Online Project Management - Are You Allowing it to Work?

Bringing together all the separate elements of a project is essential to its success, yet should not fall on one person alone. The reference to online project management does not indicate anything about “dictatorship,” but instead collaboration.

According to this Clarizen page, taking over projects and going beyond your job description as a project manager is something that can happen when the responsibilities are placed squarely on your shoulders. But delegating authority and managing from a non-micro-management standpoint is often much more productive.

It’s important to get out of your own way, allowing online project management to do the job for which it was intended – providing a platform for collaboration and delegation to keep all team members working toward the same goal.

It was not designed to put the workload of your team members on your plate as that only leads to failure. If you’re doing this because your team members are showing a level of incompetence, go back to delegating authority. If they can’t do what’s required, consider replacements.

Once you’ve established that you can’t do every job on your own, understand that online project management software is meant to enhance your performance. Before relying on the software, however, you have to identify what you hope to gain from its deployment. Would you prefer to be free of physical restraints inherent in most on-premise solutions?

You might consider a cloud-based solution, which gives you access to what you need, anytime, anywhere. In the process, make sure you choose one that is going to allow integration with other cloud-based services you are using now or might consider using in the future. If your business is experiencing some growth or has that potential, make sure the software you choose can accommodate that resizing.

Security is not something on which to skimp. Make sure the online project management software you choose allows all the confidential data you’ll be storing to have a safe home that also allows for safe sharing. You’ll want to track your data, including communications in emails and chats, so make sure your software solution keeps you up to date with a “diary” of communications.

Online project managers also have a tendency to work themselves into a state that comes close to burnout. If you’ve taken the steps of delegating authority and cued-up the right software, your job as the one driving online project management just got a lot easier.

If you’re working yourself to the point of burnout you’re not being the most productive you can be, and you’ll likely shorten your career in online project management. Take solace in the fact that people who burn out are usually passionate and committed individuals – they really care about what they’re doing – they just overdo it.

Take the time to allow your online project management platform to do its job, so you can more easily accomplish your own.


Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca