How to manage your resources the right way

13 June 2019 -

Clarizen’s David Goulden explains that, through best practice people management and strong workflows, managers can make the most of their resources

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Any good manager knows that the way you manage resources is a crucial factor in meeting team objectives – whether ongoing targets or project-specific goals.

Resources can be physical assets, such as budget, equipment, technology or available space. They also include elements that are more difficult to define or quantify, such as skills or time needed, which relate to people management. To ensure your team is performing to its highest potential, it is vital to follow resource management best practice.

Below are five best practice tips for managing the people resources in projects:

1. Establish a workflow and invest in the tools to manage it

A workflow is a system or template for approaching work that allows a manager to structure processes. It divides projects and ongoing tasks into a linear arrangement where, once one part is completed, it is signed off and the team moves to the next stage. Work management software can be essential to establishing a successful workflow – tracking progress, creating structure, enabling visibility, automating processes and ensuring accurate reporting.

2. Understand the resources at your disposal and prioritise

Analysing resources requires more than quantifying budget and staff numbers. You need to use your experience to gauge just how each team member will perform. Assessing time needed for tasks is critical here. It is essential for determining the pace of workflow, as well as how and what to prioritise. Determining the best use of people resources, and the right order to use them in, can be the difference between success and failure in meeting objectives.

3. Be precise in your planning and share your expectations

The more detailed your assignments, schedules and time records are, the more accurate your view of the how work is progressing. It is also important that your team understands what is expected of them, especially if they are working on a cross-departmental initiative. Project priorities must be managed along with day-to-day responsibilities.

4. Create visibility with your team

If you don’t know how or where your team are spending their time, you can’t identify potential problems, such as workloads that are too heavy or light. You need to enable the team to see the status of the projects they have responsibilities for. Having a real-time workflow management platform can be critical here.

5. Steer clear of communication overload

Emails, getting distracted by social media or even internal communication tools are some of the biggest causes of timewasting at work. When looking at your team’s time efficiency, consider a project management software solution that handles all project updates and notifications, including related emails. This ensures work-based communication is in context with tasks, deadlines and objectives.

For a clearer view on where your resources are being used and the results they are achieving, try Clarizen’s super-fast, cloud-based work management software.