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Effective Project Management with Leantime

Navigating the complexities of project management can be a daunting task, especially for individuals with neurodiverse cognitive styles. However, Leantime's comprehensive suite of tools and features is specifically designed to empower users, regardless of their unique perspectives and needs. By guiding you through a structured, iterative approach to project planning, execution, and reflection, Leantime enables you to accomplish your goals with clarity, confidence, and a heightened sense of accomplishment.

Whether you're tackling a complex product development initiative or streamlining an internal process, Leantime provides the guidance and flexibility you need to succeed. So, let's dive in and explore how you can harness the power of Leantime to manage your projects effectively, no matter your cognitive preferences or challenges.

What is a Project in Leantime?In Leantime, a project represents a focused initiative or endeavor that you and your team are working to accomplish. Leantime's project management framework is designed to support projects of varying scope, from small internal process improvements to large-scale product development efforts. As a general recommendation, Leantime projects should involve: 2-10 team members, 3-12 months in duration, 5-15 clearly defined milestones, 3-10 measurable goals. This level of scope ensures your project is substantial enough to warrant the structured planning and tracking that Leantime provides, while still being manageable for you and your team. Of course, the specific parameters of your project may vary based on your unique needs and objectives.

Create a Project

The first step is for you to create a new project in Leantime and define what they are trying to accomplish. This could be anything from developing a new product to improving an existing process. The key is for you to clearly articulate the purpose and objectives of the project upfront.

Project Creation Screen

Explore the Blueprints

Once the project is created, you should explore the various "Blueprints" available in Leantime's "Think" section. These canvases, such as the Lean Canvas, Business Model Canvas, and SWOT Analysis, provide structured frameworks to dive deeper into the project definition.

For neurodiverse users, these Blueprints can be incredibly valuable, as they offer a guided approach to organizing their thoughts and ideas. The visual nature of the canvases can also appeal to users with diverse cognitive preferences, making the project definition process more intuitive and engaging.

Project Blueprints to dive deeper into the project definition

Define SMART Goals

With the project's foundation established, you can then move into the "Make" section to define their project goals. Leantime encourages the use of the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goal-setting methodology, which can be highly beneficial for neurodiverse individuals.

The SMART framework helps break down complex objectives into more manageable, quantifiable targets. This structured approach can alleviate the overwhelm that can arise when facing a large, ambiguous project. By defining clear, measurable goals, neurodiverse users can better track their progress and maintain a sense of accomplishment throughout the project.

Create a measurable goal

Create Milestones

Next, you should create milestones that represent the key deliverables or "chunks of work" needed to achieve their goals. Leantime's recommendation to make these milestones "output-based" is particularly useful, as it encourages users to focus on tangible, measurable results rather than just time-based activities.

For neurodiverse individuals, this emphasis on outputs can provide a more concrete sense of progress and a clearer understanding of how their work contributes to the overall project. By breaking down the project into a series of well-defined milestones, you can more easily visualize the path forward and maintain momentum.

Milestones to represent a goal's work

Break Down Milestones into Tasks To manage the day-to-day progress of the project, you can then break down their milestones into individual tasks. Leantime's task management features, such as the Kanban board, table view, and list view, offer flexible ways for you to organize, prioritize, and track their tasks. This granular level of task management can be highly beneficial for neurodiverse users, as it allows them to focus on manageable, bite-sized pieces of work. The ability to assign tasks, set due dates, and monitor progress can help alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed and improve overall task completion.

Task Table view to break down milestones into tasks

Iterate and Reflect

Throughout the project lifecycle, Leantime encourages users to engage in regular retrospectives. These reflective sessions provide an opportunity for you to capture lessons learned, identify areas for improvement, and shape their approach for the next phase of the project.

For neurodiverse individuals, this continuous improvement mindset can be invaluable. By taking the time to thoughtfully analyze their experiences and make adjustments accordingly, they can develop more effective project management strategies that cater to their unique needs and preferences.

Retrospective to review how the work is progressing

Updated on: 16/12/2024

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