The 7 Best Alternatives to Monday.com

Image represents Monday.com Alternatives

When your organization has the right project management software, you’ll know it. Things like productivity, team synergy, and lead generation increase right away. While at the same time, everyone receives some respite from those boring, repetitive tasks.

The problem for most of us, however, is that we don’t want to spend a lot of time looking for the best software. Be it selling real estate, building software, or designing websites, it’s the doing of our business that we want to focus on, not the backdrop of operations. And so it’s so easy to just go with whatever software is near at hand.

However, the right software free things up. The operations of an organization, that is to say, is what really enables the doing. It establishes a streamlined, functional system and allows key members to step away for a while without everything falling apart.

So if you’re having things fall through the cracks or not clinching deals at the rate you’d like to be, it may be a sign that the software needs a reboot, or even needs to be replaced entirely.

Anyone who researches project management software encounters Monday.com at some point. And for good reason. It’s a robust software that’s served many of its clients well. But by no means is it the only option out there. Many other companies have put their hat into the ring, and each has its unique assortment of strengths and features.

Before committing to one software to run your business, it’s worthwhile to do some digging. You may well unearth a little gem that provides a sparking solution to your organizational woes. To this end, let’s do some exploring and discover some of the best alternatives to Monday.com.

Signs you need a new Project Management Software

4 Signs You Need a New Software & 3 Benefits of a Good One

A project management software is like the skeleton or the foundation of the business. And a shaky foundation means that with one little glitch, everything could come down like a house of cards. Communication trails are impossible to locate, clients are left hanging and procedures are never documented.

The right software provides a solid foundation. It establishes a system so that even if you step away for a time, the machine still purrs and things get done. Let’s look over a few indications that a current system might be due for a replacement.

1. Cannot See the Big Picture in the Day-To-Day

A good software allows users to manage a project end-to-end. It’s possible to step back from the daily grind and get an assessment of how things are proceeding and whether or not the project is on track.

If, on the other hand, a team finds that it’s constantly getting behind, that it cannot cannot clarify priorities or pinpoint how a task fits into the overall picture, it’s a clear sign that the current system isn’t working.

2. Work Repeated and Balls Dropped

If you’re having to say things like “Haven’t we discussed this?” or “Why hasn’t this happened yet?” at the daily stand-up meetings, it means that systems aren’t in place to connect the dots between project planning and project execution.

3. Constant Switching Between Interfaces

Everyone comes to work with a limited cognitive capacity. And a system that requires people to switch between multiple softwares and interfaces quickly becomes a mental drain. Scarce cognitive resources are wasted.

An all-in-one platform, on the other hand, frees up mental space to innovate and solve problems. It also minimizes onboarding and training, not to mention saves money. Rather than paying for two or three subscriptions, you’re only paying for one!

4. Too Much Manual Work

A good software anticipates the needs of its clients with customization, automation tools, and ready-made templates. If you’re having to manually enter data or repeat tasks, it may be a sign of unsophisticated software that doesn’t function at the capacity you require.

Every organization in every industry, regardless of its size, benefits from project management software. Even solopreneurs need them. A good software sets the tone. It eliminates repetitive busywork and enables the innovation that your organization is all about.

Here’s a few things to anticipate from a good software:

  1. Clear, Documented Communication: A good software allows any team, regardless of whether it’s remote or in-person, to communicate effectively. It consolidates communication into one area, for easy retrieval at a later date.
  2. Streamlined Processes and Skyrocketing Productivity: When systems are planned out for easy reference, projects are completed on time or even early. Things don’t slip through the cracks and phrases like “I thought I talked about this” and “Who is doing this?” are a thing of the past.
  3. Intuitive Interface: The UX and UI of a good project management software makes training and onboarding a breeze. New customizations and features are adapted easily by the team.

These benefits naturally lead to the question of whether you’re using the right software (and if you’re using it to its full capacity). Rather than making a decision based on rave reviews, or someone else’s success with another platform, it’s important to do your own research to answer this question. You have a distinct system and your very own set of requirements.

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10 Features to Consider in a Project Management Software

It can be a little overwhelming to shop for project management softwares. Do you focus on the price, the interface, or the functionality? Well the truth is, it is a good idea to look at several components to each platform, carefully weighing them alongside the competition. Each platform is slightly different, offering its own features, support services, UX and interface. The following presents ten particular areas to focus on in your software search.

  1. Training Resources: Purchasing software means learning how to navigate a new interface. The learning curve is huge. You want to be sure that everyone can get up to speed in a short time frame. And so consider the training support each software provides. Some softwares offer a university with certifications and badges, and most offer videos and webinars to bring users up to speed.
  2. User Experience: The interface goes hand-in-hand with training. Some find that learning a new software is the hardest part of the onboarding process. And why? Because the software isn’t intuitive. An easy-to-use interface shortens the learning curve and allows everyone to become functional and productive in a short period of time.
  3. Customer Support: Customer support is a biggie, especially at the get-go. Once you’ve transported all of your information onto a software, and run your daily operations through it, you’re hugely dependent on it. You want to be sure that a knowledgeable, helpful person is ready at hand to speak to if there’s a glitch. While some companies offer support across the board, most companies vary the level of support offered to its users, based on the user’s plan.
  4. Plan Options: This is the goldilocks conundrum. You don’t want to pay for a service that’s well above and beyond what you need, but you can’t have a plan that’s too basic either. Most companies offer three to five separate plans that vary based on the types of services offered, the level of customer support, the storage space and the number of users. Some offer a free plan that’s generally suitable for a solopreneur or a small team.
  5. Viewing Options: The functionality within the platform is another central area to investigate. Many softwares allow you to look at a project in multiple views, including tasks, calendar and timeline, and to quickly shift between views. Some further allow tasks to be labeled as “done,” “WIP,” “stuck” or “assigned.” This allows the project manager to quickly evaluate a project and estimate where things are at.
  6. Automations: A flexible assortment of automations frees people from doing busywork. Automations do things like automatically change the status on a task and hand off a project to the next member of the team. They keep you from having to tap people on the shoulder and remind them to get work done. Most softwares offer a range of customizable automations (Some softwares, according to users’ reviews, even offer too many).
  7. Milestone and Goal Tracking Tools: Whether it’s a battery widget or a burn down chart, a software that provides a goal tracking tool allows a team to keep its finger on the pulse. When everyone can understand, say, if the project is 40% complete or 70% complete, it focuses the energy, and weekly activities are oriented around what is going to bring the team closer to the finish line.
  8. Integration Options With Other Applications and Softwares: Simplifying processes is the overall objective of a project management software. And so ideally, you’re looking for one tool that can do it all. But this usually isn’t entirely realistic. There’s always a few other softwares that the company uses as well, and so an SaaS that integrates with many other softwares allows for all systems to be ordered and to work together.
  9. Collaboration Tools: For remote teams particularly, this component is essential. How easy is it to reach out to individuals and to teams, and then to organize and locate these communications later on? Does the software have the functionality to capture screenshots and to send videos in addition to text? Some platforms function in multiple languages, serving to bridge barriers on international teams.
  10. Cross-Department Functionality: Many softwares don’t simply function to assist with project management. Some serve as powerful accounting tools that help with tracking employee hours, hiring, and invoicing clients. Others serve as CRMs, helping to generate leads and retain clients. When a software serves multiple purposes across the board, it allows an organization to integrate its departments and to work within one system.

This recaps a few areas to investigate when shopping for a project management software. Knowing where to look simplifies the process and allows you to find the tool that best lines up to your needs. Now let’s consider Monday.com, in respect to some of these variables.

Image represents Benefits & Limitations of Monday.com

The Benefits & Limitations of Monday.com

Monday.com offers many solutions to organizations. Designed principally for project and task management, it is used by non-profits and enterprises alike, within organizations great and small. It caters to multiple departments, including marketing, product development, operations, HR, sales, IT and can be used for customer relationship management as well.

In addition to project and task management tools, it also includes collaboration and organization tools that keep files, briefs, checklists and correspondence all together in one place.

Its setup is fluid and simple, making it easy to add members, customize workflows and track progress of projects. Its visual presentation of a project takes the mystery out of who is assigned to what.

Let’s briefly consider some of Monday.com’s standout features and some limitations of the platform as well.

Pros of Monday.com

  • Users love Monday.com’s Battery Widget, which visually displays progress within either an entire project or an individual sprint. This tool keeps a team’s activities oriented around what’s adding value and what’s bringing them closer to the goal.
  • The platform saves users a lot of manual entry with its ready-made templates that also can be customized to suit various uses.
  • It offers robust task management features. The tasks are clear, the status is stated, and the handoff is automatic. Its highly visible format, which looks like an online bulletin board, makes it easy to evaluate where a project is at.
  • Its higher tier plans allows users to view a project from multiple angles by quickly switching between timeline, Gantt and calendar views.
  • Its many customizations allows users to adopt a design that suits the team and the project, including assigning colors to a project and individual team members to a task.
  • It allows client collaboration, so that clients can tap into projects and provide feedback and evaluate progress.
  • Monday.com provides extensive user support, including webinars, community forums, phone support and concierge support for enterprise customers.

Cons of Monday.com

  • Many users have struggled with the onboarding process, citing that the interface, initially, wasn’t intuitive. Although once familiar with the platform, many users really liked it.
  • Some have found the customer service doesn’t provide prompt response to issues, causing delays to their projects.
  • Monday.com offers five plans: individual, basic, standard, pro and enterprise. At $10 and $16 per person per month, the standard and pro plans are more than twice the cost of many of its competitors.
  • Some have found that the platform is complicated. It offers so many features and customizations, that it’s overwhelming to learn everything and to know if the platform is being used to its potential.
  • Some automations require paid integrations and so in order to include automations, you’re not paying for one service, but for two.

In conclusion, Monday.com is a powerhouse tool, and offers a viable solution to many teams. But it doesn’t suit every need. Nor is it the only tool on the market, by far. Let’s dig into some of Monday’s key contenders, and see how they stand in comparison, and what kinds of benefits they bring to an organization.

The 7 Best Alternatives to Monday.com

There’s a whole lot of project management softwares to pick from. Figuring out where to put down anchor involves some sailing around and exploring what’s out there. Here are some of the top project management softwares on the market today.

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1. Teamly

Teamly is an all-in-one project management platform designed for remote teams. It provides all the tools necessary for an organization to run at maximum capacity within one intuitive, user-friendly platform. Some of its key features include:

  • Communication tools that include video, direct messages, screenshots and screen capture videos. Teamly also offers three real-time chat functions: departments, threads and direct messages.
  • Tools to monitor employees and track work hours.
  • Workflow and task management tools that organize teams around projects and promotions. Teamly manages workflows visually, using boards, lists, tasks, and labels.
  • “Click and drag” functionality that allows teams to create a highly-productive kanban workflow, which pulls tasks along a work sequence.
  • File storage that keeps all the critical information in one place. You won’t need to integrate with another software!
  • Automation tools that quickly alert users when a task is ready for them, eliminating the need to micromanage.

The Benefits of Teamly

Teamly ups your game. Organizations using this software see changes right away. Specifically, anyone using Teamly can expect:

  • Increased Collaboration. Chat boxes within each task allow team members to discuss blockers associated with the task, and quickly move past issues.
  • More Innovation. Teamly’s automations eliminates manual, repetitive tasks and frees up time and space to create.
  • Personal Ownership. It’s easy for teams to develop their own tasks and workflows, which improves team initiative and drive.
  • Quick and Easy Project Updates. Nobody drops the ball when using Teamly. It’s simple to evaluate a project from multiple perspectives by switching between task, board, and timeline views, and sorting tasks by due date, priority, and label.
  • Easy Planning. Teamly makes work visible to all members, making sprint planning and backlog grooming a breeze, even for remote teams.

Plans & Pricing

Teamly offers three plans: Free, Pro and Business. Every plan allows employees to track hours, monitor employees and set hourly rates. It also offers around the clock customer support for each and every user.

The free plan includes 500 MB of storage per person, as well as access to projects, departments, audio and text messages.

The Pro plan costs $5 per user per month, and the Business plan $9 per user per month. The Business plan includes unlimited workspaces, projects, audio messaging, kanban workflows, tasks and screen capture videos.

Differences From Monday.com

While Monday.com’s interface is complicated and many find it difficult to understand at first, Teamly’s interface is simple and intuitive, allowing for a smooth onboarding process. The user experience allows teams to focus on the project, rather than clicking away all day long.

Image represents Asana Website Screenshot

2. Asana

Asana is an on-demand software company based out of California that started in 2012. It’s publicly traded, and its services are designed for project management, campaign management, agile teams, remote teams, marketing, operations and product development.

Standout Features

  • Asana offers multiple viewing options for projects and tasks, including list, board and calendar views.
  • Asana’s high functionality allows multiple departments within one organization to collaborate together on the platform, including marketing, HR and product development.
  • The software offers multiple templates suited for a variety of topics, including IT, engineering, marketing, sales and operations.

Integrations

Asana integrates with hundreds of apps, including calendar, storage, finance, marketing, design and communication apps.

Versions

Asana is available in cloud and desktop versions, and also offers mobile applications for iOS and Android.

Plans & Pricing

Asana offers three plans: Free, Premium and Business. The free version provides unlimited storage (100 MB per file), allows up to 15 team members, and includes collaboration, list, board and calendar views for projects.

The Premium plan costs $11 per person per month, while the Business plan costs $25 per person per month. The latter plan includes a milestone feature (similar to Monday.com’s Battery Widget), time tracking tools, and a task approval feature. Asana offers 50% off its services for nonprofits.

Customer Pros and Cons

Let’s go over a few things customers love about Asana:

  • It provides micro and macro views of projects, allowing a project manager to quickly see the project in the granular and in the broad overview.
  • Its collaboration tools make it easy to manage all projects in one platform.
  • Its software integration saves users time, as it allows organizations to retain some of its current systems (not everything needs to be transferred to Asana).

Nothing is perfect, however. Customers have cited the following issues with the software as well:

  • Many have found that when starting out, the UI is confusing and it takes some time to learn.
  • The mobile application isn’t as robust as the desktop version.
  • The free version requires integrations to use the time tracking feature.

Differences From Monday.com

  • Asana offers integrations with more softwares than Monday.com.
  • Monday.com has a better pricing structure, offering five tiers versus Asana’s three, making it easier for a potential customer to find a suitable plan.
  • The two platforms manage task management, workflow and progress visualization differently. Monday.com allows for workflow visualization in multiple views without having to switch between pages.

Image represents Wrike Website Screenshot

3. Wrike

Write started in 2006 by Andrew Filev. It is based out of San Jose, California, and currently has offices in Dublin, Prague, Tokyo and Dallas. It was acquired by Citrix Systems in 2021. It’s a SaaS company that sells collaboration and project management tools. It’s currently used by 20,000 companies.

Designed for remote teams particularly, Wrike’s software caters to multiple departments, including marketing, creative, design, product management and business operations. The software is suited to both large enterprises and small developing companies.

Standout Features

  • Wrike offers many customizable features, including Gantt charts, boards, forms, and time tracking. The Gantt charts are interactive, which makes for quick and easy updates mid-way through a project.
  • This software is great for international teams, as it’s offered in many languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese and Russian.
  • It features a clean interface and a fluid UI.

Integrations

Wrike integrates with over 400 hundred apps, allowing it to adapt easily with an organization’s current systems.

Versions

Wrike is available in web and desktop versions, and also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Plans & Pricing

Wrike offers five plans: Free, Team, Business, Enterprise and Pinnacle. The free plan offers access to the web, desktop and mobile apps, and project and task management tools with board and table views.

The Team plan costs $10 per user per month, and the Business plan $25 per user per month. The latter plan includes up to 200 users, 5 GB of storage per person, and up to 200 automations a month.

Pinnacle and Enterprise plans have custom pricing. The Pinnacle plan allows unlimited users and offers tools for budgeting, 15 GB of storage per user and 1500 automations per user per month.

Customer Pros and Cons

Users have found that Wrike is user friendly and that onboarding new users is relatively painless. They love the customizable project templates and find that setting up a project is quick and fluid.

However, they also have a few quips with the software as well:

  • The mobile app is clunky at times, and doesn’t offer as many features as the desktop version.
  • Customer service can be slow.
  • The software is expensive for large teams, relative to other softwares.
  • Quick edits can be labor intensive.
  • Resource allocation estimates require purchasing additional tools.

Differences From Monday.com

  • Wrike’s price structure is better at the lower tiers, while Monday.com is better at the higher tiers.
  • Wrike specializes in cross department communication, while Monday.com is more about task management.
  • Wrike is offered in 8 languages, while Monday.com is available in 13.

Image represents Airtable Website Screenshot

4. Airtable

Airtable might be described as Excel 2.0. It’s a spreadsheet software with more functionality than a basic spreadsheet. It assists with marketing, product design, sales, HR, operations, finance and content operations.

Based out of San Francisco, Airtable was founded in 2012 by Howie Liu, Andrew Ofstad, and Emmett Nicholas. Rapid growth led to many layoffs in 2022.

Standout Features

  • Airtable allows users to build applications on top of an online database. It allows teams to work together from one centralized place.
  • It offers multiple work views for projects.
  • The UI interface is flexible and easy to use.
  • Airtable comes with a great onboarding process and training videos.

Integrations

Airtable integrates with about 30 other platforms, including social media, communication and storage softwares. It offers more integrations with higher tier plans.

Versions

It provides a web and desktop version as well as mobile apps.

Plans & Pricing

Airtable offers four plans: Free, Plus, Pro and Enterprise. The free plan includes 2 GB of attachments. The Plus plan costs $12 per person per month, and the Pro plan $24 per person per month. The Pro plan includes Gantt and timeline views.

Customer Pros and Cons

Customers like how Airtable makes it easy to sync to other apps without any manual entry.

On the other hand, customers wish the software offered more plans than its current four, and have also found that it’s difficult to scale a business using the software.

Differences From Monday.com

Airtable works more like an Excel spreadsheet, while Monday.com is a task management system.

Image represents Smartsheet Website Screenshot

5. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is an SaaS company designed for remote teams using either a waterfall or agile approach. It assists with sprint planning and resource management. It uses a tabular interface to manage projects, track progress and share documents. The software keeps employee’s work visible, and allows everyone to keep abreast of a project and the status of tasks.

Smartsheet is over a decade old. Since its initial release in 2006, it’s added integration options and simplified its interface.

Standout Features

  • Smartsheet is offered in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Japanese.
  • Smartsheet’s interface resembles an Excel spreadsheet and allows users to collaborate together on a shared spreadsheet.
  • With Smartsheet, viewers can evaluate projects in Gantt, card, grid, and calendar views.

Integrations

Smartsheet offers integrations with over 80 other softwares. However, the integration options vary depending on the user’s plan.

Versions

Smartsheet is available on the cloud and desktop, and also offers a mobile app for Android and iOS.

Plans & Pricing

Smartsheet offers four plans: Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise. The free plan offers four viewing options (Gantt, grid, card and calendar), automations and community support. The Pro plan costs $7 per user per month, and includes email support. The Business Plan costs $25 per user per month, and includes professional support. Each tier offers increased integrations, automations, and storage. The Enterprise plan includes custom features for a custom price.

Customer Pros and Cons

Customers find that Smartsheet has an active user forum that serves as a ready-at-hand education tool. On the other hand, some users have found that the cells aren’t as functional as they’d like.

Differences From Monday.com

  • Smartsheet offers a robust training package that includes Smartsheet University, which offers badges, certifications and courses, whereas Monday.com offers mostly webinars and 60-second videos.
  • Smartsheet is suited for teams that use spreadsheets, whereas Monday.com is a task management software.
  • While Smartsheet offers many of the same features as Monday.com (workflow and task management and project planning), it does not offer time tracking.

Image represents ClickUp Website Screenshot

6. ClickUp

Founded in San Diego in 2017, Clickup promises to be an all-in-one platform that “brings teams, tasks and tools together into one software.” Clickup allows multiple departments to work together on the same platform, including engineering, product, HR, marketing and design. It’s helpful for personal projects as well. Its plans assist established businesses, freelancers, and startups looking to scale and expand.

Standout Features

  • Clickup includes a whiteboard tool for online collaborations and virtual meetings.
  • Its “goal” feature keep projects on track to achieve meaningful milestones.
    Its sophisticated checklist functionality includes nesting tools, allowing teams
  • to break down tasks into meaningful categories.
  • Clickup University, complete with certifications and live training, allows new users to get up to speed in all aspects of the software.

Integrations

Clickup integrates with over 1,000 tools, making it easy to streamline with an organization’s current system.

Plans & Pricing

Clickup offers plans in five flexible tiers to suit a variety of needs, including Free, Unlimited, Business, Business Plus and Enterprise. Every plan includes whiteboards, kanban boards and sprint management tools. The paid plans range from $5 per person per month to $19 per member per month.

Customer Pros and Cons

Customers like Clickup’s interface, and believe that the software allows for an increase in the pace of work and allows for sustained productivity.

However, some users have issues with the set-up process. Getting the ropes can be overwhelming, as the software has so many features. Also, the set-up process can involve a lot of manual inputs. Others find that the time tracking tool is limited in its capacity.

Differences From Monday.com

Both platforms have received very high reviews, and are enjoyed by users overall. While Monday.com has a cleaner interface, Clickup integrates with more apps and softwares than Monday.com

Trello Website Sceenshot

7. Trello

Trello is a web based project and task management software started by Joel Spolsky and Michael Pryer in 2011 that currently has above 50 million users.

Designed for multiple uses, it features simple and easy-to-use task boards to assist in lesson planning, software development, law offices, real estate and accounting.

Standout Features

  • Trello features kanban workflows, a powerful productivity method based on lean manufacturing, which reduces bottlenecks and decreases procrastination.
  • Its highest tier plan offers dashboard, timeline, table, calendar, map and workspace views.
  • Its interface is intuitive and easy-to-use.

Integrations

Trello offers hundreds of integrations to serve a variety of functions, including analytics, communication, developer tools, storage, HR, social media, design and sales.

Plans & Pricing

Trello offers four plans: Free, Standard, Premium and Enterprise. The free plan includes unlimited cards and boards. The Standard plan costs $5 per user per month, if billed annually, and includes unlimited storage. The Premium plan is $10 per user per month. Enterprise plans range from about $10-$17 per user per month, depending on the size of the realm. Both the Premium and Enterprise plans receive priority support.

Customer Pros and Cons

Customers love the interface, and find that Trello is a great collaboration tool. The free version offers a lot of functionality.

On the other hand, its users have found issues with the following:

  • There’s no support for free users.
  • The platform doesn’t provide time tracking or accounting services.
  • The software isn’t compatible with the scrum methodology, and doesn’t include tools like velocity tracking or burndown charts.

Differences From Monday.com

Users find that overall, Trello is simpler than Monday.com. Trello doesn’t offer any invoicing or accounting tools, making it better for in-house projects.

Conclusion

We’ve all slogged through long workdays on those confusing interfaces with way too many tabs in the sidebar, and where you have to scroll through hundreds of old messages to locate critical stakeholder communications. It really gets in the way of productivity.

The right software creates a fluid system and does away with these frustrations. But there isn’t one right solution. Although Monday.com is a great tool, it isn’t the right fit for everyone.

Whether you’re looking for a software with spreadsheets, kanban boards, or scrum tools, there is a solution out there that suits your needs. And with just a little digging, you can discover the right one for you.

13 Self-Evaluation Examples To Help You Nail Your Performance Review

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Ah, it’s that dreaded time of year again where you’re forced to write an assessment of your work performance … and unfortunately, not only can doing so be incredibly time-consuming, but trying to highlight all of your accomplishments (while concealing your weaknesses) can make you feel a bit like the Artful Dodger!

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered, anxious one. In this article, we’ll show you exactly how you can write a winning self-evaluation, discuss common mistakes to avoid (like hiding those aforementioned weaknesses), and give you lots of self-evaluation examples you can crib.

So, let’s jump right into it by taking a look at some of the things we recommend doing — as well as what you absolutely must avoid — when creating your self-evaluation.

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The Dos and Don’ts of Self-Evaluations

Let’s face it: writing a self-evaluation isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. But with the right approach, it can actually be a valuable opportunity to showcase your achievements and areas of growth. To get the most out of the experience, you’ll want to keep these key dos and don’ts in mind as you prepare your self-evaluation.

Common mistakes to avoid in a self-evaluation

First things first, let’s talk about some of the most common mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of when writing your self-evaluation, such as:

Being too modest or too self-promoting.

When writing your self-evaluation, it’s important to strike the right balance between humility and confidence. Being too modest may make it seem like you lack confidence in your abilities, while being too self-promoting may come across as arrogant.

Likewise, you’ll also want to provide specific examples that demonstrate your achievements and contributions, while also being honest and objective about areas where you can improve. In the same vein, for those academic challenges that seem insurmountable, seeking professional paper writing services can be a strategic approach to ensure quality and success.

Focusing on tasks rather than outcomes.

One common mistake people make when creating self-evaluations is focusing too much on what they’ve done, rather than the results of those activities.

While of course it’s useful to describe the work you’ve done, it’s more important to demonstrate the impact your work has had on your employer.
So, instead of simply listing your tasks, remember to focus on the outcomes that you’ve achieved and how they align with your employer’s goals.

Blaming others for mistakes or shortcomings.

In a self-evaluation, it’s crucial you take responsibility for your own performance and not try to shift blame on others.

While it’s okay to acknowledge when external factors may have impacted your performance, it’s not productive to blame others for your own mistakes or shortcomings.

Instead, focus on what you’ve learned from any setbacks and how you plan to address them in the future.

Neglecting to acknowledge areas of growth or improvement.

A self-evaluation is not just about showcasing your achievements, but also about identifying areas where you can improve.

Neglecting to acknowledge areas of growth or improvement can make it seem like you’re not committed to personal and professional development.

So, be honest and transparent about areas where you can improve, and describe specific steps you plan to take to address them.

Writing a generic or unoriginal self-evaluation that lacks personality or detail.

Finally, one of the most common mistakes people make when creating their self-evaluation is to write something generic that lacks personality.

Your self-evaluation is an opportunity to showcase your unique strengths and contributions, so it’s important to make it as specific and personalized as possible.

Avoid using overly technical or jargon-heavy language, and instead, focus on describing your work in a way that’s accessible and engaging for your manager.

Image indicates a women writing an honest and objective self-evaluation

Tips for writing an honest and objective self-evaluation

Like we mentioned, when it comes to writing your self-evaluation, you’ll want to strike just the right balance between humility and confidence, and in this next section, you’ll find tips for doing just that!

Be specific and provide concrete examples of your achievements.

When writing your self-evaluation, you’ll want to provide concrete examples.

For instance, instead of simply saying “I completed my project on time,” describe the specific steps you took to meet your goals, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes you achieved.

This will help your manager to understand the impact of your work and the value you bring to your employer.

Acknowledge your areas of growth and discuss how you plan to improve.

It’s important to be honest and transparent about areas where you can improve.

Instead of trying to hide your weaknesses, acknowledge them and describe specific steps you plan to take to address them.

This demonstrates your commitment to personal and professional growth and your willingness to take ownership of your development.

Use data and metrics to back up your claims.

To make your self-evaluation more persuasive, use data to back up your claims.

For example, instead of simply saying “I increased sales,” provide specific numbers and percentages that demonstrate the impact of your work.

This will help your manager understand the value of your contributions and the impact you’ve had on the organization.

Avoid using overly technical or jargon-heavy language.

To ensure that your self-evaluation is engaging for your manager, you’ll want to describe your work in a way that’s clear and easy to understand.

This will help your manager to appreciate the value of your contributions and the impact you’ve had on the organization. It also makes it more likely your manager will read your evaluation in full, rather than merely skimming it!

Be honest and genuine in your writing.

We’ve touched on this before, but again, it’s important to avoid exaggerating your achievements or downplaying your weaknesses.

Instead, provide an honest and accurate assessment of your performance, and demonstrate your commitment to personal and professional growth.

Your self-evaluation is an opportunity to showcase your achievements, set new goals, and demonstrate your potential to contribute to the success of your team and organization … to take advantage of that opportunity, honesty is key.

Image represents self-evaluation best practices

Self-evaluation best practices

To make the most of your self-evaluation, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind:

Start early and give yourself plenty of time to prepare and revise.

Writing a self-evaluation can be a time-consuming process, so it’s important to start early and give yourself plenty of time.

This will allow you to review your work and accomplishments throughout the year, as well as think deeply about your strengths and areas for growth.

By starting early, you’ll also avoid the stress and pressure that can come with rushing to complete your self-evaluation at the last minute.

Get feedback from a trusted colleague or mentor.

To ensure that your self-evaluation is accurate and effective, consider getting feedback from someone at work you trust.

This person can provide you with an outside perspective on your performance and help you identify areas where you can improve. They can also offer suggestions for how to frame your accomplishments in a way that’s persuasive and impactful.

Stay organized and keep track of your achievements and challenges throughout the year.

To make the process of writing a self-evaluation easier, it’s especially important to stay organized throughout the year.

This can include keeping a record of your accomplishments, taking notes on feedback and suggestions, and tracking your progress towards your goals.

By staying organized and keeping track of your work, you’ll have a wealth of information to draw from when it comes time to write your self-evaluation.

Stay focused on your goals and how you can contribute to the success of your team and organization.

Finally, while it’s important to highlight your individual achievements, it’s equally important to demonstrate how your work has contributed to the success of your employer.

By focusing on your goals and the bigger picture, you’ll be able to demonstrate your value to your manager and better position yourself at your organization.

Remember, your self-evaluation is an opportunity to sell yourself, while demonstrating your commitment to personal and professional growth. With the right approach and mindset, you can use it to your advantage and impress your manager during your performance review.

To help you do that, you’ll find our best self-evaluation examples in the next section. By tweaking the examples to make them relevant to your own work performance, you can save yourself time writing your self-evaluation.

However, remember that you’ll still want to be thorough and accurate in your assessment, so rather than using these examples as-is, plan to use them as a starting point and edit accordingly.

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13 Examples of Self-Evaluation for Performance Reviews

As you prepare for your upcoming performance review, it’s important to take the time to demonstrate your value to your team and organization.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of areas to focus on in your self-evaluation, including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and more.

In this section, we’ll provide both positive and negative examples of self-evaluations in each of these areas, to help you get a better sense of what you’ll want to include in your own self-evaluation.

1. Creativity

Positive Example:

“Over the past year, I’ve made a concerted effort to develop my creative skills and approach tasks in new and innovative ways. One of my proudest achievements was leading a brainstorming session that generated a series of compelling ideas for a new marketing campaign, which ultimately helped to boost engagement with our target audience.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I didn’t focus enough on developing my creativity, and I occasionally struggled to come up with new and innovative ideas. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to generating new ideas, by seeking out inspiration and experimenting with new approaches to tasks and projects.”

2. Communication

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I made a conscious effort to improve my communication skills, both in written and verbal formats. I led a presentation to our executive team that effectively communicated the results of our latest marketing campaign and sought feedback from team members to improve my communication style.”

Negative Example:

“In looking back on the year, I realize that I could have improved my communication skills. I missed opportunities to share updates on my projects and to contribute to team discussions, but plan to take a more proactive approach to communication in the future by practicing active listening and speaking up more in meetings.”

3. Problem-Solving

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I’ve demonstrated a strong ability to approach problems with a creative and analytical mindset. I proactively identified potential issues with a project and suggested innovative solutions that helped the team to stay on track and achieve our goals, using collaboration and research to find the best solution.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled to approach problems in a proactive manner. When addressing issues that arose, I often relied on tried-and-true solutions instead of taking the time to consider new, creative approaches. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to problem-solving, by seeking out input from colleagues and considering a wider range of possible solutions.”

4. Teamwork

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I’ve made a conscious effort to be a collaborative and reliable team member. I took the initiative to organize several team-building activities and volunteered to take on extra work to support my colleagues during a particularly busy period. I believe that my commitment to teamwork has helped to improve team morale and drive our collective success.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been a more effective team member. I struggled to balance my own priorities with the needs of the team and missed opportunities to support my colleagues. In the future, I plan to take a more proactive approach to teamwork, by seeking out opportunities to collaborate and offering my support when I can.”

5. Time Management

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I made a concerted effort to manage my time effectively and efficiently, while maintaining a high level of productivity. I prioritized my workload and created a schedule that allowed me to complete all my tasks on time and avoid procrastination. I also made a conscious effort to minimize distractions and stay focused on my goals.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I occasionally struggled with time management. At times, I found myself falling behind on my work and having to play catch-up. In the future, I plan to take a more disciplined approach to time management by creating a daily schedule and prioritizing my tasks more effectively.”

6. Leadership

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated strong leadership skills by motivating and inspiring my team to achieve our goals. I took the initiative to delegate tasks effectively, provided constructive feedback to team members, and modeled a positive and enthusiastic attitude. I believe that my commitment to leadership has helped to build a strong and effective team.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have demonstrated stronger leadership skills. At times, I struggled with delegating tasks effectively and providing constructive feedback to team members. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my leadership skills by seeking out feedback from team members and working to model a positive and effective leadership style.”

7. Adaptability

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to adapt to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges with ease. I remained flexible and open to new ideas, and was able to pivot my approach to a project when new information emerged. I believe that my commitment to adaptability helped to keep the team moving forward even in the face of unexpected obstacles.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been more adaptable in my approach to challenges. I struggled to pivot my approach when new information emerged, and sometimes became stuck in my ways. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my adaptability by seeking out new perspectives and being more open to changing circumstances.”

8. Emotional Intelligence

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to understand and manage my emotions, as well as those of my colleagues. I worked to cultivate strong relationships with team members, showing empathy and understanding when they faced challenges, and seeking to resolve conflicts in a positive and constructive manner. I believe that my commitment to emotional intelligence helped to create a positive and supportive team environment.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have demonstrated stronger emotional intelligence. I sometimes struggled to manage my own emotions, which may have caused tension in team interactions. In the future, I plan to focus on developing my emotional intelligence by seeking out resources for self-reflection and feedback, and working to build stronger relationships with my colleagues.”

9. Motivation

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong level of motivation and commitment to achieving my goals. I set clear objectives for myself and pursued them with a high level of energy and enthusiasm, even in the face of challenges or setbacks. I believe that my motivation helped me to achieve significant success and contribute to the team’s overall performance.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled with motivation at times, particularly during periods of stress or uncertainty. I may have missed opportunities to pursue my goals with a higher level of energy or enthusiasm, which could have impacted my performance. In the future, I plan to work on maintaining my motivation during challenging periods, by seeking out support from colleagues and mentors and focusing on the positive impact of my work.”

10. Productivity

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a high level of productivity and achieved significant results in my work. I set clear priorities and goals for myself and worked diligently to meet or exceed them, often going above and beyond to support my colleagues. I believe my productivity helped to position me for future success.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have been more productive in my work. I sometimes struggled to manage my workload effectively and may have missed opportunities to contribute more to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to work on improving my productivity by setting more clear priorities and deadlines for myself, and seeking out support from colleagues and mentors when necessary.”

11. Performing Under Pressure

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I demonstrated a strong ability to perform under pressure and maintain my focus and composure in challenging situations. I was able to stay calm and level-headed, even in high-stress environments, and remained focused on achieving my goals. I believe that my ability to perform under pressure helped to make a positive contribution to the team’s overall performance.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have performed better under pressure in certain situations. I sometimes became anxious when faced with high-stress environments, which may have impacted my ability to focus and achieve my goals. In the future, I plan to work on developing my skills in managing stress and maintaining my focus during challenging situations.”

12. Achievements

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I achieved several significant milestones that contributed to the success of our team and organization. I played a key role in a project that resulted in a 20% increase in sales, and also took the initiative to develop a new process that streamlined our workflow and improved team efficiency. I believe my achievements have helped to demonstrate my value to the team and this organization.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I could have achieved more significant milestones. I sometimes struggled to set clear goals and objectives for myself, and may have missed opportunities to contribute to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to focus on setting more ambitious goals and working more proactively to achieve them.”

13. Weaknesses

Positive Example:

“Throughout the year, I made a concerted effort to identify and address my weaknesses in order to improve my performance. I sought feedback from colleagues and mentors and used it as an opportunity to reflect on areas where I needed to grow. I believe my willingness to acknowledge my weaknesses helped me to become a more effective team member.”

Negative Example:

“In reflecting on the year, I realize that I struggled to identify and address my weaknesses in a proactive manner. I may have missed opportunities to improve my skills and contribute more effectively to the team’s success. In the future, I plan to be more proactive in seeking out feedback and identifying areas where I can grow and improve.”

In Conclusion

We really hope you found this article super helpful and got some great tips for writing an awesome self-evaluation. As you gear up for your next performance review, we highly recommend taking advantage of all the resources we’ve shared here to reflect on your accomplishments and think about where you can improve.

Trust us, putting in the effort to write a thoughtful self-evaluation will definitely pay off in the long run, helping you achieve even greater success and be a more valuable member of your team. Best of luck to you!

Supercharging Your Productivity: The Power of Work Management

Illustration of a man wearing a corporate outfit and has a cape. The man is flying and behind him is a work management scenario.

Welcome to the age of constant change, where businesses need to adapt, pivot, and innovate faster than ever to stay ahead of the curve. To succeed in today’s fast-paced and competitive world, it’s not enough to work hard. You need to work smart. This is where work management comes in.

Work management is the process of organizing and optimizing your workflows, workloads, and resources to achieve your goals and deliver your best work consistently.

At its core, work management is about taking control of your work and creating a system that works for you rather than against you. It’s about moving from chaos to control, from reactive to proactive, from good to great.

In this article, we’ll explore the power of work management and how it can help you achieve success in both your personal and professional life. We’ll cover everything you need to know, from its key benefits to the best tools and practices to implement it effectively.

So, whether you’re a startup founder looking to scale your business, a freelancer trying to juggle multiple clients, or a busy parent trying to balance work and life, this article is for you. Get ready to transform the way you work and take your productivity to the next level!

Understanding Work Management

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Effective work management is essential for business success, and it’s a powerful tool for achieving it. It streamlines processes, boosts efficiency and productivity, and aligns in-house and virtual teams toward common goals. By taking control of your work and optimizing your processes, you can supercharge your productivity and achieve the success you want.

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, achieving annual goals and targets can be a significant challenge. But with work management, you can confidently meet these challenges head-on and emerge victorious.

Let’s dive in and explore what work management is all about and the key benefits it offers to organizations.

Defining Work Management and its Key Benefits

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Work management is all about creating an optimized workflow structure that caters to the needs of all levels within an organization. Its goal is to simplify complex workflows, eliminate redundancy, and free up teams to focus on high-value activities that contribute to the organization’s overall goals.

With a work management system in place, you can:

●   Supercharge organizational performance
●   Foster better team collaboration
●   Eliminate redundancies within the system
●   Utilize resources efficiently
●   Deliver on client expectations

Whether you’re a startup or a well-established organization, a work management system can help you stay ahead of the game and achieve the success you desire.

Understanding the Difference between Work Management and Project Management

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Many individuals may mistake work management for project management, but in reality, the two practices have distinct differences. While they share some similarities, such as streamlining tasks and improving resource utilization, their scope sets them apart. Work management encompasses more than project management, covering broader areas of an organization’s workflow and processes.

Here’s how work management and project management are different:

Work Management:

  • Provides a framework for organizing and optimizing all tasks and activities in an organization
  • Aims to improve overall efficiency, productivity, and quality of work
  • Involves all teams and individuals within an organization, not just project teams
  • Emphasizes continuous improvement and evolution of processes
  • Helps achieve business objectives by streamlining workflows and maximizing resources

Project Management:

  • Focuses on planning and executing tasks for a specific project
  • Is designed to meet short-term objectives specific to a project
  • Involves only the project team members associated with a particular project
  • Follows a structured approach with a defined timeline and budget
  • Helps you meet project expectations

Importance of Work Management in Productivity and Workflow

Illustration of a man's hand with watch representing productivity and people standing behind a workflow.

Effective work management is crucial to streamlining workflows and maximizing productivity. A well-designed work management system can help you:

  • Identify the shortcomings in the existing structure and make the necessary changes to streamline workflows
  • Simplify complex processes and reduce redundancies to make teams more productive
  • Manage workloads and improve resource utilization
  • Foster collaboration and effective communication among teams
  • Achieve your business goals and stay ahead of the competition
  • With effective work management, you can turn chaos into control and take your business to new heights.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of work management, let’s move on to the next section, where we’ll explore the six stages of the work management journey.

The Work Management Journey

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The process of work management can be broken down into several key steps that are crucial to the successful execution of any project or task.

●   Unleashing Creativity: The Brainstorming Stage

The brainstorming stage is where creativity runs wild. It is the starting point of the entire work management process, where ideas are generated, discussed, and analyzed. This stage is where you identify the problem, brainstorm possible solutions, and decide on the best course of action. With the right approach, this stage can help you kickstart your project with a clear objective and achievable goals.

●   Laying the Foundation: Planning

Planning is the cornerstone of any successful project. This stage involves identifying resources, setting objectives, and devising a plan of action. It is crucial to get everyone on the same page to ensure that the project is moving in the right direction. By creating a clear plan of action, you can reduce the risk of errors, confusion, and missed deadlines.

●   Making it Happen: Execution

This stage is where the rubber meets the road. All the planning in the world is useless without proper execution. At this point, you need to make sure that everyone is working according to the plan, and that the project is progressing as scheduled. The execution phase requires careful management to ensure that everything is on track.

●   Staying on Track: Monitoring and Control

Monitoring and control is an integral part of the work management process. This stage is where you keep track of the project’s progress, make adjustments, and ensure that everything is on schedule. Effective monitoring and control are critical to minimize risks, meet deadlines, and delivering high-quality work.

●   Wrapping it Up: Completion and Delivery

The completion and delivery stage marks the end of the project. It involves the delivery of the project and the final quality check. It is crucial to ensure that the project meets the requirements and objectives set out in the planning stage.

●   Learning and Growing: Reflection and Improvement

The reflection and improvement stage is where you learn from your experiences, evaluate the process, and make improvements for the future. This stage is where you document and share the lessons learned and use them to improve future projects.

Benefits of using Work Management Tools

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Step 1. Increased productivity and efficiency

Using a work management system increases productivity and efficiency by streamlining processes, providing real-time views of work, and improving team collaboration. This saves time and resources and leads to happier customers and employees. The system also allows for personalized dashboards and reports, facilitating communication and teamwork, resulting in a more productive organization and increased profits.

Step 2: Develop a schedule

Start by making a clear and planned schedule, including an orderly to-do list of the most pressing chores for the following day. Make a workable plan that everyone can stick to, including set hours and due dates. Make a schedule that spans multiple days, weeks, or months, and keep track of your progress as you assign importance to various activities. With this, you can create a system for managing your work that improves productivity and guarantees that tasks are completed in the correct order.

Step 3: Allocate tasks to teams

To efficiently manage a project, create a timeline and allocate team members’ roles. Ensure that urgent work is prioritized and team members are not overworked by documenting the tasks and using a work management application to delegate and monitor progress. Finally, monitor progress to ensure that activities are completed on time and correctly.

Step 4: Balance the workload of the team

Ensuring that the workload is distributed fairly among team members is key to maintaining a positive work environment and preventing burnout. Use a work management tool to monitor the workload of each team member and reassign tasks if necessary. Be fair and transparent when delegating tasks, assigning them based on skill sets and availability, and avoid overburdening any one team member.

Step 5: Record and evaluate work progress

Tracking progress is essential for effective work management. Regularly coordinate with team members to ensure that work is advancing through the proper stages and identify areas for improvement. Record all completed tasks, including communications and scheduling, to evaluate the productivity of the workplace. Effective communication between management and the team aids project development and ensures timely completion. Monitor progress to identify improvement opportunities and make appropriate adjustments.

Step 6: Focus on what’s important

It’s important to prioritize important tasks, establish deadlines, and automate procedures to save time and mental effort. Setting up a filing system for documents and unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists can also be helpful. By focusing on essential activities and adapting the system to individual or group requirements, a productive work management system can be established.

Step 7: Schedule better

A daily or weekly schedule is needed for a successful work management system. By prioritizing tasks and establishing scheduled collaboration times, businesses can improve time management and increase productivity. . An effective scheduling system can help businesses gain better control of their workflow and ensure that everyone is held accountable for their responsibilities.

Step 8: Efficiently delegate work

Efficiently delegate work to better match team members’ skills and strengths, leading to higher quality work. Use a work management tool to streamline delegation, assign tasks based on skills and availability, prioritize quality over quantity, and collaborate to develop efficient strategies.

Tools for Effective Work Management

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Using the right tools can make a significant impact on the productivity and efficiency of your team. Here are some of the essential tools for effective work management:

1. Teamly – Teamly is a remote project management software that provides real-time employee chat, workflows, screen capture video, employee time tracking, and more. With its user-friendly kanban boards, customized workflows, and automated task management, Teamly makes remote team management simple and easy. The built-in timer and monitoring system also allow you to calculate payroll and keep track of your team’s productivity, ensuring that your projects are completed on time and within budget.

2. Slack – Slack is a messaging platform that allows team members to communicate in real-time, regardless of their location. Its simple user interface and various integrations make it a popular tool for remote team communication and collaboration.

3. Trello – Trello is a visual collaboration tool that allows teams to organize and prioritize their tasks and projects. With its customizable boards, cards, and lists, Trello makes it easy for teams to keep track of their progress and deadlines.

4. Zoom – Zoom is a video conferencing tool that allows teams to hold online meetings, webinars, and virtual events. With its high-quality video and audio features, screen sharing, and recording capabilities, Zoom makes remote collaboration and communication seamless.

By using the right tools for effective work management, you can streamline your team’s workflow, reduce the workload, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Whether you’re working remotely or in the office, these tools can help you manage your projects and achieve your goals.

The Role of Work Management in Remote Work

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In recent years, remote work has become increasingly popular, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend. Many businesses have had to adapt quickly to remote work to ensure business continuity, and work management has played a crucial role in this transition.

Effective work management is even more critical in a remote work environment, where communication and collaboration can be challenging. Work management tools and systems can help remote teams stay organized, track progress, and communicate effectively.

Remote work also requires a different approach to managing workloads and schedules. Work management systems can help teams balance workloads, manage time zones, and ensure that deadlines are met, even when team members are working in different time zones.

Another key benefit of work management in remote work is the ability to monitor and manage team performance. With work management tools, managers can track progress and identify areas where team members may need additional support or training.

Overall, work management plays a critical role in ensuring the success of remote work. By implementing effective work management practices and utilizing the right tools and systems, remote teams can stay organized, productive, and collaborative, regardless of where they are located.

Challenges and Strategies for Effective Work Management

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While work management is a powerful tool for optimizing workflows and achieving goals, it can be challenging to implement in practice. Here are some common challenges that readers may encounter and strategies for overcoming them:

1. Resistance to change

Implementing work management practices often involves changes to established workflows and processes. Some team members may be resistant to these changes, either because they are comfortable with the status quo or because they do not fully understand the benefits of work management. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to communicate the reasons for the changes and the benefits that work management can provide. Additionally, involving team members in the planning and implementation process can help them feel more invested and engaged in the changes.

2. Lack of clarity and alignment

Without clear goals and alignment, work management can become chaotic and unproductive. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to set clear goals and expectations for each project or task. This can involve defining project objectives, breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, and communicating these goals and steps to all team members. Regular check-ins and progress reports can also help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives.

3. Overwhelming workload

Work management can also become challenging when team members are faced with an overwhelming workload. This can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and poor quality work. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to prioritize tasks and focus on high-value activities. This can involve breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks, delegating tasks to other team members, or using automation and technology to streamline processes. It’s also important to ensure that team members are taking breaks and practicing self-care to prevent burnout.

4. Communication breakdowns

Effective communication is critical for successful work management. However, communication breakdowns can occur for a variety of reasons, such as poor communication skills, language barriers, or different time zones. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to establish clear communication channels and protocols. This can involve using tools like project management software, scheduling regular check-ins and meetings, and providing training and resources on effective communication. Additionally, it’s important to establish a culture of open communication and feedback, where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.

5. Lack of accountability

Without accountability, work management can become ineffective and unproductive. It’s important for team members to take ownership of their tasks and responsibilities and to hold themselves and each other accountable for meeting deadlines and achieving goals. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to establish clear roles and responsibilities, set deadlines and expectations, and monitor progress regularly. Regular feedback and performance reviews can also help ensure that team members are meeting expectations and taking responsibility for their work.

By addressing these common challenges and implementing effective strategies for overcoming them, readers can maximize the benefits of work management and achieve their goals with greater ease and efficiency. Remember, effective work management is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement and adaptation to changing circumstances.

Best Practices for Effective Work Management

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Effective work management is crucial for organizations to achieve their goals and thrive in today’s fast-paced and competitive world. To help you implement effective work management practices in your organization, here are some practical tips and best practices to follow:

1. Set clear goals and expectations

Having clear and measurable goals can help you align your work with the organization’s objectives and track progress. Make sure that the goals are specific, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Communicate the goals to all team members and make sure they understand what is expected of them.

2. Use data and analytics to track progress

Measuring progress is important to assess performance and make data-driven decisions. Use tools to track and analyze your progress, and identify areas that need improvement. Regularly review your progress and adjust your plan accordingly.

3. Encourage a growth mindset

In today’s fast-paced and constantly changing world, it’s important to adopt a growth mindset. Emphasize the importance of learning, growth, and development both for individuals and the organization as a whole. Encourage team members to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and continuously improve themselves and their work. This will lead to a culture of innovation and progress, and help the organization stay ahead of the game.

4. Emphasize the importance of continuous learning and professional development

Continuous learning is vital to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies. Encourage team members to attend training sessions, conferences, and other learning opportunities. Provide them with the necessary resources and tools to improve their skills and knowledge.

By implementing these best practices, you can improve your work management processes and increase your organization’s productivity and efficiency. Remember, effective work management is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement and adaptation to changing circumstances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective work management is an essential skill for anyone seeking to boost their productivity and achieve success in today’s fast-paced and competitive world. By implementing the key steps of work management, such as work identification, planning, scheduling, execution, follow-up, and analysis, individuals and organizations can streamline workflows and maximize productivity.

To implement effective work management, it’s important to set clear goals and expectations, break down tasks into manageable chunks, use data and analytics to track progress, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Additionally, continuous learning and professional development are essential for individuals and teams alike to stay current with best practices and adapt to changing trends.

In closing, embracing the power of work management is a key step toward taking control of one’s productivity and success. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this article, readers can transform their work habits and achieve their goals with greater ease and efficiency. So, let’s get to work and start managing for success!

143 Inspiring Teamwork Quotes to Motivate Your Team

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At Teamly, we believe that teamwork is the foundation of success, especially when it comes to remote work. After all, our company’s very name is a nod to the power of collaboration!

And it’s not just us — countless business leaders, athletes, and coaches have all attested to the importance of teamwork in achieving greatness.

That’s why we’ve compiled a comprehensive collection of teamwork quotes for our readers — to provide some inspiration and motivation for your own teamwork endeavors.

So whether you’re looking to inspire your remote team, to gain some insights on effective collaboration, or simply to reflect on the importance of teamwork in your own life, this article is the perfect place to start.

Image represents team spirit

Ignite your team spirit! Inspiring teamwork quotes that will motivate you to collaborate

Have you ever been part of a team that just clicked, where everyone’s strengths came together in just the right way to accomplish something amazing?

That’s the power of teamwork, and when you find or develop a team like that, the synergy is incredible.

To help you tap into that magical TEAM (AKA “Together Everyone Achieves More”) energy, we’ve identified some of our favorite teamwork quotes for inspiring the spirit of collaboration!

1. “There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.”

George Shinn
American entrepreneur and author

2. “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.”

Steve Jobs
American Cofounder of Apple Computer

3. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead
American cultural anthropologist

4. “One hand alone can’t clap.”

African Proverb

5. “No individual can win a game by himself.”

Magic Johnson
American former professional basketball player

6. “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”

Babe Ruth
American former professional baseball player

7. “It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

8. “Unity is strength … when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”

Mattie Stepanek
American poet and peace ambassador

9. “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”

H.E. Luccock
American former minister and professor

10. “It takes two flints to make a fire.”

Louisa May Alcott
American author

11. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

Phil Jackson
American former NBA coach

12. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

13. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller
American author and political activist

14. “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

Ryunosuke Satoro
Japanese author

15. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Aristotle
Greek philosopher and scientist

16. “We can achieve more together than we can alone.”

Philip Green
British former CEO and Chairman of Arcadia Group

17. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

Andrew Carnegie
American industrialist

18. “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.”

Unknown

19. “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Henry Ford
American industrialist

20. “Collaboration allows us to achieve more than we ever could alone.”

Mark Zuckerberg
CEO of Facebook

21. “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Ken Blanchard
American author and management expert

22. “A lack of trust is a major impediment to teamwork.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

23. “Trust is the foundation of teamwork, and teamwork is the foundation of success.”

Idowu Koyenikan
Nigerian author and speaker

24. “When people are working together, they don’t need to be told what to do. They know what needs to be done.”

Lou Holtz
American former football coach

25. “A team is only as strong as its weakest link.”

Unknown

26. “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to a team.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

27. “Collaboration allows us to take our collective strengths and make them stronger.”

Marillyn Hewson
CEO of Lockheed Martin

28. “There is no limit to what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

29. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

Henry Ford
American industrialist

30. “Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than you found it.”

Wilferd A. Peterson
American author

Image indicates what makes a great team

Successful teams share several similarities: Teamwork quotes about what makes a great team

Successful teams work together seamlessly to achieve their goals … and whether those goals exist in the workplace, on a sports field, or in any other setting, the hallmarks of a great team are always the same.

In this section, we’ll explore some of the key traits and characteristics that define a great team, as described by some of the most insightful and inspiring individuals of our time.

From trust and communication to shared goals and a positive attitude, these quotes capture the essence of what makes a team truly great.

31. “It’s not the will to win that matters — everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”

Paul “Bear” Bryant
American former college football coach

32. “The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.”

James Cash Penney
American Founder of J.C. Penney

33. “Success requires unity of effort.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Former President of the United States

34. “A team that trusts is a team that triumphs.”

Unknown

35. “A successful team is a group of many hands but of one mind.”

Bill Bethel
Business consultant

36. “The cornerstone of a great team is trust, without it, no amount of talent or skill can compensate.”

Michael Jordan
American former professional basketball player

37. “The highest levels of performance come to those who trust their teammates.”

Ross Perot
American Founder of Electronic Data Systems

38. “The best teams have trust. They trust in each other and they trust in their coaches.”

Vince Lombardi
American former professional football coach

39. “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
American former professional basketball player

40. “The best teams are made up of a collection of people who complement each other and work together to achieve a common goal.”

Sheryl Sandberg
COO of Facebook

41. “If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team.”

Bud Wilkinson
American former professional football player, coach, and broadcaster

42. “The mark of a great team is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to handle conflict by focusing on common goals.”

Pat Summitt
American former college basketball coach

43. “The most important aspect of a team is trust. If a team can’t trust each other, it will never be successful.”

Phil Jackson
American former professional basketball coach

44. “The key to successful teamwork is communication.”

Michael Jordan
American former professional basketball player

Image indicates team perseverance

When the going gets tough: Teamwork quotes about perseverance

Whether it’s overcoming a difficult project, navigating office politics, or simply facing unexpected roadblocks, perseverance is what sets successful teams apart.

The following quotes capture the spirit of perseverance and provide inspiration for teams that are facing challenges. Remember that through teamwork, anything is possible!

45. “The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph.”

Unknown

46. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.”

Billie Jean King
American former professional tennis player

47. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Nelson Mandela
Former President of South Africa

48. “A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.”

David Brinkley
American former newscaster

49. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

50. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

Jim Rohn
American entrepreneur and motivational speaker

51. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Thomas Edison
American inventor and businessman

52. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”

Christian D. Larson
American author

53. “Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”

George S. Patton
American general

54. “I have failed again and again throughout my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Michael Jordan
American former professional basketball player

55. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

Maya Angelou
American poet and civil rights activist

56. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Thomas Edison
American inventor and businessman

57. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”

Walter Elliott
Scottish author and clergyman

58. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”

Sam Levenson
American humorist and writer

59. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

Japanese Proverb

60. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe
American abolitionist and author

61. “There is no failure, only feedback.”

Robert Allen
American entrepreneur and author

62. “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.”

Zig Ziglar
American author and motivational speaker

63. “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”

Charles F. Kettering
American inventor, engineer, and businessman

64. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Wayne Gretzky
Canadian former professional ice hockey player

Image represents a team celebrating success

Having the right stuff: Teamwork quotes about achieving success

Success typically involves some combination of determination, hard work, and perseverance. In this section, we’ll delve into a compilation of quotes that provide insight into what it takes to be successful.

Whether you’re searching for guidance to reach your own personal goals, or seeking to motivate your team to success, these quotes offer a wealth of insights.

So, let’s dive in and discover what it takes to be successful from some of the greatest thinkers of our generation.

65. “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”

Colin Powell
American former Secretary of State

66. “It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

67. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

Arthur Ashe
American former professional tennis player

68. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

Robert Collier
American author and publisher

69. “Success is the result of focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”

Wilferd A. Peterson
American author

70. “Success is not a one-time event. It’s a process that continues every day.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

71. “The most important measure of how good a game I’d played or how good a practice I’d had was what I did in the last five minutes of the game or the last twenty minutes of the practice. Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.”

Pat Riley
American former professional basketball player and coach

72. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”

Steve Jobs
American Cofounder of Apple Inc.

73. “Successful people never worry about what others are doing.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

74. “Successful people are not afraid of failure. They know failure is just a step towards success.”

Michael Jordan
American former professional basketball player

75. “Success is the product of daily habits, not once in a while breakthroughs.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

76. “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”

Bobby Unser
American race car driver

77. “Successful people are willing to face their fears and overcome them.”

Brian Tracy
Canadian-American motivational speaker and author

78. “Success is a process, not a destination.”

Harvey Mackay
American entrepreneur and author

79. “Success is never final, and failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

80. “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

Vince Lombardi
American former professional football coach

81. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Vidal Sassoon
British hairdresser and businessman

82. “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

Warren Buffett
American investor, philanthropist, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

83. “Don’t wait for opportunities, create them.”

Unknown

84. “The only way to achieve success is to keep moving forward.”

Walt Disney
American Cofounder of The Walt Disney Company

85. “Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.”

Arnold H. Glasow
American writer and humorist

Image represents accountability

Taking ownership is key: Teamwork quotes about accountability

If you’ve ever been on a team where someone shirked responsibility and left everyone else to pick up the slack, you’re already well-aware why accountability is such a crucial aspect of successful teamwork.

To drive that point home, we’ve compiled a collection of quotes that highlight the importance of accountability when it comes to teams.

So, read on to get inspired about taking ownership today — or to find a quote you can add to your email signature to (discreetly!) inspire the slackers on your team.

86. “Without accountability, there can be no trust.”

Stephen Covey
American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker

87. “Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough to see things through to completion.”

Chris Hardy
American speaker and author

88. “Accountability is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

89. “Camaraderie doesn’t happen by accident; developing a strong sense of trust, accountability, and togetherness around team goals requires intentional effort.”

Don Yaeger
American journalist

90. “Transparency increases credibility and accountability.”

Park Won-soon
South Korean politician

91. “Accountability is the key to unlocking unlimited potential.”

Unknown

92. “Accountability breeds response-ability.”

Stephen Covey
American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker

93. “If you are building a culture where honest expectations are communicated and peer accountability is the norm, then the group will address poor performance and attitudes.”

Henry Cloud
American psychologist

94. “The best kind of accountability on a team is peer-to-peer. Peer pressure is more efficient and effective than going to the leader, anonymously complaining, and having them stop what they are doing to intervene.”

Patrick Lencioni
American writer

95. “We either believe in accountability or we don’t.”

Dana Loesch
American activist

96. “We need, first of all, for there to be accountability, for there to be somebody who is responsible for enforcing standards and holding people’s feet to the fire.”

Jennifer Granholm
American politician

97. “Great companies have high cultures of accountability, it comes with this culture of criticism I was talking about before, and I think our culture is strong on that.”

Steve Ballmer
American businessman

Image represents Leadership

Being the head honcho: Teamwork quotes about leadership

A strong leader sets the tone for the entire team, inspires and motivates its members, and helps to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.

Because the leader acts as the driving force behind the team’s success, their actions and attitudes have a significant impact on the team’s performance and morale … which is why a great leader is critical to the formation of a strong team.

In this section, we’ve gathered a collection of quotes about what great leadership looks like in a team setting. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting to step into a leadership role, these quotes will provide insights and inspiration to help you lead your team to success.

98. “The great leaders are like the best conductors — they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players. They listen with their eyes and their ears, with every fiber of their being. The best conductors are those who reach into their own hearts and give something of themselves that they can never get back. They create a special blend of sound and silence, of perfection and humanity. It’s a delicate balance, one that requires not only great skill, but great love.”

Robert Dilenschneider
American author and Founder of The Dilenschneider Group

99. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

100. “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”

Simon Sinek
British-American author and speaker

101. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”

Rosalynn Carter
American former First Lady

102. “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

Arnold H. Glasow
American humorist

103. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”

Ronald Reagan
American former President

104. “The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

105. “The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”

John Buchan
Scottish novelist and historian

106. “Leadership is not about being in control. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”

Simon Sinek
British-American author and speaker

107. “The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

108. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.”

Douglas MacArthur
American former General

109. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

Lao Tzu
Chinese philosopher

110. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

Warren Bennis
American scholar, organizational consultant, and author

111. “Great leaders are willing to sacrifice their own personal interests for the good of the team.”

John Wooden
American former college basketball coach

112. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

Amelia Earhart
American aviator

113. “Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.”

Joanne B. Ciulla
American scholar

114. “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.”

Peter F. Drucker
Austrian-American management consultant and educator

115. “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”

Eleanor Roosevelt
Former First Lady of the United States

116. “The most effective leaders are those who have the courage to challenge their own beliefs and assumptions.”

Unknown

117. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”

Ken Blanchard
American author and speaker on management

118. “The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.”

Eric Hoffer
American social writer and philosopher

119. “The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers.”

Rosalynn Carter
Former First Lady of the United States

120. “The best leaders are those who can also be followers. They are people who understand that the group is greater than the individual.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

121. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Peter F. Drucker
Austrian-American management consultant and educator

122. “The most important thing about leadership is that it transforms ordinary people into great people.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

123. “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.”

Warren Bennis
American scholar, organizational consultant, and author

124. “The best leaders are those who are able to inspire others to greatness.”

John C. Maxwell
American leadership expert, author, coach, and speaker

Image shows a team is laughing

Laughter is the best medicine: Funny teamwork quotes

We’ve saved the best quotes for last … now that you’ve been inspired, motivated, and awed by the power of teamwork, it’s time to laugh!

In this section, you’ll find a collection of funny teamwork quotes that offer a lighthearted perspective on the challenges and rewards of working together.

So take a break from all the oh-so-serious quotes and enjoy some humorous takes on teamwork, many of which you may remember from your favorite movies and TV shows!

125. “Together, we can do anything … except maybe math.”

The Simpsons
American TV show

126. “A team is only as strong as its coffee supply.”

Friends
American TV show

127. “One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain’t nothin’ can beat teamwork.”

Edward Abbey
American author

128. “Alone we can do so little, but together we can order a large pizza with extra toppings.”

Unknown

129. “Sure, there’s no ‘i’ in team, but there is an ‘m’ and an ‘e’.”

Kevin Myers
Irish journalist

130. “Teamwork means never having to take all the blame yourself.”

Stephen Hawking
English theoretical physicist

131. “A good team is like a casserole, only those close to you know what goes into it.”

Unknown

132. “Together, we’re like a group of superheroes, just without the superpowers or the cool costumes.”

Modern Family
American TV show

133. “We’re like a puzzle, every piece is important, even the weird shaped ones.”

Fringe
American TV show

134. “When a team works together, it’s like a well-oiled machine, just with a lot more yelling and confusion.”

Veep
American TV show

135. “A team is like a family, and sometimes you just want to strangle your little brother.”

Friends
American TV show

136. “The only way to survive a disaster is with teamwork and lots of snacks.”

The Office
American TV show

137. “Together, we’re like a well-oiled machine… as long as no one puts in the wrong oil.”

Parks and Recreation
American TV show

138. “We’re like a well-choreographed dance troupe, if the dance was falling down stairs.”

The Big Bang Theory
American TV show

139. “A team is only as good as its weakest player, unless that player is Chandler Bing.”

Friends
American TV show

140. “TEAMWORK: A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.”

Justin Sewell
American author

141. “I love teamwork. I love the idea of everyone rallying together to help me win.”

Jarod Kintz
American author

142. “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy — both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”

The Office
American TV show

143. “Two heads are better than one, unless there’s a better head out there.”

Goldmember
American movie

Image represents fostering teamwork

Live Your Best (Team) Life! Our Top 10 Tips for Fostering Teamwork

We hope that the collection of quotes we’ve curated has brought you the full range of good feels — laughter, inspiration, and enthusiasm for what your team can achieve when its members work together! Now, it’s time to build on what you’ve learned thus far.

In the following section, we’re going to share our 10 best tips for fostering teamwork. So, keep reading to discover actionable strategies that’ll help you strengthen teamwork in your workplace.

1. Clearly define roles and responsibilities

One way to promote teamwork is by clearly defining each team member’s role and responsibilities. Doing this is crucial because it sets the foundation for effective collaboration, while also helping to avoid confusion, misunderstandings, and duplicated efforts.

When everyone knows what they’re responsible for, they can focus on their own tasks more efficiently, which can lead to higher quality work and better results. Plus, clearly defined roles and responsibilities increase job satisfaction, improve morale, and ultimately, lead to a more successful team!

2. Establish ground rules

Ground rules offer a set of guidelines that dictate how team members should behave and communicate with each other. When rules are in place, team members have a common understanding of what is acceptable behavior, which can help to prevent conflicts and promote a positive working environment.

For example, some of the ground rules for a team might include: treating other members with dignity and respect, being open to new ideas, following through on commitments, and remaining truthful and transparent in communications.

As you can probably imagine, rules like these help to create a collaborative working environment. Even better, because team members understand what’s expected of them and each other, it’s not only easier for them to get along, but they can also achieve more together, through the magic of synergy. Woot-woot!

3. Foster a positive, inclusive culture

Teamwork flourishes in positive workplaces where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. Because team members are more motivated, happy, and engaged in these environments, they’re better collaborators, which helps to create a thriving team dynamic.

Of course, one of the keys to fostering a positive culture is to promote inclusivity and diversity. In practice, this means that you’ll want to be sure to welcome different perspectives and backgrounds, as well as to encourage team members to bring their unique experiences and ideas to the table.

By doing so, not only can teams benefit from the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives, but they can also avoid the limitations of groupthink.

Additionally, it’s important for leaders to lead by example. For instance, if leaders demonstrate a positive attitude and foster a supportive work environment, team members are much more likely to follow suit.

4. Promote team-building activities outside the office

Another great way to foster teamwork is by promoting team-building activities outside the office, such as a team outing to a sporting event or a group volunteer project.

Activities like these have many benefits. For one, they help to build stronger relationships and a sense of community among team members. Because team members get to know each other on a personal level, they begin to trust and support each other more in the workplace.

Additionally, team-building activities can help to break down barriers and improve communication. When team members are participating in an activity together, they’re more likely to open up and share their thoughts and ideas. This can help to build a sense of collaboration, even when they’re not working on a specific project together.

Just keep in mind when planning activities that it’s important to make sure everyone on the team has the opportunity to participate. This might mean providing transportation, covering the cost of the activity, or providing accommodations for team members with disabilities.

You’ll also want to choose outings that align with your team’s interests and strengths. For example, if your team is highly competitive, a sporting event or a scavenger hunt might be a good fit. On the other hand, if your team is more focused on community service, a volunteer project might be a better bet.

By providing opportunities for team members to interact, bond, and have fun outside of work,you can help to build stronger team relationships and ensure that members work together more effectively.

5. Communicate clearly

Clear communication can help team members avoid misunderstandings, resolve conflicts, and work together more efficiently. So, how can teams get good at communicating? Great question!

One way is by clarifying expectations around which communication channels should be used by your team and in what scenarios. For example, you might establish a guideline that your team will use email for routine updates, while reserving meetings for more complex or sensitive discussions.

You can also improve communication by asking whether everyone on the team understands or has questions after sending a written communication or explaining something verbally. This gives people the opportunity to seek clarification as needed, so misunderstandings don’t continue unchecked.

Finally, for teams that aren’t working remotely, members should aim to communicate in-person when possible. As wonderful as written communication is, it lacks certain cues like tone and body language, which unfortunately, makes emails and texts more prone to misinterpretation.

6. Kick off new projects with brainstorming sessions

Brainstorming is a great way to kick off new projects because it fosters teamwork and encourages collaboration. By bringing together a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives, brainstorming sessions can help generate a wide range of ideas and possibilities that wouldn’t be feasible if each person were working alone.

Through the exchange of ideas and active listening, team members can build trust, respect, and understanding of each other, which can lead to more effective communication and collaboration throughout the project.

Brainstorming also creates a sense of ownership and shared responsibility for the project among the team members, increasing their motivation and engagement in the work.

Finally, by involving everyone in the initial stages of the project, brainstorming can lead to better outcomes and more successful project implementation, as the team members feel invested in the project and are more likely to work together towards a common goal.

7. Avoid micromanaging … and trust your team

Micromanaging sends a message to team members that they can’t be trusted. And as you can imagine, that negative message can lead to low morale, reduced motivation, and less creativity.

By contrast, when managers and coworkers show their teams they trust them by providing the autonomy they need to do their work, team members feel empowered and engaged.

Trust also helps to build a sense of ownership and accountability among team members, which can foster greater creativity and innovation.

8. Provide feedback

Feedback is an essential component of fostering teamwork, because it encourages collaboration and continuous improvement.

By providing constructive feedback, team members can share their observations and insights on each other’s performance, and help identify areas for improvement or development.

This habit creates a culture of trust and respect, where team members feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback, and are committed to helping each other grow and develop.

Additionally, feedback can help clarify expectations, improve communication, and build stronger relationships among team members. It can also help avoid misunderstandings and conflicts that can arise from differences in perception or interpretation.

As a result, feedback is a vital tool for helping team members work together more effectively and achieve their shared goals, while building a sense of community and shared responsibility.

9. Offer training and development opportunities

Offering training and development opportunities is a powerful strategy for fostering teamwork, as it provides team members with the resources they need to build their skills and knowledge, and improve their performance. Plus, because team members feel valued and supported when offered these types of opportunities, they tend to be more motivated and engaged.

Additionally, training and development initiatives create a culture of continuous learning, where team members are encouraged to explore new ideas and approaches and share their knowledge and experience with each other. This leads to more effective collaboration, as team members are better equipped to contribute their unique strengths and expertise to team projects.

Furthermore, by gaining a greater understanding of each other’s skills and abilities through training and development opportunities, team members can build trust and respect among each other. They’re better able to appreciate and utilize each other’s strengths and expertise, which can lead to improved communication and stronger working relationships.

Finally, by investing in the growth and development of team members, organizations can create a more skilled and adaptable workforce that is better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Image represents team excellence

10. Reward team excellence

Rewarding team excellence is a powerful way to foster teamwork, as it creates a culture of recognition and appreciation, which can increase team members’ motivation and engagement.

When team members are recognized and rewarded for their contributions to the team’s success, it creates a sense of shared ownership and responsibility, and reinforces the idea that the team’s achievements are the result of collective effort.

Moreover, recognizing and rewarding team excellence can help build trust and respect among team members, as they learn to appreciate and celebrate each other’s strengths and accomplishments. It can also encourage healthy competition and collaboration, as team members strive to work together towards a common goal and exceed their own performance expectations.

In addition, rewarding team excellence can help create a positive feedback loop, where the team’s success is reinforced and encouraged, leading to increased motivation, commitment, and a desire to continue achieving at a high level. This can lead to sustained excellence and success for the team and the organization as a whole.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, teamwork is an essential component of success in any organization, and the motivational teamwork quotes we’ve shared today can help inspire your team to work collaboratively towards a common goal.

Moreover, our top 10 tips for fostering teamwork provide actionable strategies that can help you create a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility in your workplace.

By implementing these tips, you can encourage your team members to build their skills and knowledge, provide feedback and recognition, and work together towards a common goal.

Overall, the journey towards building a great team is an ongoing one, but by taking inspiration from these quotes and implementing the strategies we’ve shared, you can create a positive and supportive work environment that fosters teamwork and drives success.

Just remember that with hard work, commitment, and a shared sense of purpose, there’s no limit to what your team can achieve!

Action Items 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Task Management

Illustration of two men where one is writing on a giant mobile, setting the clock for their deadlines and the other is marking a giant calendar to set their targets or goals.

Welcome to the world of action items – the backbone of any project, the key to getting things done, and the difference between success and failure. Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or a novice entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard the term “action items” being thrown around a lot. But what exactly are they? And why do they matter so much?

Think of action items as the building blocks of any project or task. They are specific, measurable, and achievable steps that need to be taken to accomplish a goal or complete a task. They are the tiny pieces of the puzzle that, when put together, create a masterpiece. Without action items, your project is just a big, amorphous blob – an idea that has yet to be transformed into reality.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of action items, exploring their many facets and providing you with everything you need to know to use them effectively. From the basics of task management to the nuances of delegation and accountability, we’ll cover it all. By the end of this guide, you’ll be armed with the knowledge, tools, and strategies you need to turn your projects into success stories.

So, whether you’re a busy professional juggling multiple projects or a student trying to keep track of your assignments, this guide is for you. Get ready to learn, grow, and take action like never before. Let’s dive in!

Image represents a girl stressed out due to her workload.

Why Action Items Are Critical for Startups and Individuals Alike

When you’re trying to build a successful startup or manage your personal to-do list, the last thing you want is to feel overwhelmed and disorganized. That’s where action items come in. Action items are individual tasks or steps that need to be completed in order to achieve a larger goal or project.

Having a comprehensive list of action items can make all the difference in helping you achieve your goals and stay on track. By breaking down larger projects into smaller, actionable steps, you can approach your work with greater clarity and focus. This is especially important for startups, where the to-do list can quickly become overwhelming and difficult to manage without a clear system in place.

But it’s not just startups that can benefit from action items. Individuals who want to be more productive and organized can also use action items to streamline their tasks and achieve their goals more efficiently. Whether it’s planning a wedding, remodeling a house, or just trying to stay on top of household chores, having a clear list of action items can help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The importance of action items extends beyond just personal and professional tasks, too. Professionals use them to manage tasks and ensure that necessary actions are completed efficiently. In medicine, for instance, doctors and nurses rely on action items to coordinate patient care and guarantee timely completion of tasks.

In short, action items are a critical component of effective task management, whether you’re a startup founder or an individual looking to stay on top of your to-do list. So, let’s dive into how you can create a comprehensive list of action items and put them into practice in your work and personal life.

10 Essential Action Items Strategies

1. Start with a clear goal in mind.

Ready to crush your goals and dominate your to-do list? It all starts with a clear goal in mind. Without a defined target to shoot for, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of endless tasks and priorities. But fear not! By starting with a crystal-clear objective, you’ll be able to focus your efforts and make progress with purpose.

So, let’s break it down. Imagine you’re working on a project to launch a new product. To achieve this lofty goal, you’ll need to conduct market research, develop a marketing plan, create product prototypes, and launch a website – just to name a few. But how do you make sure you’re tackling these tasks with precision and purpose? It all begins with a few key questions.

Ask yourself: What exactly do you want to achieve? What’s your vision for this project? And most importantly, what are the specific steps you need to take to make it happen? By answering these questions and mapping out a clear plan of action, you’ll be able to identify the critical action items and stay on track throughout the process. So let’s get started – set your sights on that goal and get ready to make it happen!

2. Prioritize your action items.

To prioritize effectively, start by getting clear on your goals and objectives. Knowing what you’re aiming for will help you identify which action items are most critical. For example, if your goal is to launch a new product, you may want to prioritize action items that are directly related to that goal, such as product design or market research.

Once you have a clear understanding of your goals, start prioritizing your action items based on their level of importance and urgency. You can use a simple system like high/medium/low priority or assign numerical values to each item.

Remember to consider both short-term and long-term goals when prioritizing. While urgent tasks may demand your attention, it’s important to also make time for important but less urgent tasks that will help you achieve your long-term goals.

A helpful tip is to group related action items together. By tackling related tasks as a unit, you can streamline your work and make the most of your time and effort.

When you prioritize your action items, you can ensure that you’re focusing on the tasks that will have the greatest impact on your success. So take a deep breath, start prioritizing, and watch as every task counts towards your ultimate goals.

3. Set deadlines for each action item.

Image represents a team setting deadline on calendar.

Deadlines can be a powerful motivator, and setting them for each of your action items is a crucial component of effective task management. Whether you’re working on a major project or simply trying to stay on top of your to-do list, here are some tips to help you set effective deadlines:

Think about your overall goals: When setting deadlines, it’s important to think about your overall goals and which action items are most critical to achieving them. By focusing on the most important tasks first, you can make sure that you’re making progress towards your ultimate objectives.

Be realistic: It’s important to set deadlines that are realistic and achievable. Take into account the complexity of each task, the resources available to you, and any other factors that may impact your ability to complete the task on time.

Break projects down into smaller tasks: Breaking larger projects down into smaller tasks with individual deadlines can help ensure that you stay on track and make steady progress.

Track your progress visually: Using a visual aid such as a calendar or whiteboard can help you keep track of each action item and its corresponding deadline. This can help you see how far you’ve come and what you still need to accomplish.

Communicate with your team: If you’re working with a team, it’s important to communicate your deadlines clearly and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This can help you avoid confusion and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

By setting effective deadlines for each of your action items, you can stay focused, motivated, and on track towards achieving your goals. So don’t be afraid to set deadlines that are both realistic and ambitious – with the right mindset and tools, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

4. Break down large projects into smaller, more manageable action item.

Image represents to do's being sorted by people in the office.

When it comes to tackling big projects, it’s easy to feel intimidated and unsure of where to begin. That’s where breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable action items comes in. Not only does this help you approach the project with greater clarity and focus, but it can also make the process more fun and exciting.

Think of it like solving a puzzle. Each small task is like a piece of the puzzle, and as you complete each one, you get one step closer to the finished product. By using a technique called “chunking,” you can break the project into specific, actionable tasks that can be completed in a shorter amount of time. This not only makes the project more manageable but also gives you a sense of accomplishment as you complete each task.

Breaking down large projects into smaller action items is also a great way to delegate tasks to team members or collaborators. By assigning specific tasks to each person, you can ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal and can work more efficiently.

So whether you’re planning a big event, writing an article, or working on a complex project, remember to break it down into smaller action items. Not only will it make the process more manageable, but it will also make it more enjoyable as you see the progress you’re making.

5. Assign action items to specific team members or individuals.

Image represents tasks being delegated to people.

To assign action items effectively, it’s important to first have a clear understanding of each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas of expertise. This will help you identify who is best suited to each task, and ensure that everyone is working on tasks that align with their skills and abilities.

It’s also important to communicate clearly and openly with your team members when assigning tasks. Be transparent about the goal and the importance of each task, and be sure to answer any questions or concerns that team members may have.

For example, in a software development project, the project manager might assign action items to specific team members based on their roles and responsibilities. The lead developer might be responsible for coding and testing, while the UI/UX designer might be responsible for creating the interface and user experience. The project manager might be responsible for overseeing the entire project and ensuring that all action items are completed on time and within budget.

In other industries, such as construction or manufacturing, team members might be assigned action items based on their areas of expertise. For example, an electrical engineer might be responsible for designing the electrical systems for a building, while a structural engineer might be responsible for designing the building’s framework.

Another key factor in effective task management is delegating responsibility. While assigning tasks to team members is important, it’s also important to empower team members to take ownership of their tasks and work independently. By giving team members the tools and resources they need to complete their tasks, and by providing guidance and support when needed, you can help them succeed and feel confident in their abilities.

6. Use a digital or physical tool to track your action items.

Image represents Teamly interface.

Keeping track of all your action items can be challenging, especially if you have a lot of them. This is where digital or physical tools come in handy. Using a tool to track your action items can help you stay organized, focused, and on track.

Digital tools can be particularly useful for remote teams or individuals who need to collaborate from different locations. There are many options available, such as project management software, to-do list apps, and even chat platforms with built-in task management features.

One example of a great tool for tracking action items is Teamly. With Teamly, you can keep track of all your tasks and projects in one central location. You can also communicate with team members in real-time and easily assign and track tasks.

Teamly also offers workflow and task management features to help you stay organized and focused. You can break down larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks and set deadlines to help you stay on track. Additionally, you can use the screen capture video and audio recording feature to quickly explain tasks or share updates with team members.

Using a tool to track your action items not only helps you stay organized but also provides a visual representation of your progress. You can easily see which action items are completed, which ones are in progress, and which ones need attention. This can help you make informed decisions and adjust your priorities accordingly.

7. Review your action items regularly.

Image represents a lady checking action items carefully.

Reviewing your action items regularly is like giving your car a regular tune-up – it keeps your tasks running smoothly and prevents any potential issues from turning into bigger problems. Plus, it helps you stay on track and avoid any last-minute surprises.

But reviewing your action items doesn’t have to be a dull chore. Make it exciting by setting aside some time each week or month to check your progress and celebrate your achievements. Use this time to reflect on your accomplishments and identify any areas where you could improve.

You can also use this time to share your progress with others, whether it’s a boss, coworker, or accountability partner. Sharing your successes and challenges can help you stay motivated and receive feedback that can help you improve.

And don’t be afraid to get creative with your review process. Try different methods to keep it interesting, like using a whiteboard to visualize your progress or setting up a rewards system for achieving your goals.

Remember, reviewing your action items regularly is an important step in effective task management. It helps you stay on track, make progress, and ultimately achieve your goals. So, don’t skip this crucial step – make it a fun and exciting part of your routine.

8. Use action verbs to describe your action items.

Image represents a man writing detailed tasks on the board.

Using action verbs to describe your action items is an incredibly effective way to ensure that everyone knows exactly what needs to be done. Instead of using vague or passive language, action verbs make it clear what action needs to be taken, by whom, and by when.

For example, instead of saying, “research the market,” you might say, “conduct a comprehensive market analysis.” The latter statement is much clearer and more specific, making it easier for everyone to understand exactly what needs to be done.

Using action verbs also helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. It eliminates confusion about who is responsible for what and what the next steps are.

But using action verbs doesn’t mean you have to be boring. You can still inject personality and humor into your action items. For example, instead of “complete the monthly sales report,” you could say “crush the monthly sales report like a boss.”

The key is to strike a balance between clear, concise language and a tone that is engaging and exciting. When you use action verbs to describe your action items, you’ll be able to keep your team focused and motivated to achieve your goals.

9. Be specific and detailed when describing your action items.

So, how do you ensure that your action items are specific and detailed? One tip is to use SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By following these criteria, you can create action items that are clear, concise, and easy to understand.

For example, instead of saying “complete project,” you can make it more specific by saying, “write a 10-page report on the project by Friday, including a summary of findings and recommendations for improvement.” This not only gives a clear direction on what needs to be done but also sets a deadline and outlines the specific deliverables.

Being specific and detailed also means providing clear instructions on how to complete the task. This can include any necessary steps or guidelines, as well as any relevant links or resources. It’s also helpful to provide examples of what a completed task should look like, or what the end result should be.

When assigning action items to team members, make sure to communicate all the necessary information and provide any necessary resources. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and can work efficiently towards completing the task.

By being specific and detailed in your action items, you can ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. So, take the time to provide all the necessary details and instructions, and use action verbs to make it clear what needs to be done.

10. Celebrate your accomplishments.

We all know that achieving our goals and completing our action items can be a challenging journey. That’s why it’s important to celebrate our accomplishments, no matter how big or small they may be. Taking the time to recognize and celebrate our progress can help keep us motivated and focused on achieving even more in the future.

So, how can we celebrate our accomplishments? There are many ways to do so! Here are some ideas:

  • Treat yourself to something special: Did you just complete a big project or achieve a major goal? Treat yourself to something that you’ve been wanting for a while, whether it’s a nice meal at your favorite restaurant or a weekend getaway.
  • Share your success with others: Don’t be afraid to share your success with others. Tell your family and friends about your accomplishment, post about it on social media, or share it with your coworkers. Celebrating your success with others can make it even more special.
  • Reflect on your journey: Take some time to reflect on the journey that brought you to your accomplishment. Think about the challenges you overcame, the lessons you learned, and the people who supported you along the way.
  • Set new goals: Celebrating your accomplishments doesn’t mean that you’re done achieving things. Use your success as motivation to set new goals and continue to challenge yourself.
  • Give yourself a pat on the back: Sometimes, the simplest way to celebrate an accomplishment is just to give yourself a pat on the back. Acknowledge your hard work and give yourself credit for what you’ve achieved.

Remember, celebrating your accomplishments isn’t just about recognizing your success. It’s also a way to stay motivated and focused on achieving even more in the future. So, take the time to celebrate your accomplishments and use them as fuel to keep pushing forward.

Common Pitfalls in Action Item Management

Image represents a man failing to meet deadline.

Effective task management is not just about creating a list of action items; it’s also about avoiding common pitfalls that can lead to unsuccessful outcomes.

Here are some of the most common pitfalls in action item management and how to avoid them:

Failing to prioritize action items: Without proper prioritization, action items can quickly become overwhelming and unmanageable. To avoid this pitfall, start by identifying the most important tasks and ranking them in order of importance. This will ensure that you are focused on the tasks that matter most and can avoid wasting time on less critical tasks.

Not setting realistic deadlines: Setting unrealistic deadlines for action items can lead to frustration and disappointment when they are not met. To avoid this pitfall, be sure to set deadlines that are achievable and realistic based on the resources and time available.

Overcomplicating action items: Sometimes, action items can become too complex or vague, making it difficult to know exactly what needs to be done. To avoid this pitfall, be sure to use clear and concise language to describe each task, and break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

Not tracking progress: Failing to track progress on action items can lead to a lack of accountability and can make it difficult to know if tasks are being completed on time. To avoid this pitfall, use a tool to track progress and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Neglecting to celebrate successes: Finally, failing to celebrate successes can lead to a lack of motivation and can make it difficult to stay focused on long-term goals. To avoid this pitfall, be sure to celebrate the completion of each action item and acknowledge the progress made towards larger goals.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a more effective action item management system that helps you achieve your goals and stay on track. Remember to stay focused, prioritize tasks, and celebrate successes along the way.

Your Action Item Checklist

man and woman presenting checklist.

Now, let’s recall the top 10 essential action item strategies and turn them into a handy checklist. With this checklist, you can ensure that you’re on the right track towards an effective task management. Use it as a guide to help you prioritize tasks and stay on track towards achieving your goals.

Here’s our Action Items Checklist:

☑  Start with a clear goal in mind.

☑  Prioritize your action items.

☑  Set deadlines for each action item.

☑  Break down large projects into smaller, more manageable action items.

☑  Assign action items to specific team members or individuals.

☑  Use a digital or physical tool to track your action items.

☑  Review your action items regularly.

☑  Use action verbs to describe your action items.

☑  Be specific and detailed when describing your action items.

☑  Celebrate your accomplishments.

Final Thoughts

Effective task management is essential for achieving your goals, whether you’re an individual or a business. By breaking down larger projects into smaller, actionable steps and using a clear system for managing those tasks, you can approach your work with greater clarity and focus.

Throughout this guide, we have provided a comprehensive list of strategies for effective task management. From setting clear goals to celebrating your accomplishments, each strategy plays a crucial role in ensuring that you stay on track and achieve success. By using tools like Teamly, with features such as real-time chat and intuitive task management, you can streamline your workflow and increase your productivity. And as Teamly continues to develop and improve, you can look forward to even more tools to help you achieve your goals. With dedication, focus, and the right tools, you can take control of your tasks and achieve success in both your personal and professional life. So what are you waiting for? Start implementing these strategies and see the results for yourself!

Get Ahead: The Top 10 Work Habits Successful People Swear By

Illustration shows a group of office workers with a man standing in the middle holding a trophy to represent success.

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? If you want to be successful in the workplace, it’s not just about working harder – it’s about working smarter. And one of the best ways to do that is by adopting the top work habits that successful people swear by.

In this article, we’ll explore the work habits that can boost your productivity, help you achieve your goals, and even lead to a more fulfilling work-life balance. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned professional, these habits can help you stand out in your workplace and achieve greater success.

So, let’s dive into the habits that successful people use to get ahead in their careers. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed in today’s fast-paced work environment.

Illustration shows a a lady on her desk happy stretching her arm.

1. Setting clear goals and priorities

Illustration shows the name goal with people standing on each letter.

Do you often feel like you’re just going through the motions at work? Like you’re working tirelessly day and night, but not getting anywhere? It’s time to turn that around by setting clear goals and priorities. This means taking the time to write down your short-term and long-term goals and making sure they’re Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, also known as SMART goals.

According to Atlassian, this method removes generalizations and hunches, establishes a precise time frame, and makes it simpler to monitor progress and spot missing milestones. When you establish clear goals and priorities, you’ll be able to focus on what’s truly important, prioritize tasks, and allocate your time and energy effectively. So why not take the time to set your goals today and start working towards the success you deserve?

2. Planning and scheduling

Illustration shows a girl planning and scheduling tasks.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “a man with a plan”? Successful people understand the importance of having a clear plan and schedule to achieve their goals. They have confidence in their foresight and the ability to predict future events and outcomes, allowing them to make necessary changes and actions for successful results.

But what exactly is foresight? It’s the ability to anticipate potential challenges or opportunities that may come your way and plan accordingly. For example, if the weatherman says it’s going to rain, you bring an umbrella. And if you anticipate a zombie apocalypse, you might want to build a doomsday shelter (just in case!).

Of course, you don’t need to be a modern-day Nostradamus to benefit from foresight. Simply taking the time to plan and schedule your tasks in advance can help you be more efficient, effective, and punctual. Staying ahead of your competition or committing to your plans with drive gives you the opportunity to grow and predict your success for a more fruitful future. By incorporating this habit into your work routine, you can make sure that you are working towards your goals, and not just aimlessly spinning your wheels.

Planning and scheduling are key components of successful work habits that can lead to greater productivity, better time management, and increased success. So, take the time to plan and schedule your tasks to stay organized and avoid procrastination.

3. Time management

Illustration shows a clock being sliced like a pie to represent time management.

Have you ever tried to pack a suitcase with clothes and struggled to zip it up until you neatly folded each garment? In the same way, a messy schedule can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety, and lead to missed deadlines and unproductive work.

Effective time management is crucial in today’s fast-paced world, where distractions and competing demands are rampant. It involves allocating your time wisely and setting boundaries to ensure that you have enough time for work and other activities.

By managing your time effectively, you can improve your punctuality, achieve better work-life balance, and increase your productivity. Plus, keeping track of your time can also reflect your mental health and work ethic.

However, remember that you’re not a robot; you’re human too! Be sure to leave pockets of time for your necessities, such as rest breaks and self-care activities. By prioritizing your time, you’ll be able to give your best effort at work without feeling burned out or overwhelmed.

4. Use technology effectively

Illustration shows the technology and network used at work.

Successful people work smart, not just hard. They automate tasks wherever possible, allowing them to save time and effort. With modern tools and software available, technology has given us opportunities to go beyond human limits. Take advantage of these to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and improve communication.

For example, you can use Google Calendar and Calendly to coordinate appointments and organize schedules, Zoom and Google Meet for remote, online meetings, and Teamly for seamless project management. With these tools, you can make sure that you’re using your time effectively, collaborating with your team efficiently, and getting things done on schedule.

Remember to use technology as a tool to make your work habits more efficient, not abuse it. You don’t want to be dependent on technology, but rather make it dependent on you. That’s what successful people would say as a piece of advice. By incorporating these work habits into your routine, you can become more productive, more efficient, and ultimately, more successful in your career.

5. Prioritizing self-care

Illustration shows a girl hugging a heart pillow to represent a girl prioritizing self-care.

Our bodies are like temples, and even the most successful and hardworking individuals need to prioritize self-care. No amount of compensation is worth working oneself to death. Taking time to rejuvenate and treat your body with care is essential for maintaining balance and reducing stress. This could mean taking an hour-long bath with scented candles, going on a 2-week vacation to Bali, or simply taking a walk in nature. This way, you are able to give your 101% when it comes to working without feeling like an empty husk at the end of the day.

In addition to these activities, here are some tips for prioritizing self-care:

  • Schedule self-care time: Make time for self-care activities just as you would for work meetings or appointments. Block off time in your calendar and stick to it.
  • Get enough sleep: Prioritize getting enough restful sleep every night. This will help you stay alert and energized throughout the day.
  • Exercise regularly: Regular exercise is not only great for your physical health but also helps to reduce stress and boost your mood.
  • Eat a healthy diet: Make sure to nourish your body with healthy and nutritious foods. Avoid relying on junk food or fast food for convenience.
  • Disconnect from technology: It’s important to unplug from work emails and social media from time to time. Take breaks from technology and enjoy some downtime without distractions.

By prioritizing self-care, you can boost your productivity and overall well-being, making you more effective in both your personal and professional life.

6. Continuous learning

Illustration shows a group of people studying with a big book behind them to represent continuous learning.

“The more you read, the more things you shall know. The more that you learn, the more places you shall go.” – Dr. Seuss.

Continuous learning is essential for personal and professional growth. Learning keeps the mind active and engaged and helps us to adapt to changing environments. Here are some tips to help you make learning a habit:

Set learning goals: Identify the skills or topics that you want to learn and set clear goals. This will help you to focus your efforts and measure progress.
Read regularly: Make reading a part of your daily routine, especially books and articles on improving work habits.
Take online courses: There are a plethora of online courses available on various work habit topics, many of which are free. Take advantage of these resources to learn new skills and expand your knowledge.
Attend webinars and conferences: Participating in webinars and attending conferences is a great way to learn from experts and connect with others in your industry.
Join a community of learners: Join a book club, an online forum, or a professional association. Engage with others who are interested in the same work habits as you and learn from each other.

Make continuous learning a priority in your life and reap the benefits of a more engaged and fulfilled life, both personally and professionally.

7. Communication skills

Illustration shows people in the office talking to each other to represent communication skills.

Effective communication is a crucial skill for both personal and professional success. It allows you to build meaningful relationships, express your ideas clearly, and work effectively with others. But effective communication is not just about speaking and being heard. It encompasses a range of different skills and abilities that all work together to create a comprehensive and effective communication style.

Some of the essential communication skills include active listening, clarity, being articulate, comprehension, and critical thinking.

  • Active listening involves not just hearing what others are saying but also paying attention to their tone and nonverbal cues.
  • Clarity means that your message is easy to understand and that you are getting your point across.
  • Being articulate means that you can express yourself clearly and effectively, without any confusion or misunderstandings.
  • Comprehension means that you are able to understand what others are saying to you and that you can respond appropriately.
  • Finally, critical thinking involves the ability to analyze information, weigh different perspectives, and make informed decisions.

Improving your communication skills takes time and practice, but it is an investment that will pay off in both your personal and professional life. Some strategies to improve your communication skills include actively seeking feedback, practicing active listening, and seeking out opportunities to practice your skills in a safe and supportive environment. With consistent effort, you can become a more effective communicator and build stronger relationships with those around you.

8. Collaboration

Illustration shows a group of employees holding a puzzle piece to represent collaboration.

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, collaboration has become an essential skill for success in almost any field. Whether you are working with coworkers, clients, or other teams, you will need to collaborate effectively in order to achieve your goals.

To collaborate effectively, you need to:

  • Be open to feedback and willing to receive constructive criticism
  • Have the grit to think outside the box and come up with new ideas
  • Possess effective communication skills
  • Be a good listener and able to contribute meaningfully to discussions
  • Be reliable and accountable for your commitments

Regardless of whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, collaboration can help you achieve great results by leveraging the resources of your team. By working together, you can pool your knowledge, skills, effort, and time to create a more efficient and effective work environment. As the African proverb goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Ultimately, collaboration fosters a healthy and supportive workplace for you and your colleagues, allowing you to achieve more and grow both personally and professionally. By cultivating good work habits and developing the skills needed to collaborate effectively, you can create a great place to work that benefits everyone involved.

9. Flexibility

Illustration shows a man getting out of his comfort zone.

 

Flexibility is essential in today’s rapidly changing world. From new skills to emerging tech, being adaptable is crucial. The ‘open-mindedness’ to new ideas and approaches is critical for success.
Being flexible means stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on new opportunities. By being open to new experiences, you can develop the habits necessary to thrive in a constantly evolving environment.

As history has shown, progress can be swift and unpredictable. The exponential growth and ever-changing nature of society make flexibility a must-have trait. Those who fail to adapt risk being left behind.

Whether it’s learning to operate new technology or collaborating with people from different backgrounds, flexibility allows you to grow. Embrace new experiences, and you can develop the work habits necessary for success.

10. Focus

Illustration shows a girl meditating on her desktop to represent focus.

There are many distractions in our modern world, from the constant barrage of notifications on our phones to the endless stream of emails flooding our inboxes. To achieve our goals, it’s crucial to maintain focus and avoid unnecessary distractions. Change is constant, and so are distractions, which is why discipline in deflecting them is necessary.

Here are some methods that can help you stay focused and avoid distractions:

  • Set designated distraction-free time periods: By setting aside specific times where you eliminate all potential distractions, you can work more efficiently and productively.
  • Turn off your devices: Distractions like your phone and social media can derail your focus. Turn them off or put them aside during your work time.
  • Create a productive work environment: Establish a workspace that is conducive to productivity, whether that be a quiet room, a dedicated desk, or a standing desk.
  • Use tools to manage your time: Time management tools such as the Pomodoro Technique can help you stay focused by breaking down work into manageable, focused periods.

Staying focused requires discipline, effective time management, and the ability to maintain a positive mindset. By minimizing distractions and staying focused on your goals, you can develop the focus and concentration necessary to achieve success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the habits of successful people are not rocket science, but they require discipline and commitment. By implementing the top 10 work habits discussed in this article, you can improve your time management, focus, and collaboration skills. Remember to prioritize self-care and seek a work-life balance that allows you to pursue your passions and hobbies.

With the right mindset and habits, you can achieve greater success and satisfaction in your career and personal life. So go ahead and start implementing these work habits to boost your productivity and achieve success!

Say Goodbye to Scheduling Woes: Discover the Top 8 Calendly Alternatives for Your Business

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Are you tired of the hassle that comes with scheduling appointments and meetings? If you’re like most people, you’ve probably tried Calendly – the popular scheduling tool that makes it a breeze to schedule with its user-friendly interface and range of features. But what if Calendly doesn’t quite meet your unique needs? What if you’re looking for a scheduling tool with different features, pricing, or integrations?

That’s where we come in. We’ve scoured the web and put together a list of the best Calendly alternatives to help you find your perfect scheduling match. Whether you’re a sales team, a service-focused business, or a consultant, there’s an app out there that’s just right for you. So, are you ready to find the perfect scheduling tool for your unique needs? Let’s dive in and get started!

Image represents Calendly Website Screenshot

Why Not Calendly?

Calendly has been a great scheduling tool for many businesses, but there are some challenges that come with relying solely on Calendly. Let’s examine why it may not be the perfect fit for everyone.

Limited features

Calendly offers basic scheduling features, but lacks the depth and customization of other scheduling tools. This can be limiting for businesses looking for more advanced options.

Limited integration options

Calendly doesn’t have a wide range of integration options with other tools, which can limit its usefulness for businesses that need to connect multiple systems.

Lack of automation

Calendly lacks the automation options available in other scheduling tools, making it harder to streamline the scheduling process and manage appointments more efficiently.

Higher cost

Calendly can be more expensive than other scheduling tools on the market, especially for businesses that need to schedule a high volume of appointments.

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The Many Use-Cases For SCHEDULING APPS

Scheduling software can be used in a variety of ways across different industries and business types. Here are some of the most common use cases for scheduling software:

  • Sales teams: Sales teams need scheduling software that is both efficient and customizable, with advanced features like sales pipeline management and lead nurturing. The software should also integrate with their existing tools, such as CRM and email marketing software.
  • Service-based businesses: Service-based businesses require scheduling software that allows customers to easily book appointments while also offering tools for appointment reminders, cancellations, and rescheduling. The software should also provide an easy way to manage employee schedules, send automated notifications, and accept payments.
  • Remote teams: Remote teams need scheduling software that provides the flexibility to manage schedules across different time zones and allows for seamless communication between team members. The software should also have a user-friendly interface, offer customization options, and integrate with their existing communication tools.
  • Education and training: Education and training organizations need scheduling software that enables easy scheduling for classes, workshops, and one-on-one meetings. The software should allow for class or workshop registration, waitlists, cancellations, and rescheduling and integrate with their existing tools like learning management systems.

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How to Choose a Scheduling Software for Your Unique Needs

When choosing a scheduling software for your unique needs, here are some important things to consider:

  • Customization options: The software should allow you to customize the scheduling page, emails, and notifications to match your brand.
  • Integrations: Look for software that integrates with the tools you’re already using, such as email marketing software, CRM, and payment gateways.
  • Scheduling options: Different software offers different scheduling options such as group scheduling, one-on-one scheduling, or both. Look for software that suits your scheduling needs.
  • Mobile access: If you or your clients are on the go, consider software that has mobile app access.
  • Payment processing: If you need to accept payments for your services, look for software that offers payment processing options and is secure.

8 Calendly Alternatives

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YouCanBook.Me

You’re busy, we get it. You don’t have time to be playing phone tag or sending endless emails to schedule appointments and meetings. That’s where YouCanBookMe comes in – a simple and effective tool that helps you cut through the scheduling chaos.

With YouCanBookMe, you can connect your existing calendars to check your availability, and then customize your booking page to suit your needs. Whether you need to schedule a meeting with a colleague, or book a consultation with a client, YouCanBookMe makes it easy. You can set the length of the appointment, choose your availability, and even set notifications, so you never miss a beat.

But YouCanBookMe isn’t just about simplifying the scheduling process – it’s also about saving you time and energy. With features like calendar integrations, SMS and email notifications, time zone detection, and customizable branding, YouCanBookMe gives you everything you need to streamline your scheduling process.

And the best part? YouCanBookMe is designed to work seamlessly with your existing tools and workflows. It integrates with Zapier, Stripe, Google, Microsoft, and more, so you can keep everything in one place and avoid the hassle of managing multiple scheduling tools.

So why not try YouCanBookMe for yourself? With a free 14-day trial and plans starting at just $10 per calendar per month, there’s no reason not to give it a go. Simplify your scheduling process and take control of your time with YouCanBookMe.

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Doodle

Are you tired of the back-and-forth of scheduling meetings and coordinating availability? Look no further than Doodle. This platform has been a popular choice since its launch in 2007, with over 30 million monthly users today.

Doodle is the ideal choice for larger meetings, with its free polling tool that makes it easy to choose the best meeting time for everyone. However, if you’re only scheduling one-on-one meetings, you may want to consider the Pro account, as this feature is only available with a paid subscription.

One downside of Doodle is that it doesn’t offer as many integrations as other scheduling tools. However, if you’re an Outlook user, you’ll appreciate the ability to schedule meetings directly from your inbox. And for teams that use Slack, the Doodle Bot is a handy feature to keep everyone up to date.

Another potential downside of Doodle is that it might not be the cheapest option for simple meet-ups. But if you’re part of a larger organization that requires additional customer support, you’ll benefit from Doodle’s onboarding and training sessions offered with their Enterprise accounts. And with 99.9% uptime, you can rely on Doodle to keep your meetings running smoothly.

Overall, Doodle is a great option for anyone who wants to simplify their scheduling process. With a clean and easy-to-use interface, customizable settings, and calendar sync with Google and Microsoft 365, you can’t go wrong with this trusted platform.

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Setmore

Looking for a scheduling app that doesn’t weigh you down with unnecessary features? Meet Setmore! With its intuitive mobile app and free-from-distractions UI, you can book appointments on the go with ease. You don’t need to be a tech whiz to navigate the interface, and with Setmore’s live chat support and helpful documentation, you’ll never be left in the lurch.

Setmore offers affordable pricing that’s perfect for growing teams. Larger teams are incentivized with lower per-staff pricing, so you can scale up without breaking the bank. And with the ability to integrate with popular tools like Square, Slack, Instagram, Facebook, and most website builders, you’ll be able to set up shop quickly and start taking appointments without a hitch.
While Setmore may not have the same feature depth as other schedulers, it still packs a punch with its versatile and reliable scheduling options.

You can schedule recurring appointments, manage reminders, and even get paid online through Square or Stripe. Plus, with a free plan available, you can test out the software before committing to an upgrade.

Of course, no software is perfect, and Setmore is no exception. While it may work for business consultations, sales teams, and service businesses, it may not have the same level of customization as some other scheduling apps. So if you’re looking for something more niche, it’s worth checking out your options. Nonetheless, Setmore is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use scheduling app.

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Microsoft Bookings

Imagine you’re a busy business owner looking for a scheduling tool that can streamline your appointments and save you time. Microsoft Bookings, part of Microsoft 365 for Business, could be the perfect solution for you. With its customizable appointment details and booking requirements, you can specify service providers and integrate with Office calendars to quickly find available time slots.

But Microsoft Bookings is more than just a calendar tool. You can also hold meetings through Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams, making it a convenient all-in-one solution for your scheduling needs. And as a relatively new software, Microsoft Bookings has a fresh and modern interface that makes it easy to navigate and use.

One of the benefits of using Microsoft Bookings is its integration with other Microsoft apps, especially if your business already uses Microsoft 365. It’s also great for small service-based businesses, such as salons or consulting firms. However, one drawback is that it doesn’t offer online payment integrations or integrations with CRM or accounting tools.

Overall, Microsoft Bookings is a solid Calendly alternative that offers a range of features to make scheduling appointments and meetings a breeze. Its seamless integration with other Microsoft apps, modern interface, and ability to customize appointment details make it a standout option for businesses looking for a comprehensive scheduling tool.

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Acuity

Imagine you’re running a small business in the service industry and want to maximize your revenue. That’s where Acuity Scheduling comes in. This software is a scheduling powerhouse, packed with features to help you handle complex availabilities, generate more revenue with gift certificates and memberships, and even process payments. Acuity offers many options to cover any scheduling use case.

Compared to Calendly, Acuity focuses on more than just consultations. It offers customizable appointment details, booking requirements, and service providers. You can set up a custom scheduling site with your own URL and embed it on your website or social media profiles. Acuity easily integrates with Google calendar, Office 365, iCloud, and Zapier. It offers customized email and SMS notifications, reminders, group scheduling for workshops, and more.

The software comes with a seven-day free trial and offers billing options for monthly and annual subscriptions. While Acuity’s slab-based pricing plans may not be ideal for solopreneurs, larger businesses can benefit from its strengths in managing service-based companies. In summary, if you’re looking for a scheduling powerhouse that offers many features to cover any scheduling use case, Acuity Scheduling is a great option to consider.

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10to8

Coordinating appointments for your team, juggling multiple calendars, and handling reminders can be a recipe for chaos. But what if I told you that there’s an app that can make it all a breeze? Enter 10to8, a highly rated appointment scheduling software designed to streamline the process for service-based businesses.

According to SaaS Scout’s “Best Appointment Scheduling Software (2023 Compared)” collection, 10to8 ranks 3rd, while Calendly comes in 5th. The app gets a lot of praise for how good it is for the price and how easy it is to use. This makes it a great choice for businesses that need a reliable scheduling solution.

Not only is 10to8 a breeze to employ, but it also offers multiple advantageous services such as individual and group bookings. With 10to8’s personalized scheduling page, SMS and email alerts, two-way calendar sync, notes feature and integration with Salesforce, Pipedrive & more.

But what do users think? While some users would like to customize the automated emails more completely, 10to8 remains a good option for basic scheduling needs. If you’re running a small business with two users, you can use 10to8 for free or upgrade to other pricing plans for more users and advanced features.

Service business owners understand the frustration of managing a complex availability calendar. 10to8, however, has numerous features and an user interface designed for businesses that go out to their customers for services – providing them much-needed relief.

10to8 may not have the same level of features as Acuity, which is more tailored to sales and recruitment teams, however it does still offer a versatile appointment scheduling app that meets a diversity of needs.

In the end, whether 10to8 or Calendly is best for you depends on whether or not they have the features your team needs, whether or not they can work with the tools you already have, how much support they offer, and how much they cost. But as mentioned above SaaS Scout research reveals that 10to8 is a highly recommended choice, especially for its value for money and ease of use.

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Mixmax

The cool thing about Mixmax is how it integrates seamlessly with Gmail to offer an extensive suite of sales productivity tools.

Mixmax not only lets you track emails and use templates, but it also has a powerful scheduling feature that lets you set up meetings with just one click and add your Google Calendar to emails. You can even schedule emails and send reminders with just a few clicks, making it a must-have for busy sales teams looking to streamline their communication processes.

If you’re using Gmail for your sales conversations, Mixmax is a fantastic tool to help you manage your pipeline. Its powerful CRM and recruitment software integrations, as well as features like tasks and rules, add even more functionality to your follow-up process.

Whether you’re a small business looking to boost your productivity or a larger enterprise needing a powerful sales acceleration tool, Mixmax has everything you need to book more meetings and close more deals.

Another standout feature of Mixmax is its one-click scheduling functionality. By setting up your availability and customizing the days, times, and duration, you can add a scheduling link to emails, websites, and social profiles.

Then, your clients just choose the time slot they want, and it’s added right away to all calendars. It’s a convenient and efficient way to schedule meetings and appointments, and it works seamlessly with Google Calendar.

While some users found the pricing plans expensive, many appreciated the user-friendly interface and easy-to-use features. Mixmax also lacks integration with Zapier, but its robust features and tight integration with Gmail more than makeup for it.

Overall, Mixmax is a top choice for businesses looking for a powerful sales acceleration tool with a comprehensive set of scheduling capabilities.

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Zoho Bookings

Zoho is a top-notch appointment scheduling app that caters to a wide range of businesses. Whether you’re a plumber, electrician, or wellness coach, you can use Zoho Bookings to streamline your appointment scheduling process.

The cool thing about Zoho is that it’s suitable for both in-person and online appointments. This means you can use it to schedule visits with clients in your office or offer virtual visits, depending on your business needs.

One of the standout features of Zoho is its multi-location scheduling capability. This feature is especially useful for businesses with multiple branches. With Zoho, you can manage all your branches from a single scheduling platform. You can also customize the platform to suit your needs, adding custom fields to notifications to give your business a personalized touch.

Zoho also has an app for both Android and iOS, making it easy to stay on top of your schedule from your mobile device. This feature is especially useful for professionals who are always on the go.

Zoho Bookings is highly customizable, with the ability to add your brand to your booking pages and edit notifications when necessary. With Zoho, you can easily manage employee scheduling, time-off, and special hours tracking.

Finally, Zoho is an affordable scheduling solution that won’t break the bank. Its paid plans start at just $6 a month, making it one of the most affordable scheduling apps on the market. You can do one-on-one and group bookings in Zoho Bookings, making it an ideal choice for both individuals and teams.

It also offers multiple options for online meeting tools and payment gateways, allowing you to customize your scheduling process to suit your business needs.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many great scheduling apps available on the market, each with its own unique features and benefits. So, which one is right for you? What are your specific use cases, and what features do you need to make your scheduling process as smooth and efficient as possible?

It’s worth noting that many of these scheduling apps have free versions, so it’s easy to try them out and see which one works best for you. Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or just looking for an easier way to schedule appointments, there’s a scheduling app out there that can help simplify the process.

Remember, scheduling should be the easiest part of your workday, not the most challenging. So go ahead, try out some of these top alternatives to Calendly, and see which one fits your unique scheduling needs best. With the right scheduling app, you can take back control of your work schedule and focus on what really matters: growing your business and achieving your goals.

Elevate Your Project Management with These 11 Must-See Alternatives to ClickUp

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Are you tired of using ClickUp for your project management needs but don’t know where to turn for a better solution? As a project manager, it’s crucial to have the right tools to manage your team and projects effectively. With the countless options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the best alternative.

That’s where we come in! In this article, we’ll dive into the 11 must-see alternatives to ClickUp and why they are worth considering for your project management solutions. From Trello to Asana, we’ll break down the key features, benefits, and comparisons to help you make an informed decision. So, sit back, relax, and let’s explore the world of project management software together.

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What’s ClickUp?

Before we dive into the alternatives, let’s first understand what ClickUp is. ClickUp is a cloud-based project management tool that allows teams to keep track of tasks, projects, and collaboration.

Initially developed as a personal tool for Zeb Evans’ team, the platform has since become an increasingly popular solution worldwide, suitable for companies of every size. ClickUp provides a state-of-the-art dashboard view and collaboration features with its free version. You can take advantage of native email, multiple customizable templates, plus free integrations.

In addition, ClickUp provides more than 15 views. Whether you prefer a list, board, calendar, or box view – plus Gantt charting, activity tracking, and workload planning options – with the Table View and embed view choices, it’s now possible to observe project details in many different styles based on the kind of project.

The primary view is the list view, which is a grid-like representation of a typical to-do list and shows important information like tasks, subtasks, due dates, how far along those tasks are, and who is responsible for finishing them.

However, despite its impressive feature list, ClickUp may not be the best solution for everyone’s needs. Some users may find navigating the platform overwhelming and confusing. There have also been reports of problems with syncing and data loss, and long wait times for customer service.

ClickUp has many benefits for project managers, but it may not be the right fit for everyone. That’s why it’s essential to consider other options to see which software aligns best with your needs.

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Features Project Managers Can’t Live Without

Okay, so now that we know what ClickUp is, let’s discuss the features project managers must have to run their projects effectively. After all, the key to successful project management is to equip yourself with the right tools.

Every project management software has its own unique set of features and abilities. To ensure that you’re making the right choice for your team, it’s critical to evaluate exactly which features are most essential to a successful project – then make an educated decision accordingly.

  1. Real-time Collaboration: For remote teams to succeed, seamless collaboration is essential. Project managers must be able to communicate clearly and promptly with their team members. This entails having access to real-time interactions for efficient exchanges of ideas and decisions.
  2. Task Management: Project managers need to be able to easily create and assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress. They also need to be able to delegate tasks to specific team members and monitor their progress.
  3. Time Tracking: To accurately measure project progress and avoid deadlines slipping, project managers need to be able to track the time each team member spends on specific tasks.
  4. Reports & Analytics: Project managers need to be able to generate reports and analytics to keep stakeholders informed and measure project success. This includes tracking the overall progress of the project, as well as individual task progress.
  5. Customizable Workflows: Project managers need to be able to create and customize workflows to suit the specific needs of their projects. This includes the ability to create custom fields, and set up automated processes for repetitive tasks.
  6. Screen Capture: To ensure quick reference, the software should provide the ability to capture screenshots and video recordings of work completed.

The 11 Best Alternatives to Clickup

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1. Teamly

As a project manager, you want to ensure that your team works efficiently and effectively. But with so many tools available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. That’s where Teamly comes in.

With its intuitive design, Teamly brings all the functionality you need to manage your team in one place without any unnecessary features that can make other project management software clunky and complicated.

One of the standout features of Teamly is its real-time chat system. Say goodbye to endless email chains and boring video meetings. You can easily conduct remote brainstorming sessions with instant chat, solve problems, make decisions, and get answers quickly.

The secure platform lets you create chat rooms about specific topics and store all messages, videos, files, and internal communications in a searchable archive. This keeps your team organized and efficient.

The workflow and task management system in Teamly is user-friendly and helps you stay on top of all your tasks, projects, and timelines. With its kanban boards, you can make custom workflows, assign tasks, and automate tasks that you do over and over again. Everyone on your team can see where work is in the pipeline, making task management simple and easy.

As a project manager, it’s important to keep track of the time your team is working and make sure they are paid accurately. Teamly can help with that by offering a built-in timer for team members to clock in and out, and tracking the time worked. With this information, you can easily run reports to calculate the pay for each team member, and even see the project costs and labor expenses in real-time.

Teamly was designed with the needs of remote work in mind. Its features, like screen capture video and audio recording, allow you to communicate more effectively with your team, even when you’re not in the same location. Plus, with the platform’s professional checklists and SOP templates, you can save time by using pre-made templates that make project management simpler.

In short, Teamly simplifies the process of managing your team, making it a great alternative to other project management tools.

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2. Asana

Let’s move on to Asana, another popular project management tool.

Asana is a popular piece of software for managing projects. It has a lot of features and is very flexible. It can be used by teams of any size and type, no matter what their approach to project management is. The software comes with a freemium plan that lets you keep as many projects, tasks, messages, and files as you want. Users can also switch between three different views of a project and export data as CSV or PDF files.

Asana’s mobile apps for iOS and Google Play are highly rated by users. They offer most of the functionality that you need, even when you’re on the go. This is important, especially with remote work becoming more common. The software is also flexible enough to work with Agile, Scrum, and Kanban. This makes it easy for teams to hold sprint planning meetings, track bugs, and do sprint retrospectives. There is also an online glossary that can help you translate Agile Scrum terms into Asana terms.

However, the vast number of features that Asana offers can also be a drawback, making it overwhelming for new users to learn and use. Furthermore, according to some users, customer support can be a challenge. There is no phone support and response times to help desk requests can take days. Additionally, Asana doesn’t have built-in time-tracking, meaning users have to rely on third-party integration to track time. Lastly, Asana can only assign tasks to one team member, which can limit collaboration and teamwork.

Asana is a flexible project management tool with a good free plan and well-reviewed mobile apps. However, the vast number of features and lack of native time-tracking, along with limited customer support and the inability to assign tasks to multiple users, are all drawbacks to consider when evaluating Asana as a PM software solution.

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3. Trello

As a project manager, you may be familiar with Trello, one of the most popular project management software. Trello has received an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars rating based on 21,134 reviews. Many users like that Trello is easy to use and has an intuitive design. They also like that it can be customized with automation and integrations. The free plan is also a big hit for personal productivity and small to medium-sized businesses.

However, Trello also has its limitations. The free plan only offers 10 boards and Trello’s default board view, which might not be enough for bigger projects. The Power-Ups that are meant to enhance the software may end up making Trello more expensive than anticipated. Trello isn’t great for big, complicated projects because it can get messy and hard to keep track of when there are a lot of tasks.

Also, Trello doesn’t have important PM software features like time tracking and progress reports, which can make it hard for project managers to keep an eye on projects and make sure resources are being used well.

That being said, Trello is best suited for businesses with simple project management needs, small projects without task dependencies, and a preference for a whiteboard-style view. If you are looking for a PM software that can handle big, complex projects and provide more functionality, you might want to consider other options.

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4. Monday.com

Are you looking to make better use of your team’s time and collaborate more effectively? Monday.com might be the answer. This cloud-based work operating system can easily be adapted for project management, sales, HR, operations, IT and more.

Using boards with customizable columns and rows to represent tasks, activities and other elements will ensure a smooth workflow. Visualize them in multiple ways like Kanban view, timeline view or Chart view – all in a colorful dashboard that is easy to understand. Sharing confidential information with external parties is made simple too.

On the flip side, many users note that they often receive too many messages from inbox notifications or the bell; while others find the data space inadequate and certain features hard to retrofit into older boards. In spite of this, Monday.com has garnered an overall rating of 8.7 out of 10 and countless glowing reviews, which speaks volumes about its user-friendly interface and positive experience it provides for teams of all sizes.

Image Indicates Jira Dashboard

5. Jira

Jira Work Management is another project management software worth considering.

Established by Atlassian in 2002, Jira Work Management provides multiple views for users to access, such as a list view, timeline chart, calendar display, and board view. You’ll have all the vital information in one place, like a project’s tasks, subtasks, and due dates, as well as the status of each lesson and who’s responsible for completing it.

However, it’s important to note that Jira Work Management does have a few limitations.

For example, if you’re using an Agile project management methodology, Jira may not be the best choice for you. Also, with only 23 workflow templates, it’s also limited compared to other project management tools.

Plus, many customers complain that customer support is limited and unavailable outside business hours. There’s, also, no built-in budgeting or invoicing feature.

All in all, Jira Work Management is a top-notch option for businesses that seek to enhance collaboration between non-technical teams, don’t apply an Agile project management approach, and do not need advanced budgeting/invoicing features.

The Free plan permits small teams of up to 10 people to create unlimited projects, tasks, reports and dashboards with ease. Plus, Jira Work Management has thousands of integrations and an intuitive UI that’s simple to use, even if you’re new to project management.

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6. Wrike

Wrike is a project management SaaS platform that was introduced in 2006, with a focus on enterprise customers. It offers a way for cross-functional teams to handle projects, workflows, and tasks efficiently. The platform is structured around folders, projects, and tasks, making it easy to categorize your work.

Wrike offers various ways to view project data, from a simple list view to more advanced features such as a board view, table view, Gantt chart, time log, resources, analytics, and more. This versatility is great for any size team and can accommodate a wide variety of project management philosophies.

Unlike many other project management tools, Wrike offers a fantastic free package that permits teams to create limitless projects, tasks and messages, in addition to unlimited file storage.

While Wrike provides a lot of versatility, it is important to note that it does not have native time-tracking capabilities. This can be a drawback for those who need to track time spent on tasks. Wrike can be integrated with time-tracking software, but this may come with additional costs.

Overall, Wrike is a solid choice for businesses that employ large teams with complex needs, use an Agile or Scrum project management methodology, and have the resources to train their team members.

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7. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is an innovative collaboration tool, resembling a spreadsheet-like structure that streamlines task management. Assign tasks and subtasks with ease while also managing resources efficiently.

The software was initially released in 2006 but due to its complicated user interface, it was relaunched in 2010 with a more user-friendly version. And it looks like that fixed the problem.

Smartsheet offers hundreds of time-saving templates and template sets that are pre-established and customizable, making it easier for users to get started. In addition to the traditional grid view, the software also offers card, calendar, and Gantt views to give users multiple options for viewing their data.

Users generally appreciate Smartsheet for its collaboration features, extensive template library, and updates introducing new features.

However, some users have criticized the software for its poor customer support and lackluster interface. Despite these criticisms, Smartsheet’s versatility, automation capabilities, and spreadsheet-style interface are key strengths of the software.

Smartsheet is ideal for businesses of medium to large size that prefer a spreadsheet-style interface and has the time, energy, and resources to take advantage of its extensive customizations.

However, Smartsheet does not offer a free plan, and its time-tracking capabilities require a premium add-on or companion software. So, it’s not ideal for remote teams. Additionally, the software does not autosave changes, and updates are not made in real time, so users may need to manually refresh sheets to see the latest data.

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8. Airtable

Like Smartsheet, Airtable is a spreadsheet-like software designed to streamline task management.

It was developed by a group of developers in 2012 with the aim of helping users create collaborative apps without having to know how to code. It can be described as a combination of a spreadsheet and a database and is commonly used for project management, team collaboration, and resource management.

Airtable organizes information through workspaces and bases. Workspaces are a collection of projects that multiple team members can share. For example, a corporation might have separate HR, IT, and Marketing workspaces, while a small business might only have one workspace shared by everyone.

Within each workspace are bases, which are essentially hubs for all the information needed for a particular project or workflow. This could include a base for project tracking, a content calendar, or even a product catalog.

With Airtable, teams can build custom-made tables that are linked together to join data in dynamic relationships. These batches of information can be shared across the board for collaborative purposes. Plus, users have a choice of views when it comes to presenting their data; grid, calendar, form, kanban and gallery are all up for grabs. If you upgrade your plan from Pro or Enterprise level then Gantt and timeline options become available as well.

While Airtable has received positive reviews for its ease of use, versatility, and free plan, it also has its drawbacks. The main complaints revolve around slow customer service and sudden account deletions.

Despite these complaints, Airtable could still be a good choice for businesses with small teams that don’t require robust communication features and are looking for a more flexible tool to manage their data.

Image represents Basecamp Dashboard

9. Basecamp

Basecamp is a cloud-based solution that offers features for teams, project managers, and even marketing departments to collaborate and manage tasks. One of the standout features of Basecamp is its pricing plan, allowing users to get a substantial number of seats for only $99. It includes to-do lists, which can be assigned to different team members and the system will follow up on when the due date arrives.

Basecamp also provides real-time group chat, which many project management tools lack, and a progress tracking tool for clients. It’s also compatible with a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, and can be integrated with other tools for reporting, analysis, and time tracking.

While Basecamp is sometimes referred to as a project management tool, it doesn’t have all the features commonly found in PM tools such as time-tracking and Gantt charts. Instead, Basecamp has hubs, which are repositories of information for teams or projects. Crafted with maximum efficiency and productivity in mind, each hub is split into six sections containing a Message Board, To-Do’s List, Docs & Files Folder, real-time Campfire chat feature, Schedule Tab, and Automatic Check-In.

In Basecamp, users can make group announcements, assign tasks, view deadlines, and create user-defined questions for the team. It also provides hill charts to help users visualize progress, but keep in mind that these charts are subjective, based on how a user perceives the project’s progress, rather than objective data.

Image represents Slack Dashboard

10. Slack

Slack is a tool designed to enhance workplace communication by enabling real-time file sharing and messaging. The communication is organized through channels dedicated to specific topics, with private channels available for more sensitive information. Direct messaging, voice, and video calls between team members are also possible.

The design of Slack is known for its user-friendly and customizable, making it easy for anyone to learn and start using it quickly. With over 2,000 integrations available, Slack can easily connect to other tools that you may be using in your business. Slack also offers customer support through live chat, which is well-received by users.

Slack is ideal for remote or hybrid teams that require real-time chat capabilities, smaller teams without task-management needs, businesses with time-sensitive projects, and freelancers seeking to network with others in specific niche channels.

While Slack offers great chat capabilities, users have reported issues with voice and video calls and the mobile app. Nevertheless, with its free plan, Slack provides access to all basic features and messaging, making it a good option for small teams and startups with limited budgets.

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11. Notion

Notion is a versatile task management software that offers a unique way to organize your projects. While it may not have as many features as ClickUp, Notion boasts unique features that sets it apart. One of its standout features is the ability to create interlinking content between your project boards, allowing for easy management and preservation of information.

Notion started out as a simple note-taking tool but has evolved into a comprehensive project management solution. With its visually appealing dashboard and numerous templates, Notion makes it easy for you to get started.

Additionally, Notion offers an extensive library of tutorials that can help you in various use cases, from organizing internal company documents and projects to setting up your personal website using Notion as a content management system.

Although Notion lacks some of the advanced features offered by ClickUp, such as time tracking, custom reporting, and automation, it makes up for it with a simple and intuitive interface. Depending on your needs, Notion might be a great option for you, especially if you don’t require all the additional functionality offered by ClickUp.

If you’re looking for task management software that is easier to set up, has a sleek interface, and is free for single users, Notion might be the perfect alternative. Whether you’re working on personal projects or managing a team, Notion offers a unique solution to help you get the job done.

Conclusion

What do you think? Have you found your perfect ClickUp alternative? With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to find the right project management software for your team. But, it’s important to remember that finding the right tool for your needs is key to a successful project outcome.

Whether it’s Teamly with its remote team collaboration capabilities, Asana with its robust task management capabilities, Trello with its easy-to-use kanban boards, Monday.com with its powerful visual project management, or Notion with its unique interlinking content feature, each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses. So, take the time to explore the options and find the one that best fits your team’s needs and goals.

At the end of the day, the right project management software can make all the difference when it comes to your team’s productivity and success. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with a few different options to find the best fit (most of them have free trials or plans). Remember, it’s not just about features and functionality but also about the user experience and how the tool integrates with your team’s workflow. Happy hunting!

Your Life Is About to Get So Much Easier: The 19 Best Google Chrome Extensions You Can’t Afford to Miss Out On

Image represents Chrome Extensions for Productivity

Left to itself, the internet is like a noisy crowded room where everyone screams for your attention. You can’t watch a video without getting hit with at least three ads. You try to finish an article but get distracted by all the advertisements, pop up windows and like buttons that the author wants you to “smash.”

At other times, it’s like a closet brimming with clutter, where trying to locate or organize anything is like looking into an abyss. A search for a video you came across a few weeks earlier is a lost cause. You might spend a slow afternoon at the office researching a new car to buy, then lose all the information in an instant as you quickly close your tabs when your boss passes by.

Browser extensions serve as a panacea from all these aggravations. Whatever problem you struggle with, someone’s thought up a solution. And with the right mix of extensions, the time you spend online becomes about doing what you want. You’re not bogged down by complicated processes and poor functionality. Plus, you can find some enjoyment and inspiration within even the most tedious tasks.

So if you’re like everyone else and can easily waste an hour going down internet rabbit holes, and struggle to achieve the deep focus required for quality work, then this post provides some solutions. These are some of the best Google Chrome extensions, designed to increase productivity and efficiency in your everyday life.

Extensions for Tab Organization

We’re all juggling a myriad of things every day. And a lot of it occurs online. Before we’ve even finished a cup of coffee in the morning, it’s easy to have 35 tabs open on our browser, covering topics as diverse as local property listings, international news and the best windshield wipers to buy for our car. The following extensions enable this constant code-switching, with simple methods for organizing, saving, retrieving and sorting through all the content we look at every day.

Image represents Workona Chrome Extension

1. Workona

Have you ever seen one of those desks where all the pencils, papers and gadgets have a designated space, and just looking at it conjures feelings of calm and focus? Workona allows users to achieve this same level of organization and calm within the jumbles of information they sort through every day online.

Workona’s robust tools organize tabs into projects and store them for easy retrieval at a future date. Dozens of open tabs normally slow a computer down, but with Workona, groupings of tabs can be suspended, making them within easy reach without using up a computer’s RAM.

The only regret of Workona’s fan club members is that they didn’t find this extension sooner.

Compatible with: Chrome, Firefox and Edge

Available at: Workona’s website.

Pricing: Plans start at $7/month.

Standout Features:

  • Every browser session is saved with Workona. So even if you don’t have a chance to file away a group of tabs, it’s all recorded and easy to find later.
  • Workona syncs accounts between devices, so whether you’re on your phone, laptop or desktop computer all your crucial resources are stored right on the browser in front of you.
  • A search function within all saved tabs makes locating obscure content a breeze.

Image represents Tab Copy Chrome Extension

2. Tab Copy

Users of Tab Copy call it a lifesaver, the perfect tool for when you’re researching a big project and need a comprehensive record for all the information you’ve discovered. This extension eliminates the painfully slow process of manually copying and pasting links into a separate document. With just one click, this extension copies all the open tabs to the clipboard for easy pasting into a separate document. Although this extension doesn’t include many of Workona’s bells and whistles, it provides similar services without the monthly fee.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

Standout Features:

  • Tab Copy allows you to keep browser clutter to a minimum by hiding tabs that you’re not currently using.
  • This extension provides several format options for links, including condensed, expanded and a custom option that formats links to your suiting.

Image represents Session Buddy Chrome Extension

3. Session Buddy

If you haven’t come across it yet, Session Buddy may well become your new best friend. When you’ve just completed some intense online research and need to move onto the next thing, this tool captures all of your hard work into one neat file. Users find that this extension is superior to Chrome’s built in restore function, and that nothing is lost with Session Buddy.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

Standout Features:

  • Session Buddy allows you to look at all open tabs for quick purview and organization, and to even search open tabs to locate a web page quickly.
  • Session Buddy’s developers are continually at work improving and adding features. This includes projects to improve searches, to improve drag and drop functionality and to add expandable capabilities to folders. It spells out these projects and their respective status at its website.

Research Extensions

The internet doesn’t exactly function like a book, where it’s easy to highlight significant passages, rip out important pages or write commentary in the margins. The following extensions incorporate these qualities into online articles, making it easy to retain relevant information and even glean the big takeaways identified by other readers.

Image represents Readwise Chrome Extension

4. Readwise

Readwise is a tool for highlighting text, be it on a Kindle, the internet or even a book you’re holding in your hand. With this tool, a collection of pithy statements is right at your fingertips. Recording takeaways is as simple as highlighting the text and then right clicking to send it to Readwise. (The highlights do not stay in the content when the page is refreshed.)

Compatible with: Chrome and Firefox

Pricing: A Readwise plan starts at $4.50 a month.

Standout Features:

  • Readwise captures all of your highlights each day and sends them to you in an email, allowing you to browse through and reflect on all the nuggets of wisdom you came across during a busy day.
  • Everything you’ve highlighted is stored in the app and can be easily organized with tags.

Image represents Pocket Chrome Extension

5. Pocket

How many times during the day do you come across a sixty minute video or a two-and-a-half hour podcast that you’d love to consume but don’t have the time? (Conversely, how many hours have you spent in the car re-listening to an album you’ve heard 10,000 times before?)

Pocket is a tool for maximizing free time and filling it with the things you love. With a quick click on the “Pocket” icon in the browser, it stores all the juicy podcasts, videos, and articles you come across, for easy go-to when you finally have an afternoon to kill or a long car ride ahead of you.

Apparently, this simple storage method yields powerful results. Pocket boasts that its premium members consume two and a half times more content than the rest of us.

Compatible with: Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge

Pricing: Pocket offers a free account and a premium account that costs $5 a month or $45 a year.

Reader Response: Users report a lot of glitches with the Chrome extension, and have had better luck with the Pocket application.

Image represents Webclippers Chrome Extension

6. Webclippers

Webclippers allows you to port online content into a note taking app and so consolidate related content into one file. It’s a versatile extension with broad application across an assortment of online platforms, not simply webpages. This clipping function is compatible with the New York Times, Instagram, Wikipedia, Pinterest and Twitter. So wherever your internet journey takes you, saving content is just a click away.

Webclippers is an extension for Notion, Evernote and OneNote.

Compatible with: Chrome and Firefox. Notion’s Webclipper is compatible with Safari, and OneNote’s is compatible with Microsoft Edge.

Available at: All three of these Webclippers are available at the Chrome store. They include free and paid options.

Productivity Extensions

Smarter, better and faster is what it’s all about, right? Yet maximizing our precious hours is always a challenge. And the internet in particular is a haven for distractions. These extensions create focus, align tasks to overall goals and get you into a work zone so that your limited time is spent productively.

Image represents Habitica Pomodoro Sitekeeper Chrome Extension

7. Habitica Pomodoro Sitekeeper

Many of us have discovered the widely-popular Pomodoro Technique for productivity. Working in focused 25 minute bursts allows for mental recharge, minimizes multitasking and makes it easy to press on to the end of a long project.

Habitica Pomodoro Sitekeeper incorporates the Pomodoro method right into your browser, allowing for hours of productivity and rejuvenating breaks in between.

This extension incorporates some fun into the method as well. Habitica is a habit tracking application that approaches daily life like a computer game. Alongside a supportive social network, it uses fun carrot and stick methods to encourage good behavior.

Compatible with: Chrome, Opera, Edge and Firefox.

Pricing: Plans for Habitica membership is $4.99 a month or $48 a year.

Standout Features:

  • Habitica Pomodoro Sitekeeper integrates with Habitica habit-tracking applications, providing access to all its other services.
  • This extension provides productivity stats to let you see how you’re performing long-term.
  • Habitica Pomodoro Sitekeeper further encourages productivity by curbing your visits to time-wasting websites. It lets users designate webpages to block entirely, while other sites can be blocked only during Pomorodo work sessions.
  • It also encourages users to limit the time spent on certain sites by charging coins for visits to these sites.

Image represents Forest Chrome Extension

8. Forest

Forest is a simple extension that takes a fun twist on the Pomodoro Technique. Users click on a tree to start a timer, then focus on a task for thirty minutes. At the completion of this session, users plant the virtual tree in an online landscape. As productivity sessions increase, users watch the landscape grow into a vast forest. Users can select from multiple trees to create their own diversified forestland.

Forest is also a phone application, but Chrome users like the extension as it keeps them from looking at their phones.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

Standout Features:

  • For every tree you purchase, Forest plans an actual tree!
  • Forest also allows you to block tempting and time-consuming urls.

Image represents Momentum Chrome Extension

9. Momentum

If you tell yourself something enough times, the message eventually sticks. Momentum incorporates this principle into this browser extension which promises to be a space for calm, motivation, possibility, productivity, personal growth, focus and inspiration. And just what is the function of an extension that promises so much?

Momentum is a customizable dashboard that appears every time a new tab opens on the browser (something which, let’s be honest, occurs at least six dozen times a day.)

This dashboard includes a personal mantra, a goal for the day, a calming image and even a to-do list. This simple presentation serves to refocus and realign your momentum repeatedly throughout the day. Many have used this extension for years and love it. Some even call it a personal life coach built right into your browser.

Compatible with: Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge

Pricing: Momentum offers a free version available at Momentum Dash. Momentum plus offers additional features for a monthly fee.

Standout Features:

  • Momentum’s basic plan includes a list of shortcuts to your favorite websites.
  • Momentum plus includes a Pomodoro timer and the capacity to customize daily quotes.

Image represents Refocus Chrome Extension

10. Refocus

Have you ever been in a room where you could hear a pin drop, and the silence actually distracted you? Sometimes the bustle and conversation of a busy coffee shop provides a better environment for getting things done. According to the extension Refocus, science supports the idea that moderate ambient noise increases focus and productivity. And so this extension seeks to create this productive space by providing a variety of ambient sounds.

Users love this extension for its simple straightforward service. It also includes a Pomodoro 25 minute timer to create focus sessions.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

Standout Features: Refocus offers a variety of noises to choose from, including ambient coffee shop, Cuban beach, morning birds, Amazon forest, underwater, rain, waves, quiet city vibe and downtown Paris.

Content Blockers and Filters

Nothing disarms productivity quite so effectively as the internet rabbit hole. You know how it works. You enter a platform with one end in mind, but, enticed by images of friends, click bait headlines and sensationalized news stories, instead meander down several circuitous paths and before you know it 45 minutes has elapsed. Worse yet, some of the junk out there introduces malware onto your device.

These extensions offer solutions to these constant internet challenges. They cut out the clutter, equip us to consume the content we intend (not the content thrown at us), and create space for the super focus that is at the crux of solid work.

Image represents Newsfeed Eradicator for Facebook

11. Newsfeed Eradicator for Facebook

The users of Newsfeed Eradicator for Facebook say that it spares their sanity, creates peace of mind and even restores their faith in humanity.

How has it earned such high praise? It blocks your newsfeed when you open Facebook or other social media accounts, and puts a quote into its place. So rather than getting hit first thing in the morning with an unpredictable array of content that leaves you stimulated, triggered or angry, you’re instead left with a dose of inspiration.

Users love how this extension allows them to participate in social media, yet avert the emotionally draining and time consuming component inherent to these platforms.

Compatible with: Firefox and Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

Standout Features: This extension doesn’t just apply to Facebook. Newsfeed Eradicator allows users to block feeds on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Linked in, Reddit, Y Combinator News and Github.

Image represents Readerview Chrome Extension

12. Readerview

Isn’t it annoying to scroll through engaging content and be shelled by pop-up ads, requests to “like” and “subscribe” or gross third-party advertisements of people scrubbing their toenails? Sometimes it’s enough to close the page altogether.

Readerview removes these distracting elements and pares content down to essentials. The extension is suited for long form content, and allows users to modify the font (including color and size) and the background color of pages they visit.

Compatible with: Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera.

Standout Features:

  • Readerview also includes a highlighting feature, and text remains highlighted after the page is refreshed.
  • It enables an array of customizations to online content, including adding a publish date or sticky notes and adjusting the number of columns.

Image represents uBlock Origin Extension

13. uBlock Origin

You can’t be too careful these days with malware coming onto your computer. Sometimes even a website you trust allows for third-party ads that are just no good. uBlock origin is an open source extension created by actual human beings, especially for you. It’s lightweight so it doesn’t use up a lot of memory, and includes customizable white lists (trustworthy sites) and black sites (dangerous sites).

Compatible with: Chrome, Chromium, Edge, Opera, Firefox and all Safari releases prior to 13.

Available at: The Chrome web store for free.

User Feedback: People love uBlock Origin for putting an end to all those annoying ads that pop up in the middle of a gripping video.

Efficiency Extensions

The problem with time and energy is that both are finite. And so often they’re wasted on repetitive work and convoluted processes. These extensions allow you to cut out busywork and eliminate repetition in your online workdays, and increase the time and energy you spend on meaningful work that adds value.

Image represents Command Palette Chrome extension

14. Command Palette

Command palates are popular plugins for any platform these days. With just a quick keyboard shortcut, this command palette for Chrome opens up a list of commands, including “download history,” “extensions,” “browser settings” and “print.” This helpful, accessible list quickly becomes a constant go-to that quickens the pace of getting things done online.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

User Feedback: Although users love this command palette, many wish it was customizable.

Image represents Textblaze Chrome Extension

15. Textblaze

Most of us find ourselves having to repeat the same content over and over again every single day, to new clients and colleagues alike. Instructions, credentials and meeting follow ups all pretty much sound the same after a while. All this repetition turns into a glut of time over the space of a month.

According to Textblaze, it adds up to as much as 28 hours of repetitive work!
That’s right, this extension promises to cut out 28 hours of boring work each month. Rather than type out a long, redundant email, all you have to do with Textblaze is enter a simple keyboard command such as “/meetings” or “/intro” and the entire text appears in the textbox.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: Chrome web store

Standout Features:

  • The templates in Textblaze include multiple fonts, emojis, colors and even text boxes for forms and surveys.
  • The templates can easily be modified with cut and paste tools, to add a name or date into the text, for example.
  • This extension is backed by the promising startup accelerator, Y Combinator.

Image represents Swiftread Chrome Extension

16. Swiftread

It’s so common to spend way too much time poring over long, dense documents trying to identify key takeaways. Swiftread promises to cut this time in half. This extension uses speed reading techniques to distill central messages and arguments in articles and essays. With this method, a text window appears on the screen that presents the main words and ideas.

Compatible with: Chrome and Edge

Pricing: Swiftread offers a free and a paid “pro” version.

Standout Features:

  • Swiftread’s features are customizable, allowing a user to increase or decrease the words consumed per minute.
  • Its pro version offers a feature that converts text to audio.
  • For easier content consumption, the pro version offers an assortment of fonts and colors to modify text.

Extensions to Improve Functionality and Versatility

Sometimes technology just needs a tiny adjustment and viola, everything is So. Much. Easier. These extensions provide those little tweaks that increase pleasurability and decrease frustration while surfing the web.

Image represents Picture-in-Picture Chrome Extension

17. Picture-in-Picture

Do you ever have a hard time tearing yourself away from your new favorite series and getting down to work? With the picture-in-picture extension, you don’t have to separate work from pleasure anymore.

Whereas normally a browser only allows you to view one tab at a time, the picture- in-picture extension allows you to watch a video while browsing through other pages on the internet.

Simply by clicking on its icon in the browser bar, the video shows up in the bottom right corner of the computer screen, providing plenty of viewing space to click between other pages in the browser.

Compatible with: Chrome

Available at: The Chrome web store

User Feedback: Users like this extension, but wish that the video included more features, including fast forward, playback speed and subtitles.

Image represents Loom Chrome Extension

18. Loom

Have you ever seen those videos that display a computer screen and a little bubble of a person talking in the bottom corner? This is Loom’s central feature.

So much is lost in remote communication, and Loom helps to fill some of these gaps by combining voice messages with visuals. The Loom extension allows users to share the screen alongside a voice message, as well as to share the link to a screen image.

Loom is used by 14 million people. This extension is perfect for remote meetings, online education and for adding some personality to online videos.

Compatible with: Chrome and also available as a desktop app.

Pricing: Loom offers a free plan, a paid plan at $12.50 a month, and a customizable enterprise plan.

Image represents Audioread Chrome Extension

19. Audioread (formerly Audioblogs)

Some people are audio learners (that’s a euphemism for saying they hate to read). Others want to multitask while plowing through things like daily emails. This extension is made for both of these types of people.

The Audioread extension turns online content, including emails, pdfs, and articles into audio content presented by artificial intelligence. Some have found that although the audio sounds a bit wonky in places, it’s surprisingly coherent overall.

Users have the option to listen to content either within the browser or through a podcast app, including Apple, Google or Overcast, making it super simple to get through hours of content while driving or working on other things.

Compatible with: Chrome and iphone or Android apps

Pricing: Audio is sold in $5 bundles, which include five hours of audio. Users are charged $5 a month, and unused audio rolls over each month.

Standout Features:

  • Audioblogs translates content into 18 languages! So you can brush up on your Spanish, Italian, French or Portuguese as you drill through online content.
  • The audio content can be consumed with all of the regular podcast features, including fast forward and adjustable audio speed.

Conclusion

As you can see, someone’s thought of a solution for pretty much every ailment that troubles us with Google Chrome.

If you spend the bulk of your day online, these extensions are game changers. By just downloading a few extensions (and ok, signing up for a few payment plans) you’ll be set.

All your favorite sites will be at your fingertips, your browser will be clean and free of clutter and your day will have focus and momentum. Tedious repetitive tasks will be no more and your time will be spent doing what you want. Plus, you can find some enjoyment while completing those boring unavoidable everyday tasks.

Chrome extensions, though it sounds idealistic, really get you to a place where you love the internet again for everything it provides, and all of its potential. It gets the internet working for you as the amazing resource that it is, and not a quagmire of ads and distractions.

So take some time to explore these Chrome extensions and get an idea of what you’re missing out on. With just a few simple clicks, you’ll have opened yourself to a whole new world.

I Don’t Know How to Put This: How to Give Constructive Criticism (With Examples!)

Image represents Constructive Feedback Examples

First dates certainly aren’t the only time you may find yourself stuttering, stammering and flustering for words. Providing constructive feedback in face-to-face conversations can be every bit as awkward, and the stakes are just as high.

Everyone has blind spots. It’s easy for someone to lead an unfocused meeting, to deliver a presentation that fails to mention key metrics, or to rub the client the wrong way through a lack of bedside manner. But it’s always hard to confront someone with criticism when it’s clear they’re making an earnest effort.

You’re looking for buy-in with constructive criticism. But depending on your choice of words, you may well receive the opposite. Poorly delivered criticism leads to discouragement, dug in heels and burnt bridges. The same problems keep occurring over and over again, and the organization suffers.

And so the approach to criticism and feedback is everything. Although you cannot control the outcome, by shaping the delivery of constructive criticism, you position the exchange for a fruitful outcome.

Let’s look into how to delicately thread the needle of providing feedback and criticism constructively, by going over things to say, mistakes to avoid and tricks for success with concrete everyday examples.

Image represents what is Constructive Feedback

What Is Constructive Feedback?

Constructive criticism, or feedback, is advice or critique regarding a person’s performance or behavior, with the express aim to improve. It generally includes specific, actionable suggestions.

It’s not censure, which simply berates another person. Nor is it simply encouragement, although generally it helps when constructive criticism is presented in an encouraging tone. Good feedback energizes the recipient. It’s enabling as it provides a clear and attainable means to improve.

However, the recipient may or may not choose to receive the criticism; how he responds is in his hands alone.

Constructive criticism is helpful for anyone. We all have blind spots in the way we interact with others and in our work performances. It’s easy to become fixated into a mindset, or fall into patterns of doing things a certain way, and fail to see the larger picture. Constructive feedback provides some perspective and evaluation to our actions. Sometimes it really pays to listen to this criticism during a dress rehearsal, trial run or first draft of a project. Because if it’s ignored, it may simply turn into censure or rejection in the final round.

Constructive criticism benefits the recipient because it provides clarity and insight she may not have gained on her own. Perhaps she has a personality trait that makes it difficult to collaborate in a team environment. When this is delicately pointed out to her by a third party, it opens the door to change.

Sometimes it takes a second set of eyes looking in on our work to point out the obvious that we fail to see. When we work hard on something there’s a tendency to become myopic and miss crucial details. A meeting, for example, that someone diligently plans may lack some key elements such as an agenda or parking lots.

Criticism opens the recipient to a whole new world. When received with an open mind, it creates an avenue for growth and improvement. Due to its great benefits, then, criticism oftentimes is solicited. This is referred to as “pull” feedback, as opposed to “push” feedback which is offered without request.

A workplace culture where constructive feedback is freely given, received and solicited sets a pattern of ongoing improvement in motion. Mistakes aren’t repeated; people don’t have to deal with the same problems over and over again. Work performances, overall, improve, and the culture reflects this. Incorporating this transparency into a workplace entails fostering an environment open to dialogue.

With all these benefits, constructive feedback certainly is a boon to any workplace and any individual. However, giving and receiving criticism in such a way that it improves behavior is a skill. And as it turns out, few seem to possess it. According to studies, only one out of every four employees in the workforce believes the feedback he or she receives is helpful.

Providing feedback successfully means deliberately doing certain things and avoiding others. Let’s first off take a look at some of the pitfalls and landmines to avoid when offering critical feedback.

Image represents How NOT Give Constructive Feedback

How NOT Give Constructive Feedback

Offering criticism and feedback is never easy. Criticism hurts our ego. A visceral response is to deny the criticism or become defensive. Offering it, then, can feel like a difficult confrontation. At the same time, however, it’s a necessary part of a functioning workplace. Ongoing performance or behavior issues affect everyone. When these things are pointed out, it opens the door to improvement.

However, if approached indelicately, offering criticism can lead to an opposite reaction. The person becomes discouraged, uncooperative, or nothing happens at all. The criticism may land with a little whimper, and in a worst case scenario, lead to burnt bridges.

In order to allow the feedback to be helpful and productive, let’s look over some things to avoid when delivering criticism.

1. Poor Body Language

As you’ve probably heard, non-verbal communication impacts an interaction almost as much as verbal communication. And a misstep in body language may well yield an ineffective exchange.

For example, sitting in an executive chair across from someone naturally generates an authoritative dynamic. The recipient is disposed to receive criticism like censure, and to reject it.

On the other extreme, a super casual setting can have an opposite but equally ineffective impact. If the criticism is delivered, say, on a comfy couch or during a walk in the park, the other person may not even realize they’ve received any criticism, and so have no intention to fix anything.

2. Personal Attacks

Criticism that doesn’t separate the person from the action comes across like a threat, and it causes people immediately to put up their defenses. This includes phrases that connect the recipient with the work. Here are two examples:

  • “The presentation wasn’t working for me, and your problem is that you’re a rambler.”
  • “You’re a forgetful person and it’s becoming an issue.”

Although it’s easy for phrases like this to slip out of our mouths, these poorly chosen words are received like a shot through the heart. Rather than looking to improve behavior, people instead start questioning their self worth and lashing out at the person who gave the criticism.

3. The Pep Talk

Erring on the other extreme is the pep talk. This is sheer encouragement that glosses over any mention of self improvement. Here’s an example:

  • “You have the potential and the drive. Now just take the first step and everything’s going to work out fine.”

And while an “Ah, you’re so great” session might bolster somebody’s ego, it probably isn’t going to bring about any desired changes.

4. Vague Critique

Criticism is ineffective when it’s too general or broad-sweeping. This includes things like “blur words,” which are phrases that sound effective, but that can mean different things to different people.

“You could be more proactive,” is a good example of vague, blurry criticism. It could mean so many different things. The giver and the recipient might have entirely different interpretations of this statement.

Other examples of vague criticism include:

  • “Your presentation could really use some work.”
  • “This piece of writing needs a major revision.”
  • “This meeting just went on and on.”
  • “This just isn’t doing it for me.”

This form of criticism is so general that it’s completely useless. It doesn’t pinpoint the problem, and so the receipt has no idea what to fix or how to go about it. Nor does it indicate how the issue impacts the situation. Like a light dusting of snow, it lands but then melts quickly away and nothing really happens.

5. Carrot and Stick

A “carrot and stick” looks to bribery and punishment to bring about desired changes in behavior.

Here are two examples:

  • “Look, this wasn’t done right and if this keeps happening, there will be consequences.”
  • “Everyone who improves their production time receives a free pizza.”

Although this method may well bring about a change in behavior, it’s a coercive approach. Constructive criticism aims to empower the other person, and motivate them to change for the sake of growth, personal improvement, and a betterment of the organization.

6. Softballs and Soft Lobs

When criticism is presented between too many cushions and pillows, the recipient may not realize there’s any criticism at all.

Here’s an example:

  • “You know, your event was so great. I felt like everyone was participating. Maybe it lagged somewhat in the middle, but overall it was great.”

This criticism is presented between so many compliments that the person may not realize there’s anything to improve upon. Rather than sound like something that needs improvement, the flaw sounds more like a minor incident that doesn’t merit much attention nor have much impact.

Poorly delivered criticism can err on various extremes, but all of it ultimately leads to zero improvements in performance or behavior. In worst case scenarios, it can lead to damaged relationships and friction. Now let’s get into how to take an effective approach to criticism.

Image represents how to give Constructive Feedback

How to Give Constructive Criticism

From the set up to the delivery, giving constructive feedback is best when approached as a method. This yields positive results and changes in behavior while maintaining a sense of camaraderie and support between individuals.

Setting Things Up

The first step with constructive criticism is to clarify what you’re hoping to achieve. Is it a more punctual employee, shorter meetings, a more skilled workforce or more synergy within the team? Identifying the objective, and the impact of NOT receiving the objective, creates clarity in the delivery of criticism.

Criticism is received better within relationships where there’s a lot of rapport. Rapport isn’t just about being friendly, but more about breaking down barriers and establishing fluid communication. It compels people to act out of freedom, rather than compulsion, guilt or fear. Here are three components to building an environment that’s conducive to providing constructive criticism.

1. Solicit Consent

Criticism that comes out of left field can leave someone in a state of shock. Giving someone a heads up that feedback is on the horizon makes for a softer landing.

A simple question or email that says something like “Do you have a few minutes to talk about this?” allows people to anticipate the criticism. Going further and soliciting consent gives people a sense of autonomy over the situation. In essence, they’re buying into listening to the feedback.

2. Find a Good Time

Criticism is difficult to accept, so it’s always a good idea to find a time where the person isn’t caught up in a major life event or stressful work obligations.

Providing the feedback, rather, during a time when the person is calm and unoccupied increases his receptivity and openness to growth and a change.

3. Set the Tone

Delivering constructive criticism is a conversation. The initial communication sets the tone and the parameters of the exchange.

A simple statement like, “The presentation was great; I’d like to offer a few suggestions on the slides” serves to clarify what the conversation will consist of. It’s also friendly and distances the work from the individual.

An invitation for criticism might go something like, “Concrete suggestions on the meeting’s agenda and the icebreaker would be so useful. I’d return the favor.” Again, it’s specific and conciliatory and sets a good tone for a future exchange.

4. Use an Appropriate Setting & Supportive Body Language

Feedback is best received when the other person is at ease. You’ll only have a small window to create the desired effect, and so putting thought and strategy into body language and atmosphere can make a huge difference.

For example, sitting across from someone communicates power, and might not be a conducive arrangement. Sitting alongside someone, however, communicates a sense of companionship and support.

The setting has an impact on the exchange as well. As discussed, a walk in the park on a sunny day might not deliver the necessary impact, while a windowless room and an executive chair errs on the other extreme. The “just right” setting puts the person at ease but also maintains a professional atmosphere.

Image represents Examples of Constructive Feedback

Constructive Criticism Guidelines–With Examples

Now that we’ve looked at how to set up the scene for delivering criticism, let’s look over some guidelines over how to deliver it.

1. Take Out the Personal

Conflating the person with the work or behavior is the fastest way to fail at delivering constructive criticism. It puts people on the defensive and into attack mode. Separating the person from the work, rather, disarms people and establishes objectivity.

Here is an example to demonstrate the point:

  • A personal statement such as “You really rambled for too long in the presentation” instead might become something like, “The second part of the presentation might have been shorter; the lengthy details became tedious and it lost people’s attention.”

Shaping the criticism in third person, rather than second person (taking out the “you” language) isolates the issue and creates space to discuss it.

2. Be Precise

Constructive criticism identifies the “what” and the “how” of the issue. It highlights the problem with concrete details, and then provides a possible solution.

Here are a few examples:

  • “The meeting had low energy” might become something more like, “It seemed that the participation and input from the participants could have been higher. One way to generate some enthusiasm and energy is to start the meeting off with an icebreaker.”
  • In the evaluation of something like a scope or requirements document, a statement such as, “This report needs more coherency” might instead become something more like, “It was difficult to identify the purpose of several sections. Maybe including a table of contents and key takeaways at the beginning of each section would help to clear things up and make it an easier read.”
  • A statement such as, “You aren’t reliable” could become something more like, “You said you’d finish the report yesterday and I still haven’t received it.”

Precision in feedback shows a path forward, and the recipient is more likely to take action.

3. Lace With Empathy

Empathy is key to generating receptivity to criticism. Empathy that fosters rapport goes beyond a simple “this was rough I know” and really appreciates where the person is coming from. Maybe this was the person’s first presentation, and you know she gave it her all, or it’s an event she’s worked on tirelessly for weeks. Bring this perspective into the criticism.

Here is an example:

  • “The party didn’t have enough food, and the drinks were warm” might become something more like, “We all really appreciate the hard work you put into this. I know it’s a lot to put something like this together. Maybe the next time around you might consider delegating out some of the tasks to make sure everything is covered.”

People feel supported when feedback includes empathy and it softens the challenge of receiving critique.

4. Include an Impact Statement 

People are receptive to criticism when they understand the “why” behind it. An impact statement drives home the practicality of the criticism. Without clarifying the impact, criticism may come across as irrelevant or authoritative.

Here are some examples:

  • “Because I didn’t get the pdf report this morning, I didn’t have anything to present to the client.”
  • “When your section of the presentation went over, we had to bump the last part of the meeting.”
  • “When you arrive late it keeps the client waiting; that’s not the professional impression we want to send.

When working in union, these pointers help to ensure that criticism and feedback are met with cooperation and receptivity.

Image represents how to receive Constructive Feedback

How to Receive Constructive Criticism

For most people, the thought of receiving criticism immediately triggers anxiety. At the same time, it’s necessary for growth. It provides a perspective that you could never have achieved on your own. For this reason, one good piece of criticism is worth the weight of 100 pump-me-up pep talks. Prudently listening to and receiving criticism requires a lot of honesty and humility, as well as these following attributes.

Emotional Management

It’s hard to take criticism over something you’ve put your heart and soul into. At the same time, everyone of course understands they’re not perfect. And learning and correction are simply part of the process of growth.

Establishing some emotional detachment from the situation allows you to listen to criticism and adapt accordingly, without feeling deflated or defeated.

An Open Mind

Good feedback lets you see something with new eyes. Every person has his or her own unique perspective, shaped by experience, personality and skill sets. It’s invaluable to receive insight on these perspectives. An openness to feedback and criticism keeps you open to growth.

An Eye on the Objective

When you understand what you’re really working toward, be it a healthy workplace culture, a well-engineered product, or a clear presentation, it’s easier to set emotion and ego aside and evaluate criticism for what it’s worth.

An Ability to Know What to Take and What to Ignore

Not every piece of criticism is worth listening to. And although you may not have a say over when and where it’s provided, you do have a say over whether or not you choose to receive it.

It takes some reflection and thought to identify if feedback is helpful. Good feedback, generally, is energizing and invites growth. Sometimes this discernment might involve bouncing the criticism off on another person to gain their perspective on it.

Anyone who’s directed a movie that bombed wishes they could have had access beforehand to the critics who panned it. More often than not, criticism, though hard to palate, is worth ingesting. It may well save you a lot of hassle in the future.

Conclusion

This really is the age of feedback. From buying a t-shirt online to eating a sandwich at the local deli, anytime we consume a product or service we’re inclined to let others know how we feel about it.

And although it’s pretty easy to give feedback, it’s not always presented in a way that’s receptive or helpful to the recipient. Constructive criticism, centrally, aims to build rapport. It’s specific, includes an impact statement, and is presented with empathy.

Whether you’re mentoring an intern or managing a team, providing feedback is a routine part of any workplace environment. Although delivering constructive criticism is a challenge, it’s certainly a skill that can be developed with an understanding of key dos and don’ts.

What’s your biggest challenge with constructive criticism?