I started using Basecamp to manage projects in like 2005.
It was just me.
I didn’t have anyone working for me. It was my organization and task list. Things to get done soon and ideas for later.
Since then I’ve gotten super comfortable with how project management software fits in our work flow.
Are you new to project management and want an example of how someone else does it?
If you’ve never done project management, it’s best to keep it simple. To start, all you need to do is ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s the project, and what’s the end goal for this project?
- Who are the people that I need to get this project done?
- What are the different steps that need to be done to complete the project?
All project management software revolves around these three questions. The rest are just details.
Most project management software will ask you for the project name and details. That’s what the first question is going to answer.
The next step in creating a project usually involves adding the right people for the project. That’s why you need to answer question #2.
Question # 3 is where you start thinking about the tasks. I don’t usually put in the tasks right away. Sometimes I brainstorm with my team first on what these tasks should be. Once we know what they are, they often automatically assign these tasks to themselves.
Sometimes, I know exactly what I want them to do. So I just create the task, assign it to the right person (or persons), then talk about the details in the comments thread.
That’s all you need to get started. You can start adding details as you get used to it, like deadlines, files, milestones, etc.
This is how we implement with Basecamp:
https://youtu.be/co6y4GF0SlY
John