How much, how many, how often, and how?

I have minimal real-world experience with project management. I’ve done event planning for two small weddings, Girl Scout events, and workshops for my current role, and I took some self-guided courses in Six Sigma about 10 years ago. Other than that, the course that I’m currently in is the only exposure I’ve had.

As you can guess, I’m a bit overwhelmed! What seemed in the past to be merely a list of tasks that had to be managed, and a small group of friends and family or one or two co-workers helping, has now become something with work assignments, budgets, and schedules that are more complex than I have yet encountered.

(Yes, even the weddings were simpler – I made my own flowers, arranged my own venue, planned the catering myself, and took care of the dress and other “accoutrements” on my own. I’m sure there are things to be said about such hyper-independence, but I’m also sure we can save them for a different blog!)

I took my lack of knowledge to Gemini. This large language model is part of the Google suite of products. I asked this AI for some resources that were free (or had a free trial) and relatively beginner-friendly. I then explored the following results:

• ClickUp (https://clickup.com/)

  • Pros include:

    • It’s free, with a variety of features at the no-cost level.

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    • It can integrate with Google apps (such as Drive, Calendar, etc.).

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    • There are interfaces for popular collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365 apps, Slack and Zoom, Jira, and several Git options for those who use them.

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    • I appreciate the planner versus the timesheet functions. They seem to be attacking the timing problem from different angles, and I hope to explore them more.

  • Cons include:

    • It was challenging to find the tutorials. While I’m thinking an experienced project manager would be used to the format, spaces, etc., as a beginner, I’m looking for a BIG button that says “Start Here”.

    • There is a lot of push to integrate AI. I know that is ironic, considering how I landed on this site. The use of AI is indeed controversial, and I am very discriminating with its use.

I would use ClickUp to get a handle on a large project, or one with many contributors. I will try to see how easily I can learn the platform over the coming weeks, as it will be helpful in scheduling, organizing, and communicating with other stakeholders and project staff.

• BaseCamp (https://3.basecamp.com/6046494/)

  • Pros include:

    • BaseCamp has a mobile app. I work remotely and take my work on the road as much as possible. Having the platform in the palm of my hand could be very convenient.

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    • There is a free version.

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    • Locating the tutorial is very easy! I have the “Start Here” button I generally look for with new software.

  • Cons include:

    • Lack of scheduling features. There is no Gantt charting, and the schedule is just a calendar. 

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    • The free version only allows one project. If project management is something I’ll want to keep referring back to, this would not be the platform for me.

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    • No internal budgeting capability. Using Excel or Google Sheets is the only way to manage finances.

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    • No integration with external apps in the free version.

I would use BaseCamp if my life with project management was going to be very short-lived. If I were only working with others who used the platform for my very first simple project, it would have its benefits. Anything beyond that, however, would be complicated with the free version.

I also found a very in-depth article geared primarily toward scheduling software and platforms, focusing on project management. This article also touches on other areas of the process and is well-written and easy to follow. I’ll be sure to check out some more of Alex Brown’s work and more papers and articles published by the Project Management Institute.  You can find that article, and links to others, here: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/difficult-work-assignments-task-managing-7690.

As the 4^th Earl of Chesterfield said in the mid-to-late 1700s, “Whatever is doing at all is worth doing well.” Project management may not be my primary focus, but project management software and web-based platforms can help me do any job to the best of my ability.

Reference

Brown, A. S. (2003). Modeling tough scheduling problems with project management software. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2003—North America, Baltimore, MD. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.