Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

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What is a PERT chart? Easy steps to create and use one

If you’ve ever struggled with mapping project tasks or keeping track of dependencies, we have the perfect solution for you. A PERT chart, also known as a PERT diagram, is a tool used to schedule, organize, and map out tasks within a project. PERT stands for program evaluation and review technique. It provides a visual representation of a project's timeline and breaks down individual tasks. These charts are similar to Gantt charts, but structured differently.

How to create crystal clear action items

Action items are follow up tasks that you create from a meeting. They should be clearly defined with a description and a deadline, and help bring the conversations you have in meetings to life. Here, we’ll show you the benefits of creating action items, how to create them, and potential mistakes to avoid. It's the end of a successful project kickoff meeting and your team members are ready to move forward to execute everything that was decided in the meeting.

6 project constraints and how to manage them for project success

Project constraints are the general limitations of a project, including time, costs, and risks. Understanding project constraints is important because they affect project performance. In this piece, we’ll discuss project constraints in detail and explain how to manage them. Have you ever been to the circus and watched the performers do a balancing act? They somehow manage to hold multiple plates up in the air so gracefully that it feels like they must be using magic.

Four-Day Workweek: The Good, The Bad & The Reality

Studies have shown that the four-day workweek, which allows employees to work fewer days without a change in benefits or pay, can increase employee productivity and overall happiness. But it’s not the right fit for every company or team. Here’s how to know if it will work for you. The four-day workweek is no longer just a radical idea—it’s becoming a serious consideration for businesses looking to rethink work schedules, productivity, and employee mental health.

Build a marketing operations strategy in 4 steps

Marketing operations describes the function of overseeing an organization's marketing program, planning, and strategic activities. By bringing team members with unique skill sets together, you can build a strategy that meets your most important goals. Learn four steps to create an effective marketing operations strategy, plus why it matters. Operations management is a crucial part of any organization because it keeps everyday processes running smoothly.

7 common causes of scope creep, and how to avoid them

Scope creep happens when stakeholders add more deliverables or push back deadlines. This can delay the project timeline, and bring team morale down. But scope creep is preventable. In this article, learn how scope creep happens and what you can do to stop it. Picture this: you’re hard at work on a project and its deliverables. Suddenly, you get an ask to add another deliverable. It wasn’t in the original plan, but it’s easy enough to do, so you agree.

Goals vs. objectives: A project manager's breakdown

A goal is an achievable outcome that is generally broad and long-term while an objective defines measurable actions to achieve the overall goal. Find out the real differences between the two to inform your team’s strategy. When it comes to leading a team, setting goals and objectives helps you achieve your desired results. From large business goals to small daily objectives, these methods help set your team apart from the competition.

Why you should prioritize employee empowerment

Employee empowerment is more than a buzzword—it’s the key to creating a happy and productive team. Learn why empowerment is essential, plus try five concrete strategies to give your team the support, agency, and confidence they need to thrive at work. Think of the last time you accomplished something on your own. Maybe you learned how to fix your computer, do your taxes, or play an instrument.

Three strategic shifts IT leaders are implementing in 2023

The landscape of IT is evolving rapidly, influenced by remote work, advancements in AI, and other significant factors. To understand the current state and anticipate the future trajectory of the IT field, The Work innovation Lab, a think tank by Asana, partnered with Firstbase—the leading provider of flexible work equipment management for remote and hybrid workers—and Sierra Ventures—an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the future of enterprise technology.

6 work styles and how to help team members discover theirs

Work styles refer to the unique ways that people get their work done. By determining your team members’ work styles, you’ll be better equipped to motivate them and set them up for success. In this article, we explore some common work styles and walk through how you can fit together on a team. Workplace collaboration isn’t always a walk in the park. However, bringing diverse minds together can also be a very powerful thing.