billing details in your system and automating recurring invoices, ensuring a hassle-free financial exchange.
Checklist:
Client Portal:
Project Management System:
Communication tools:
Digital Marketing Tools:
Billing & Invoicing:
5. The power of a well-crafted client welcome package
An agency's welcome package is more than just a collection of documents – it's the opening act of a long-lasting and productive client relationship. It's your chance to lay the groundwork for your partnership and share insights about your services and workflows.
Here's a glimpse into the essentials of a standout welcome package for onboarding new customers:
Warm welcome letter: A personalized welcome letter is your first chance to express excitement about your future collaboration. Reaffirm what the client can anticipate in the coming stages of your partnership.
Introducing the team: Humanize your agency by sharing details about the team members who will be working closely with the client. Besides their roles and contact, consider adding a fun fact or hobbies about team members.
Service overview: Offer a detailed snapshot of the services the client has enlisted, and how they will be delivered.
Workflow and timeline: Outline your task management processes and approximate timelines for different tasks.
Contact details: Equip the client with the necessary contact information for any potential questions or concerns. Make sure to include both primary and secondary contacts.
New customer onboarding checklist: A step-by-step checklist can guide the client seamlessly through the onboarding process, ensuring no detail is missed.
Access credentials: If the client requires access to specific software or platforms, don't forget to include login details or access instructions.
A Token of appreciation: Depending on your agency's culture and budget, a small gift can add a personal touch. This could be a simple branded notebook or an elaborate gift basket. While not mandatory, it's a delightful way to express your appreciation.
Checklist:
👋 Team Introduction
👀 Overview of services
⚙️ Process and timeline
📱 Contact information
✅ New customer onboarding checklist
🔐 Access information
🎁 Small gift or token
6. Nailing the first impression: client kickoff meeting
The kickoff meeting is much more than a formal introduction. It's an opportunity to set a positive tone for the relationship, establish mutual expectations, and synchronize on the project's goals, scope, and timelines.
Here's a step-by-step guide to effectively plan and conduct a kickoff meeting that can set the stage for success when you onboard customers:
Pre-meeting preparation: Arm yourself with a thorough understanding of the client's business, industry, and the specific tasks they've commissioned. Create a detailed meeting agenda that outlines the discussion points for the meeting.
Identifying attendees: The meeting should bring together key stakeholders from both sides. Include the project manager, account manager, and strategic leads from your agency, along with the decision-makers from the client's side.
Setting the purpose & goals: Kickstart the meeting by explaining its purpose and goals. Typically, this involves aligning both parties on the project's trajectory and clarifying roles and responsibilities.
Project overview: Delve into the project specifics. Cover the services you'll be offering, the project's goals, the target audience, and other relevant details.
Roles & responsibilities: Clearly identify the involved parties from both sides, their roles, and their responsibilities. Defining this information ensures accountability and clarity, smoothing out the workflow.
Establishing timelines & milestones: Share the projected timeline, highlighting key milestones and deliverables. Set expectations for when the client can anticipate results or specific output from your agency.
Communication plan: Discuss the communication plan for the project duration, including the frequency of updates, the client's primary contact point, and the communication tools in use.
Facilitating a Q&A session: Allow the client to ask questions or express any concerns. Ensure everyone is on the same page and preemptively address potential issues.
Next steps: Wrap up the meeting by summarizing the agreed-upon next steps and confirming any immediate actions.
Checklist:
Schedule a kickoff meeting and time
Send invitations
Research client, industry and overall project
Write a meeting agenda and share with participants at least 48 hours in advance
Share meeting notes and summary
7. Regular update flow
Establish a regular rhythm for updates and communication with your client. This could be weekly emails, recurrent meetings, or timely updates via a project management tool.
Your main objective here is to ensure the client stays in the loop regarding the project's progression and any significant developments.
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The client onboarding process template is a fantastic resource for agencies looking to streamline customer onboarding processes. Enhance client satisfaction, and lay the foundation for a successful and productive working relationship.
What if you could speak your success into existence? Career affirmations exist for that exact purpose. Uncover the power of positive affirmations and get started with 100+ powerful statements.
Everyone goes through a set of worries. Concerns can range from the rising cost of living to an increasing workload, news of layoffs, or other events in personal or global surroundings.
Those who work remotely are hit even harder by concerns. One reason for this is that it may be harder to form connections in the digital space. There is less in-person communication with other team members, which decreases reassurance while increasing doubts.
Thankfully, there are many ways to turn difficult days around. One of them is by incorporating positive affirmations for work into your work routine. This article walks you through:
Thedefinition of career affirmations
100+ different positive affirmation examples
How our team implemented positive work affirmations into daily routines
Unleash the full potential of your career journey with our guide and start transforming your productivity today!
🎁 Free resource: It's time to take control of your hectic schedule and unleash your true potential with our FREE productivity training!
The definition of career affirmations
Career affirmations are a psychological technique involving the repetition of positive phrases related to one's career. These phrases influence the subconscious mind, creating a positive self-perception and a favorable outlook on one's professional life.
Introducing daily affirmations for work can help increase productivity, job satisfaction, and career success. Some people like practicing their positive affirmations at certain times. Alternatively, others repeat the statements when they have an anxious or negative thought.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to positive affirmations. What is important is finding the ones that work for you and defining when you want to use them.
You can also refresh your affirmations every now and then – it’s totally up to you!
"I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions." - Stephen Covey, author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".
What are the benefits of career affirmations?
It is widely believed that your thoughts help to shape your reality. This isn’t something that’s meant to be taken in a literal sense (thinking about a scenario won’t magically make it happen). However, having a positive outlook in life certainly helps reduce negative thoughts.
Positive affirmations also help you be more mindful of your train of thought, which subsequently helps with staying organized at work.
Here are a few specific benefits:
Reduced stress: Regularly repeating positive affirmations reduces work-related stress and anxiety. Your mindset is shifted away from worrying or negative thoughts by focusing on positive statements.
Improved focus and productivity: Affirmations can help maintain focus on tasks and goals, which in turn can enhance productivity.
Better communication skills: Focusing your affirmations on empathy, understanding, and effective communication fosters a more cooperative work environment.
Growth mindset: Repeating powerful statements can foster a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed over time. You become more motivated to take on challenges and see effort as a path to mastery.
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."- C.S. Lewis, British writer
Importance of positive affirmations for employee motivation
Using positive affirmations for work can help you find the motivation you need for the day. It’s a quick, simple, and easy way to get into the right headspace for work. Positive statements also help to decompress from work and reduce stress. Especially when the going gets tough.
In the long run, this will create a more harmonious workspace and prevent a toxic work culture or employee burnout. If you’re in a leadership role, using positive affirmations in your communication strategies can help with your team dynamic.
It’s one way of showing empathy and letting your team know that you’re there for your team. You can opt to have positive affirmation sessions or check-ins – focused on employee well-being and headspace at work.
Depending on what your team prefers, you can also discuss work well-being through check-in questions for meetings or just have a space where colleagues share thoughts and feelings. These different activities allow you to better understand what type of help your team needs at work.
Types of positive affirmations for work
Now that you know just how beneficial positive affirmations are at work, it’s time to go over some examples. Because there are different types, it’s good to narrow them down. This will help you choose the ones that you need depending on your situation.
Do you need a positive affirmation regarding a difficult task? Lack of motivation? Work stress? Whatever it is, we have you covered with 100+ workplace positive affirmations for work
Monday affirmations for work
Positive affirmations to start the work week can help set the tone for a productive, successful, and positive week ahead. Shift your mindset from dread or stress about the incoming week to one of anticipation and enthusiasm.
Here are some powerful affirmations you can start using at the start of your week:
This day will be filled with productivity and learning.
A new week means a fresh start.
I will complete all of the tasks I need to complete.
I am capable and knowledgeable in my line of work.
I have insights and ideas that are valuable to my team.
I am taking one step at a time toward my goals.
I’ll get past the Monday blues.
I am excited for the new opportunities this week will bring.
Today is a great day to make a positive impact at work.
There’s something new to learn every day.
This week will be an enjoyable work week.
I am well-prepared and capable of facing any challenges this week.
I am a positive influence on my co-workers and bring value to my team.
I am focused, determined, and ready to accomplish my goals this week.
I am grateful for the chance to make a difference in my work.
Positive affirmations for the workplace
Different personalities and types of communication styles in a team represent a variety of ideas, opinions, and interactions. Positive affirmations can foster a good team dynamic by encouraging collaboration, mutual respect, and shared success.
Try out these affirmations to build better relationships and promote better cross-functional collaboration with your team members!
Every member of my team has something to offer, including me.
Teamwork is essential in succeeding.
My team has my back, and I have theirs.
I collaborate effectively to reach our shared goals.
My team will have a productive day ahead.
My team creates a safe space for ideas and suggestions.
My team consists of different personalities, but we all have one common goal.
I will do my best to help my team whenever I can.
I will create an inviting and inclusive work environment for my team.
Each and every member of the team has a crucial role.
You can also use team affirmations to warm up a meeting. Here are some group statements you can use:
We are open and respectful of each other's ideas and opinions.
Every challenge we face strengthens our team and brings us closer.
We trust and support each other.
Our team communicates openly, honestly, and respectfully.
We celebrate each other's achievements and learn from each other's mistakes.
Our team embraces diversity and values the unique perspectives it brings.
We are all essential pieces of a larger puzzle, working together seamlessly.
We are a unified force, ready to tackle any task together.
Our team is flexible, adaptable, and ready for change.
We collaborate effectively to maximize our collective potential.
🎁 Free resource: Don't let your voice be drowned out in the noise of the world—take control of your life through the Assertiveness Training Template.
Positive affirmations for work stress
Although it’s quite normal to sometimes feel stressed, it’s not something you should constantly feel. Stress can be a difficult thing to manage, but the correct statements can help shift your mindset and reduce feelings of anxiety.
Help combat work stress through these powerful affirmations:
I acknowledge that feeling stressed sometimes is completely normal.
I will let go of the things I can’t control.
My feelings are valid, but they will not consume me.
This moment may be difficult, but I’ll get past it.
My stress doesn’t control me, and it will eventually melt away.
I am in control.
Everything is going to be okay.
I exhale stress and inhale peace.
I will not entertain or feed negativity at work.
I choose to react calmly to any situation I face.
I am capable and calm in the face of challenges.
Every situation is an opportunity for growth and learning.
I am stronger than any stress that comes my way.
I am doing my best and that is enough.
I have successfully navigated through challenges before and I can do it again.
Positive affirmations for practicing work-life balance
Life is not all about work. Learn to find the right balance between focusing on your work and focusing on enriching the other aspects of your life. Reinforce the importance of both professional and personal time, reducing stress, and promoting overall well-being.
Here are some examples of positive affirmations for work-life balance:
Today and every day, I will make time to work towards career and personal success.
Resting is also an essential part of work.
My work does not define my worth.
I rest whenever I need to.
Time for my family, friends, loved ones, and myself is important.
Time for my hobbies and interests outside of work is important.
I should not feel guilty for not answering work emails after work hours.
I take care of both my work life and my personal life.
I am blessed both with my work life and my personal life.
Setting work boundaries is necessary and important.
I respect my personal time as much as my work time.
I am creating a healthy balance between work and my personal life.
I have the power to set boundaries and prioritize my well-being.
My personal life is as important as my professional success.
Time off is a necessity, not a luxury, and I allow myself to enjoy it.
I am more than my job, and I give myself permission to relax and enjoy life.
Work is a part of my life, it is not my entire life.
I am productive at work and fully present in my personal life.
🎁 Free resource: It's time to take control of your hectic schedule and unleash your true potential with our FREE productivity training!
Positive work affirmations for dealing with challenges
Making a mistake or two at work is normal, but that doesn’t make the experience less frustrating. Manage negative emotions, build resilience, and maintain a positive outlook even in the face of adversity.
Consider these career affirmations for when you encounter challenges:
I am not defined by my mistakes.
Challenges and struggles help me grow.
It’s okay to ask for help with my tasks.
I am taking things one step at a time.
It’s okay to take a break, but giving up is not an option.
It’s okay to step back when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
I am resilient throughout challenges.
Each challenge I face eventually becomes a useful lesson.
I can overcome difficult tasks and challenging situations.
I don’t dwell on things that have gone wrong – only on how I can move forward.
I am resilient and capable of overcoming any obstacles in my path.
Every step, no matter how small, is progress.
I am brave, I am strong, and I am resilient.
I am not defined by this challenge, but how I respond to it.
I am stronger than this challenge, and this challenge is making me even stronger.
I trust in my ability to navigate through this situation.
Positive affirmations for combatting Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt accomplishments or talents. As a result, people might have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". Doubts and anxious feelings through impostor syndrome can occur in various areas of life, including work, school, and personal relationships.
If these feelings sound familiar to you, then the following affirmations might work:
I know what I’m doing.
I am an asset to my team.
I will stop entertaining feelings of self-doubt.
I can do anything that I set my mind to.
I have the skills needed to do my job well.
I am worthy of my achievements.
I deserve the career position I am in now.
I am an expert.
I can successfully complete my tasks.
I contribute to the success of this company.
I am competent, smart, and capable.
My contributions are valuable and necessary.
I am deserving of all my achievements and recognition.
I embrace the opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes.
My worth is not defined by my performance.
I am more than capable of achieving my goals.
I am confident in my skills and knowledge.
I believe in my unique talents and abilities.
Every day, I am becoming more comfortable with success.
I am deserving of success and happiness.
Sharing work affirmations with your team
These are just some examples of positive work affirmations you can use. Practicing these statements greatly helps your outlook, especially as you work from home.
Keep in mind that for this technique to be effective, you have to be intentional and consistent in using them. Here is some final advice:
Consistency is key: To reap the benefits of work affirmations, it's important to repeat them regularly. This could be when you start your day, during breaks, or any other time.
Believe in the affirmations: For statements to work, you need to believe in them. Visualize the balance you are striving for as you say the statements out loud.
Personalize your affirmations: We shared 100+ general examples. Feel free to modify them or create your own sentences that resonate with you.
Combine affirmations with actions: While affirmations help shift your mindset, they need to be combined with concrete actions. Start setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and scheduling personal time.
If you are looking for an effective way to share positive affirmations with your team, you can check out Rock. It’s a holistic task management and messaging tool that can help you keep tabs on your affirmations.
How our team practices positive affirmations on a regular basis
There are several ways we use Rock to incorporate positive affirmations into our routine. For one, we use the Notes mini-app to write down the ones that suit us best.
The benefit of adding work affirmations on a note is that we can access it without browsing different folders or physical notes.
Lastly, some of our team members use the Tasks mini-app to create to-do’s for positive affirmations. This is a great way to stay consistent. Our team members even receive dedicated notifications by adding due dates and reminders.
Start using positive affirmations for work today
Remember, the key to an extraordinary career lies within you. Embrace these affirmations, let them shape your mindset, and watch as they open the doors to new heights of professional accomplishment.
Your journey to success begins with the words you choose to speak. Affirm positively, believe confidently, and step into a career that's not just successful, but uniquely yours!
🎁 Free resource: Don't let your voice be drowned out in the noise of the world—take control of your life through the Assertiveness Training Template.
Imagine offering your customers a support experience so seamless it feels tailored just for them. Learn how to exude professionalism and proactive problem-solving in the same way a white-gloved butler provides impeccable service.
Throughout this article, we offer a step-by-step guide on how we set up highly persononalized customer support at Rock. Specifically, we walk you through:
Why does excellent customer support matter?
The challenges in building a high-end support workflow
Step-by-step: How we built our own customer support from the ground up
Unique advantages of our workflow
Whether your business is large or small, it is possible to provide an experience that feels like a five-star service.
Let's roll out the red carpet and dive into everything you should know to build your very own white-glove customer support workflow!
Why does offering excellent customer support matter?
Well though-out customer support flows aren’t just a nice to have — it's a vital component of business success.
Let’s quickly discuss 4 reasons why providing good support matters to your business.
1. Customer retention
If your customers are happy with your support, they are more likely to stay with you.
Keep in mind that it’s much cheaper to keep existing customers than to constantly look for new ones! In fact, studies have shown that retaining current customers can be up to 5 times cheaper than acquiring a new one.
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
2. Feedback and user suggestions
Your customers will feel that you care about their needs when you provide quick and high-quality customer support. As a result, customers give more frequent feedback and suggestions based on their experiences.
Avoid investing time on improvements or changes that don’t impact the customer. A steady stream of customer input allows you to always improve your product or service following their actual needs.
At Rock, we use a dedicated customer support channel to manage feedback and bug reporting in the form of tickets. Direct contact with our customers allows us to quickly flag bugs and capture feature requests.
🎁 Free resource: Retaining customers becomes so much easier when you can organize everything in a single place. Complete tickets, collect feedback and keep customers happy with this Customer Service Template.
3. More upselling opportunities
Attending to customer support inquiries in a personalized manner allows you to learn more about the client business, problems, and workflows. We often notice workflow issues or restrictions that can be fixed certain features in the paid plan.
White-glove support offers users the chance to learn about more advanced reporting, workflow shortcuts or improved documentation. We offer clients in-depth explanations about certain features and the value of incorporating them.
When our users grasp the full value of our unlimited plan, it becomes only logical to upgrade.
4. Reviews and referrals
When you’re well connected to customers it becomes easier to reach out whenever you need some support (reviews, referrals…). Customers are more inclined to invest time in supporting you when they feel valued and satisfied with your service.
Once you’re well-connected, it's quick and simple to ask them for a personalized review on sites like Capterra, Crozdesk, or Google play store/ App Store (if they have a mobile app) link.
This way they can make their thoughts available to other teams and share their experience with your team so far. You can then also use those reviews for case studies, testimonials….
The challenge of providing good customer support
Ensuring that your customers can access premium support at all times is no easy feat. Especially if your team is small without a dedicated person whose sole responsibility is to attend customers.
When this is the case, teams often share the work which leads to disconnected interactions and longer waiting times.
Initially, we ran into a few issues too. Let’s dive into a few challenges we initially experienced as a small team while building out our customer support.
1. Expensive customer support tools
As a smaller team, we lacked the budget for dedicated customer support software. Dedicated tools are often focused on big enterprises and too expensive for smaller teams.
Additionally, the CS software often offered too functionality that was too advanced for our team. Complexity in tools is an issue because of two main reasons:
Training: Learning how to use a dedicated tool can take up a lot of time. A new interface and functionality would require one or more team members to learn how to use the platform. Early on we wanted to focus on other priorities instead.
Functionality overkill: We found that a lot of the tools offered too much functionality. Paying for a full platform feels wasteful when the team only needs 10% of the offered functionality at the time.
🎁 Free resource: Retaining customers becomes so much easier when you can organize everything in a single place. Complete tickets, collect feedback and keep customers happy with this Customer Service Template.
2. Outdated channels for customer support
The default customer support channel when companies get started is a dedicated email address. But we quickly encountered that email threads become messy with many people in ‘cc’ and nobody clearly taking charge.
Important emails easily get lost, there is no clear structure, customers might write a few emails at once and you might not be sure where to follow up.
As a result, we were losing time and frustration increased from both sides.
3. Customer expectations are growing
Larger companies typically have well-established customer service funnels with clear expectations and waiting times. As a result, customers expect the same, if not better, treatment when working with small businesses.
Customer expect you to consider past interactions and feedback. But when conversations are mainly managed through email, it’s easy to get lost.
Teams should focus on providing white-glove customer support in order to keep the customer happy. But how do you set this up alongside all other priorities that come with managing a small team? We’ll dive into that in the next section!
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
How to use Rock as a free shared customer support chat in 6 steps
Rock is an all-in-one messaging and task management tool. It can easily be transformed into a live customer support chat which can be managed by multiple people.
Curious how? Here’s how we are currently leveraging our own platform to provide a white-glove customer support experience to all of our users. Our system can be set up in 6 simple steps.
1. Create a shared email account
Create a dedicated email account that you will use for your customer support on Rock. It can be a group account from your company’s email domain.
If you don’t have your own domain you can also create a dedicated account for which you share the credentials, for example, Acme-support@gmail.com.
You can learn more about creating your own groups here.
2. Sign up with the account to Rock
Use that new account to sign up on Rock for free. This account will be shared with everyone who is involved in providing customer support. If you’re a 1-person business or the only one providing support, you can create a personal account.
Create a username that reflects the purpose of your account. If you’re one person managing customer support, it might make sense to add a personal touch and use your own name. If it’s a team it might be a good idea to go for a more general name, for instance, Acme Support.
Adding a profile picture can be helpful too!
Next up, make sure to integrate your preferred cloud storage providers. For instance, you can connect your Google Drive or DropBox folders with Rock.
Cloud integration become useful if you often need to share resources or documents with your customers so you can quickly add them to a support space when relevant.
Finally, don’t forget to integrate your favorite video conferencing platform. We offer integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, Jitsi, and Loom.
Meeting integrations speed things up whenever a direct video call with your customers is needed. You will be able to set up a call with your customers in a few seconds.
3. Set up the Quick Connect of the email account
Set the Quick Connect link with a welcome message and select a template of a space that will be created between you and your customers. When creating your Quick Connect link, make sure that you add a welcome message which is short and sweet.
<QUOTE>: Use a welcome message like: ‘Hi there, thank you for reaching out to Rock Support. Someone from the team will be with you as soon as possible. To help you with any question, please provide us with as much detail as possible.’
Bonus, if you upgrade to unlimitedyou can customize the Quick Connect link, like space.new/[yourbusinessname]-support which looks even more professional.
4. Add the Quick Connect link where relevant
Now you have your Quick Connect link which will serve as a bridge between you and your customers who need support. Add that link where relevant:
Your website
Email signatures
Social channels and other external platforms you might be listed
Also, it’s possible to transform your Quick Connect link into a QR code. Add the QR in more visual locations such as your website or if you have one, even a physical store.
Customers can scan the code and get in touch with you with their questions within seconds.
For example, we add a CTA at the bottom of every help center article, in order to help users if they were not able to find the information they were looking for.
5. Ready, set, go!
By clicking on your Quick Connect link or scanning the QR code, your customers will have a quick, free and direct way to reach out to you. Every time a new customer contacts you via Quick Connect, a new space will be created on your account and you will be notified.
You can handle all customer questions within that account and make sure nothing falls through the cracks!
When you need to include a specific colleague in any of those user conversations, you can easily do that by adding them to a space (all spaces are group spaces).
Also, your customers can easily add their colleagues too, if needed.
6. Optional: Share the account with other team members
You can always add your colleagues to your Customer Support account. Sharing accounts is relevant if you want to give a more personalized experience to your customers. Just share the password with team members, and all responses will come from the same account.
Users can quickly switch between accounts by toggling account switching in user settings. Our colleagues at Rock who are responsible for customer support queries easily switch several times per day to catch up on new questions or spaces opened.
Because every team member can read the past conversation, nothing is lost. This means that a new team member can quickly catch up and provide support to the user within seconds.
Advantages of using Rock for your customer support
Why should you use Rock for handling your customer support communication? We tested it ourselves and can tell yo why it’s the best choice for providing assistance to your clients.
1. All-in-one customer support functionality
Emails become messy and outdated when it comes to customer support. Long email threads can cause confusion, especially if you need to involve new team members.
Eventually, information easily gets lost in the noise. Rock provides a more seamless experience; you have all your customer support chats and information in one place.
Everyone who joins the team gains access to past customer conversations.
2. Faster than outdated systems
It’s way faster to answer your customer questions via Rock compared to using emails. You don’t have to keep an eye on several different channels at all times.
Instead, you switch between Rock accounts in a matter of seconds. Direct chats with users give a faster and more personalized experience.
3. Asynchronous & shared
It’s very easy to take over conversations from your colleagues with a shared Rock customer support account.
You don’t need to ask any questions internally about past conversations because you can access past conversations between a customer and your colleague.
When working asynchronously, you can share the customer support work within the team easier and nobody is obliged to always be online to answer questions.
For example, one person takes care of the customer support account in the morning and another person in the afternoon.
Implementing a white-glove customer support experience for any business
Implement this workflow with your clients, partners, or other stakeholders. It’s an easy and professional way for others to communicate with your team.
Just like for customer support matters, you can create an account for any other workflow which requires communication between you and other parties.
Customize your Quick Connect welcome message which reflects your audience. Add that link where relevant and make it a super quick way to engage with you!
Support accounts can be individual as well as shared between different team members. Workflow configuration depends on your preference.
🎁 Free resource: By adopting this Checklist Client Onboarding Template, you'll be well on your way to fostering successful, long-lasting client relationships.
Building a fast and responsive site increases your company’s credibility and brand identity. It saves you time on customer service, improves your sales, and offers prospects information on your business.
Nevertheless, building a good website is no easy task. The website project management process can quickly become messy and feel like it’s never-ending.
Loosing sight of priorities is especially easy when new bugs, improvements and pages are lurking around the corner. Not having an effective web application project management flow will make the overall experience unproductive and demotivating.
We have faced it all with three migrations and thousands of bugs, improvements, new pages and designs. We tested project setups, timeframes and remote work tools so you don't have to.
We’re now writing this all-in-one website plan template to prevent you from going through the same issues. It might even help you with improving productivity in your organization.
The article starts with the foundations and continues with a website project plan template that replicates our internal workflow.
What is website project management?
Website project management is a collaborative process through the delegation of tasks and roles. Work managed ranges from technical SEO to page design and development. Each task is a building stone to the creation and maintenance of a fast, searchable and informative website.
The workflow starts with a website project manager who schedules and assigns tasks. Team members pass tasks across stages until improvements are pushed to the live web application.
There are different project management frameworks you can pick from to organize the process. Make sure to select the one that fits your team best, and remember to keep things easy and streamlined.
📔 Resource: You can also check out this resource on agile vs waterfall if you’re looking to learn more about project management.
A good website project plan ensures that tasks smoothly move across different project stages. Team members are informed in time and priorities are aligned across stakeholders.
If you’re building websites for external clients, then good project management also strengthens relationships. By keeping everything in check you can maximize for asynchronous work, meet client demands and keep them involved across project stages.
Getting set up
Building and maintaining a website is an ongoing responsibility with timed milestones. Internal website projects are almost never truly completed. There is always a bug to fix, SEO improvement to add, or new pages to develop.
To keep website projects moving you need to assign roles within your team. Note that one person can hold multiple or even all roles when developing a website.
Within our team there are 3 people working on different site related activities. Nevertheless, each person might manage multiple elements within that workflow or share tasks.
We combine the following team roles to structure the website project management of Rock:
Project manager
UX designer
SEO specialist
Content writer
Graphic designer
Website developer
Project Manager for website development
The project manager is at the heart of web project management. This person implements the communication plan, coordinates tasks and sets up milestones.
Website building is a collaborative process where the website project manager takes the lead in prioritizing activities and setting deadlines. They make sure that work is aligned with the organizational strategy.
Within our team one person takes full responsibility as project manager for website development. Here are a few responsibilities our website project manager takes on:
Frequency of implementation cycles: Implement changes from staging to live every week, two weeks, quarter, once a year?
Assigning tasks and prioritizing: Who is working on what task? What improvements, bug fixes and new pages should be prioritized?
Deadline management: Are the cycles reasonable in workload? What task is close or far from the current deadline?
Documenting the website building process: What was implemented in each cycle? Where is information stored?
Resolve issues: What happens if someone becomes less available or if a task takes much longer than expected?
Retrospective meetings: Our website project manager encourage team members to share feedback after each cycle in a dedicated retrospective meeting.
UX Designer
A user experience (UX) designer focuses on the interaction between the user and the website. They focus on enhancing user experiences by making sites intuitive.
A UX designer looks into the website architecture. Think of how you move between pages, headers, footers and individual page layout. How will a typical visitor behave when visiting your website? How can you convert them into a customer?
Typical activities include building a mind-map and wireframes of a website. Our UX designer also designed the skeleton layout for each webpage. think of different sections, entry and exit points and user experience flows.
SEO Marketer
Building an informative and fast website is extremely valuable. Nevertheless, with many sites publishing content that does not rank, you also need to make sure that people can find your website.
The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to increase a website’s position on a search result. By ranking your website, you target specific queries to generate more leads.
A complex algorithm has made SEO harder, on top of the already immense content competition on the internet. There are two sets of activities that an SEO marketer might focus on in order to get their website to rank:
On-page SEO
Off-page SEO
On-page SEO activities
When designing pages, you have to think about what keywords you want to rank for. This can be one or multiple at the same time depending on the length of your page and competitive nature of the keyword.
The on-page SEO marketer will define what keywords need to be present on a webpage and how often they should appear. They should also define meta titles and meta tags.
Keyword traffic changes throughout time as user preferences and interests change. This can lead to changes in the copy of a page or other adjustments to make sure the page receives enough traffic.
On-page SEO also includes optimizing page speed. Our SEO marketer also works on more granular activities such as breadcrumbs, in-bound linking and setting up short and descriptive URLs.
Off-page SEO activities
Off-page SEO focuses on making sure that other sites link to your page. Backlinks and guest posts are the most common activities for off-page SEO.
To quickly summarize, off-page SEO focuses on making sure that other users can find your page on other relevant sites. This signals search engines that your website offers good quality and relevant content. In term, this can improve the ranking of the pages that receive external links.
Content writer
Our content writer focuses on developing clear, concise and enticing copy. They also naturally incorporate SEO requirements on every page.
There are multiple streams of content that you might want to publish on your website. For us, copy and content writing is typically divided into 3 different buckets.
Webpage: The webpages offer insights on the product offered and why it’s relevant to different audiences. You can also add dedicated pages comparing your product to competitors.
Blog: The blog is a collection of stories, advice and announcements. The copy is typically longer and more story-based than webpages.
Help center: The help center provides documentation on product functionality.
Graphic Designer
A poor visual design will lead users to bounce right off a website. Whether the website is not intuitive or a chosen color palette is off-putting, that first impression matters.
Experienced graphic designers understand the product vision and accurately portray the brand. Output includes illustrations, videos, logos, and a color palette that aligns with the brand.
Website Developer
The website developer takes the page mocks and converts them into webpages. The developer might manually code HTML or use no-code/low-code tools for web building with platforms such as Webflow or Wordpress.
There are typically two sets of web development activities:
Front-End Development: The front-end developer takes care of what the user sees and how the website works. They take a website design and build out the pages with plugins, no-code tools or old-school coding with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Back-End Development: Back-end developers deal with the server side. They write code that impacts the website’s server and databases. Back-end developers can also implement improvements focused on website speed.
5 types of tools we use for the website development process
Throughout the website building process we use a variety of tools. Some directly integrate with Rock, while others are less directly connected to the website project plan.
Website project management, collaboration & messaging: Rock
If you’re not yet familiar with Rock, we’re an all-in-one messaging platform. Rock combines chat with task management, note taking, file storage and meetings. This allows us to keep our complete website project management workflow in one place:
Task management: Rock has built-in task management. Team members can see their tasks through list, board, and calendar views. Tasks are typically moved through lists like ‘To do’, ‘Doing’ and ‘Done’. Work can easily be filtered by assignee or labels such as “Development” and “SEO”.
Real-time messaging: Send messages, audio messages, polls and other information in a space.
Documentation: Write down important information on the Notes mini-app. Think of meeting agendas, documentation or updates.
Further down we will explain in detail how we use our own platform to manage web project management activities.
Design & UX: Figma
We mostly use Figma for creative work on the web design project management front:
Mindmap: What pages we want to work on, which ones to prioritize.
Wireframing: Skeleton of a page with the different sections.
Visuals: Screens from the UI/UX workflows and convert them into custom marketing materials for the website.
We connect Figma with the web design project management workflow by attaching designs to individual tasks. Designs can also be added to meeting agendas in the Notes mini-app.
If you use Adobe Creative Cloud instead of Figma for website development, then you can also freely integrate those designs to the Files mini-app on Rock.
Content writing & SEO: Google Drive and Loom
We mainly use 3 different platforms for managing the content writing and SEO process of the website.
Google Drive: We write down our documentation, copy and guidelines on Google Drive.
Loom: We use Loom to to share asynchronous videos between team members. Think of walkthroughs for workflows, content or new webpages. We watch videos back and add comments if there is anything we did not understand.
We use the in-app Loom integration to quickly record a video if something is too difficult to explain in words. We also use the Google Drive integration in our website project management by adding relevant folders to the project spaces.
You can basically do the same with Dropbox, OneDrive or Notion if your team is more used to working with those cloud storage providers.
Development & implementation: Webflow
We use Webflow as our CMS for the project management for web development process. We wanted to combine the Webflow experience with the powerful plugins and SEO functionality of Wordpress. Thus we decided to use both in our website development.
Moving between web development stages is done through a dedicated tasks with an exhaustive list. We first develop the page on Figma, and subsequently move the design to Webflow.
We keep dedicated checklist items for each stage in the development process. This way everyone in the team can track website improvement progress. More on that in the upcoming section!
Manage your website project management workflow by following these 6 steps
The following section summarizes our website project planning process in 6 simple steps. This process free and can be easily implemented by any team.
Throughout the last few months we trialed different processes and communication strategies. We’ve found this to be the most effective workflow for a starting team or small business.
1. Configure the required spaces and establish how to communicate across them
We manage the website website development plan with tasks across three spaces. If you’re working with clients you can create a separate space for them.
Spaces combine all task functionality you might need alongside full-fledged messaging, note taking, file storage and meetings. We organize website project management communications across 3 spaces:
Strategy space: Highest level and and where we discuss the overall project. It’s where we discuss objectives, results and the different milestones of the website development plan.
Creative space: Individual tasks and discussion of new pages, page improvements and other more granular activities.
Development space: Bugs and website errors.
You can follow this set-up or take other routes.
2. Integrate your website management toolstack
There are 3 types of tools you should consider integrating with for the website project management workflow:
Design tools: Figma or Adobe Creative Cloud
Cloud storage providers: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Notion, Miro
We integrate our design folders to the Files mini-app of every space so work can be streamlined. It also allows anyone in the team can quickly find and access design files.
Add your complete design folder and then attach individual pages or files to tasks, notes and topics.
Integrating Figma or Adobe only takes a few minutes. Select “Files” on the top of your space, select the platform you want to integrate, authenticate the account and select the relevant folders.
Once an account has been authenticated you can directly add folders in other spaces as well.
Cloud storage providers
SEO workflows, new content, strategies and team planning should be stored in a cloud storage provider.
We integrate our cloud storage providers to our spaces to reduce folder searching and link sharing across the team. Everyone can access important information without getting distracted with non-relevant folders.
Just like Figma and Adobe, the integration of Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Miro and Notion only requires a few simple steps. Select the Files mini-app, pick your provider, authenticate and select the folders you want to add to the space in question.
You can now continue adding folders in other spaces and different projects you’re working on.
Meetings & video
We often encourage our own team members to say no to meetings. Nevertheless, when really needed you should be able to jump on a quick call with anyone to align on a task, priority or discussion.
To do so you can integrate with Google Meet or Zoom. Just like the file integrations, the only thing you have to do is select the camera icon in the bottom of your screen, select your app and authenticate. Once that’s done you can start new meetings in any space.
You can also use Jitsi which does not require authentication and is an open-source free videoconferencing platform.
Now, we also mentioned that we used Loom to share asynchronous video with the team. When something is not urgent, you can still add a personal touch by using the Loom integration.
3. Configure the task board
The Tasks mini-app is a powerful project management tool that allows you to coordinate your project. We organize all of our tasks in a ‘backlog’, ‘doing’, ‘to be reviewed’ and ‘done’ setup.
There are a variety of task configurations. Let’s do a deep dive into the most notable ones that you will need when setting up a website project of your own.
[Strategy space] Cycle/Sprint task
[Creative space] New webpage creation or improvement
[Creative space] SEO tasks
[Development space] Bug management
Strategy space task: Cycle/Sprint task
The highest level documentation in the website project management workflow is done with a sprint task. These tasks summarize all the activities within your sprint cylce. We typically use these to separate project vs task.
Depending on how large your project is, you can either create 1 task for this, or separate it between different workflows such as SEO, content implementation and back-end work.
Here’s how we typically use the different task fields in a cycle/sprint task:
Assignees: Project manager or main project owners. Leverage the follower feature If other team members are involved but not assignees. This way they can still receive notifications of all task activity.
Start & due dates: Cycle tasks typically move between website design timelines. We push changes to our live website every two weeks. Add start and due dates and sprints to organize these different timelines.
Labels: Categorize tasks as “website” or “website project” so you can easily filter the task board.
Checklist: We leverage cross-space @mentions a lot. The different granular tasks are in different spaces, just @space:task on Rock and directly link to tasks in different spaces.
Creative space task: webpage creation and improvement
We use a single task for web design project management. After testing different configurations, we ended up organizing work in the following way:
Assignees: Our team is quite small so there are only 2 people assigned. You can always add people later on if their input becomes relevant.
Start & due dates: We add the task to a sprint, this automatically adds a start and due date.
Checklist: We define different stages from start to finish: content framework, page outline, content writing, design complete, webflow complete, animations complete (if relevant), transferred to wordpress.
Attachments: We attach the page mock from Figma to the task so we can quickly get to work.
We sometimes want to make changes to an already improved webpage with a new section, visual, or changes to the copy or visual elements. We then move the initial page task back from ‘done’ to ‘backlog’ to access all past documentation.
Creative space task: SEO related tasks
Within the website project management template, we typically edit SEO tasks in the following way:
Assignees: SEO related tasks are typically assigned the content writer and SEO marketer.
Labels: We highlight whether a task isinbound or outbound SEO work.
Attachments: A lot of our SEO work is stored on Google sheets or docs. We attach these to the task for easy access.
Tasks often repeat across cycles. We highlight the cycle in the task title (i.e. “September Sprint”) and duplicate the task when the new sprint starts. Recurring activities typically include optimizing for orphaned content, in or outbound link communications and collaborating on guest posts.
Development space task: Bug management
Bug fixes are an important part of the web development project management process. We file all bugs in one long checklist and use the @attachments function to add images of issues we are facing.
There are a few information fields that we use for these tasks:
Assignees: Developer although sometimes it requires input from design or UX as well.
Checklist: Different bugs are added when they’re flagged by a team member or user and manually ranked as high, medium or low. We use the use the @attachments function to refer to images of issues we are facing on the website.
Attachments: Screenshots or videos that provide more context on the issue at hand.
We try to fix 10 bugs in every cycle and refresh documentation every now and then by duplicating the task so the checklist does not become too long.
4. Set up your development cycle
Website work is set up in recurring development cycles. A development cycle is organized in a timed cycle or sprint and includes page creation improvements, SEO, and bug fixing tasks.
Our development cycles run for 2 weeks. After that we push the changes live and start with a new set of tasks. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when setting up your development cycle:
Decide on a timeframe
Prioritize tasks and add them to the checklist
Stick to your deadlines
Decide on a timeframe
While we implement changes every 2 weeks you can pick a timeframe that fits your website project management style. Some teams run weekly, monthly, quarterly or bi-annual improvements. Note that the larger the timeframe, the more changes.
A bigger set of changes often results in more bugs and problems to arise. We keep our cycles short so that it’s easier to pinpoint the cause of issues. We also believe in progressively adding small improvements rather than waiting too long for changes to be implemented.
Timeframes depend on your team, client communication (if external web project management), and priorities. We do recommend to pick one interval and stick with it for consistency. That is, don’t change the length of the intervals between your cycles.
Prioritize tasks and add them to the checklist
Use the ‘priority’ field on tasks when they are added into a space. Project managers can then pick the important activities by filtering between the different categories in board view.
You can currently select the following priority levels on Rock: urgent, high, medium, low, lowest. After each implementation you can always revisit the priority tag added to the tasks in the backlog.
Once you start planning a new cycle, pick the tasks you think will have the biggest impact or can be quickly implemented.
Stick to your deadlines
This is arguably the hardest part of website project management. Tasks often take longer delaying the release. We recommend sticking to the deadlines and keeping open communication channels on workload, time investment and priority.
Sometimes it’s better to remove a task from the list and push the changes live. After the cycle is completed you can reconvene with your team and discuss workload.
We set up a recurring retrospective meeting. There are a variety of topics that are discussed in these meetings, but we always follow our own virtual meetings best practices. We typically require a meeting agenda to be shared at least 24 to 48 hours in advance so everyone can prepare accordingly.
These meeting agendas include the following:
Action items: What are the next steps? Do you need to brainstorm anything with the team?
Updates: Use check-in questions, share metrics and site performance numbers or share other general personal or organizational information.
Discussion topics: What are the key things you want to talk about? Do you need additional input or information about anything?
Relevant files: Attach design or cloud storage files the team needs to review prior to meeting.
Check out other meeting agenda examples from our team if you’re looking to minimize meetings while keeping the team productive and connected.
6. Continue adding new cycles
The website project management process is always ongoing for us. Some weeks might be busier than others depending on the bandwidth in the team.
Repeat step 3 to 5 and continue improving your website and optimizing the site experience. Create new tasks for pages, bugs or improvements and add them to a new cycle once they become a main priority.
This set-up allows you to celebrate your wins at the end of each cycle. While managing a website is often an ever-going activity, you can use this website project plan template to give the team a sense of progress and accomplishment.
Managing web projects with Rock
Websites are a great foundation for product growth and prospect conversions. Make sure you get the most out of your hours invested by signing up to Rock and implementing the tips and process for website project management.
