Project Management and Operations Support
The most effective tools are those the team uses.
There are dozens of software packages, templates, systems and other tools that might improve workflow, increase communication, and allow team members to track and assess their progress.
Whether any particular system improves team performance depends on the answer to one question:
Is the system adaptable to the team’s needs, or is the team required to adapt to fit the system?
If the latter, team members will feel as though they’ve simply been given more work to do, rather than tools to make their work both more effective and more efficient. When this happens, compliance is inconsistent and the system breaks down.
When working with teams to develop new systems, my first step is to understand how the team is currently operating. What is working well and what needs to improve? How can a new system blend into existing workflows and communication styles to enhance what’s working well rather than simply replace it? Rather than handing teams an off-the-shelf system, I work with them in an iterative process of developing solutions, testing them, keeping what works and retooling what doesn’t.