Introducing new tools to a team

Project management tools and processes are always evolving. In this reading, we will
discuss the importance of choosing the right tools for a project and the implications of
introducing new tools to your team. 

As a project manager, it is important to be open to implementing new tools that may be

beneficial to a project's outcome. You will experience change in lots of forms throughout
your project’s life cycle, and navigating change is essential. But if you choose to
implement a tool that your team is unfamiliar with—especially if you decide to roll it out
midway through a project—your team may be hesitant. People embrace change
differently, particularly if the change will directly impact their routine and the way they
work. Simply put: Change can be met with resistance.

Before you introduce a new tool to your team, you should be sure that this change is
actually going to benefit the project, and ensure that those involved in your project
understand the benefits of this change. Demonstrating to your teammates and
stakeholders that you understand the tool and have evaluated its competency will help
build trust, especially if this new tool is replacing an existing tool. Taking the time to
introduce the new tool to your team members will also demonstrate that you have the
best interest of the team in mind—not just the success of the project. 
 Here are some important considerations and keys to successfully introducing new tools:

 Discuss the tool early and often, if possible. The team should not feel blindsided by a new
change. Make sure they know the change is coming as early as possible. This will help
them prepare for an introduction or migration to the new tool.
 Ask for feedback from key stakeholders. You could get great feedback on features that
you may have overlooked without asking for their expertise. You can solicit this feedback
by requesting their input about functionality or have them list features in order of priority.
The key is to create an opportunity for stakeholders to provide their feedback and allow
you to incorporate their feedback into next steps.
 Involve the key stakeholders in demonstrations as you get closer to making the final decision
on the project tracking tool. You will be able to leverage key stakeholders' acceptance by
letting them test the product or sign up for a trial run. It is also important to make sure
that the tool is actually going to meet the mark and provide a meaningful change for the
project. You may want to pull in key users from your team to test and familiarize
themselves with the tool prior to rolling it out. This will allow the team to get on board with
your plans or discuss their concerns beforehand. This will also highlight in-house experts
for future training, assistance, and implementation.
 Ensure the tool is fully functional before the team is introduced to it. Whenever possible,
hold off from introducing the tool if it still has any issues. Make sure the tool is accessible
for all users. Keep in mind, your team members may resist a tool that doesn’t live up to
how it is supposed to function. This will impact implementation and acceptance fairly
significantly, so put your best tool forward!
 Set up training for the tool as needed before you ask the team to actually use it. Everyone
has different levels of comfort with different tools. It is your job as the project manager to
ensure that each team members’ needs are addressed. Setting up training also helps
create positive first impressions, which will lead to higher productivity and quicker, more
successful implementation and acceptance.
Remember, some pushback is normal, but successful project managers should take the
steps to prepare and mitigate any friction for their team when possible. 

Pro tip: If time allows, plan for a period of transition if you are replacing an existing tool. It
is common to allow both tools to operate during this period. You will need to “sunset,” or
retire, the existing tool eventually, but allowing for a period of transition between using
the old tool and the new tool can help stakeholders and team members feel more at ease
and give them time to gain familiarity with the new tool. Be prepared for productivity to be
impacted as the team transitions from one tool to another.

Demonstrating your knowledge of

project management tools
During an interview for a project manager position, the interviewer may ask
you to discuss the project management tools you are familiar with or have
used in the past. There are many types of project management tools that you
will come across during your career. These tools will continue to grow and
change as technology improves. Being able to talk about these tools, and how
you use them, will be crucial to landing the role.

In addition to the interviewer asking general questions about tools, they may
ask more specific questions, like “How do you know if a project is off track?”
It’s important to tie this answer back to the types of scheduling tools you have
learned about in this course. If you haven’t had experience working with
certain scheduling tools, like Smartsheet or digital spreadsheets—try to
leverage real-life experience. 

For example, have you ever planned for a move? If so, you can discuss how
you planned your timeline and scheduled vendors so that you could meet your
move date. Did you use a spreadsheet to keep track of your budget,
schedule, and belongings? This experience demonstrates you understand
how to use tools. It also demonstrates that you know the importance of
creating, monitoring, and managing the project schedule to deliver results at
project completion. 

Another related question the interviewer may ask could be, “How do you
execute tasks within your timeline?” This is a great opportunity to demonstrate
your ability to be productive by sharing your experience with tools, such as
digital documents or spreadsheets. These tools help you create project
artifacts, track tasks, and store project details in one place! You can also use
them as a collaboration tool because they are easily shareable with
teammates and stakeholders and allow for real-time updates. 
 Finally, there are special project management tools, also called work
management tools, that put all the benefits discussed above into one place.
Project management tools such as Asana, Monday.com, Basecamp, and
Trello are among some of the top ranked tools for managing projects.  These
tools help you plan, track, and complete work across many project phases.
They often have visually appealing layouts and automated features that save
time and create efficiency in a project manager’s day-to-day tasks.  Explaining
your knowledge of these tools—and how they benefit the project manager,
team, and company—in an interview is a great way to demonstrate that you
are qualified for the role.

Pro tip: Learn more by trying free tutorials or trial versions of popular project
management tools. By navigating project management software, you will be
able to explain the uses and functionality of these types of tools firsthand.
Here are some examples to get started:

 Asana and Asana Guide

 Basecamp
 Trello
 Jira
 ClickUp
 Monday.com
 Microsoft Project or Project Libre (open source)
 Smartsheet (Demo)

Build a project management tool

tracker
As you progress through this course, you will learn about different types of
tools used by project managers and the organizations that hire them. Tools
can include software applications like Adobe, Google, and Microsoft and
specific work management tools like Jira and Asana. They can also include
methodologies, techniques, formulas and concepts, and technologies related
to project management. 

This reading provides step-by-step instructions for creating a tracker for all of
these types of tools. You can use your tracker to list the different tools you
learn about, their descriptions and links, their features and benefits, and your
level of experience with each. This way, you can easily identify the tools
required for different roles and can determine where you might want to focus
your professional development efforts.

Developing your tool tracker spreadsheet

Follow these steps to begin creating your project management tool tracker:

Step 1: Create a new spreadsheet

Start by opening a new spreadsheet using your preferred method. If you have
a Google account, click the link to open a Project Management Tool Tracker
Template.
 Some of the information has already been filled in for you as an example. Feel
free to modify your Tracker in the way that works best for you.

Step 2: Add column headers

Consider the different types of information you’d like to track about each tool,
and add these as column headers in your tracker. (The header is the top cell or
cells in a column in the spreadsheet.)

Here are some example column headers:

 Tool Name
 Description/Benefits
 Link to product website
 Link to course content in Coursera
 Cost to use
 Requirements (training/equipment)
 Your current experience with the tool 
 Notes
Step 3: Add tools and relevant information

Review some of the course videos, readings, and activities so far that discuss
project management tools. Select three or four tools and add the names to the
tracker. Add any information you have about each tool to the different
columns. To help you get started, the template has several tools listed that
have already been mentioned in this course. Feel free to edit the list to include
the tools that are most relevant to your progress.

You might not be able to fill in all the columns with information just from this
course, so do your own research if necessary.

For example, we discuss the work management tool Asana in the video
Common project management tools, but we only cover some of the features
and benefits. You can look up the Asana website online and add more
information about what features are offered, along with pricing and system
requirements.

Step 4: Format your sheet

After you’ve added a few tools and some initial information, format your sheet
by bolding column headers and adding drop-down lists, conditional formatting,
or web links. Try out other formatting options like bolding, highlighting, or
colors to make important text stand out. Google Sheets training and help
contains articles with step-by-step directions for how to use all of these
features and more.
Step 5: Continue adding tools
Continue to add more tools and information that’s relevant to your career
goals. Search job listings and add tools, software, or specific knowledge
needed for jobs you’re interested in. 
Key takeaway

If you’ve followed the steps laid out in this reading, you'll be able to develop a
tracker that is useful to you as you continue on your project manager journey.
Knowing what tools are available, what their benefits are, which ones are
used for certain types of projects, and which ones you're skilled at will build
your confidence. You'll be able to demonstrate to employers that you have an
understanding of the industry, even if you're applying for your first project
management role.