Posted on September 29, 2010 by Tom Mighell

Project Management Tools on the Cheap

 Continuing along my theme this week of using more low-tech ways to get things done, today I want to talk about project management.  When I think about this subject, my thoughts go automatically to Microsoft Project, which is one of the best, most fully-featured software tools for project management.  But there are literally dozens of other project management tools out there, both stand-alone software or via a web service.  You can check out just a few of them on our Collaboration Tools Project Management page.

But maybe you don't have the cash to buy MS Project, or the online tools you find just don't get the job done for you.  You can certainly track projects using simpler, less expensive tools, and here I'm primarily thinking about Excel.  This article on 15 Useful Excel Templates for Project Management and Tracking offers some terrific suggestions on using templates from Microsoft or other companies to track your project.  One of the sites mentioned is Vertex42, a great provider of spreadsheet templates for Excel, OpenOffice, and Google Docs.  Many of the templates provided on that site are free, and some available for a modest fee.  Of course, the Microsoft templates are free - and also have some great project management tools.  Give them a look.

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Posted on September 26, 2010 by Tom Mighell

Teleconferencing Best Practices

 In our book and elsewhere, we talk all the time about the latest tools that can help you work better with others.  But there are tried and true collaboration tools that are definitely more low-tech than some of the things we like to recommend.  One example is the teleconference.  Lawyers have been conferencing with clients, colleagues, courts, experts, and others for years - and even though it's pretty low-tech, it can fail miserably if it isn't used well.  I've been through a lot of painful conference calls, and often, technology has nothing to do with it.

That's why I was happy to come across an old article published over at the New York Times called Top 10 Teleconferencing Tips.  The article offers some solid, common-sense ideas for making sure your next teleconference comes off without a hitch.  Although it does include some technology that I like to use when scheduling calls, like Tungle or WhenIsGood, it also offers some simple tips like "Make sure that the meeting starts on time."  Give it a read, even if you think you've got the whole teleconference thing down.

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