When developing a product, the development team requires the correct set of tools to ensure significant productivity. These tools help them work better and properly complete their tasks. Tools, like teams, cannot function in silos. That is where integrations come in.

Integrations like GitHub and Jira with requirements management connect a requirements management tool with other systems involved in the project’s success. Integrating systems like issue trackers, test management tools, collaboration platforms, and other project management tools with a requirements management tool allows for the seamless transfer of information between them.

What is GitHub and why do you integrate it with Requirements Management Software?

GitHub is used for version control and collaboration on software development projects. It provides a platform for developers to host and share their code, track changes made to it, and collaborate with other developers on the same project.

Requirements Management Software, on the other hand, is a tool used to manage and track the requirements of a software project. It helps ensure that the requirements are clear, complete, and testable, and that they are met by the development team.

Integrating GitHub with requirements management software can provide several benefits to a software development team. Here are some reasons why it is important to integrate the two:

1. Traceability: By linking requirements to code changes made in GitHub, developers can easily track the progress of requirements and ensure that each requirement is met. This traceability helps ensure that the final product meets the needs of the stakeholders.
2. Collaboration: GitHub is a great platform for collaboration on code changes and integrating it with Requirements Management Software can help team members collaborate on requirements as well. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page about what needs to be done and can work together to achieve it.
3. Quality: By ensuring that each requirement is clear, complete, and testable, Requirements Management Software can help improve the quality of the software. By integrating it with GitHub, developers can write tests that ensure that the code changes meet the requirements, further improving the quality of the software.
4. Efficiency: Integrating GitHub with Requirements Management Software can help streamline the development process by reducing the need for manual updates to requirements and code changes. Developers can use the tools they are already familiar with and see everything they need to know about a requirement and its corresponding code changes in one place.

With Xebrio + GitHub, you can:

1. Link GitHub pull requests and commits to Xebrio tasks and bugs, merge pull requests and review changes in pull requests there and then in the context of a task or bug.
2. Centralize and visualize all your software development data in one place.
3. Get to know the code changes while implementing a task or fixing a bug within Xebrio.
4. Link all your GitHub repositories in Xebrio Project.
5. Collaborate with your development team to complete your projects on time.

Here are the detailed steps to integrate GitHub with Xebrio 

1. Create a new project if you have just started to work in Xebrio. If you already are working on a project, open the project.
   
2. Once you create/ open a project, go to the info tab. In the drop down, you will see the ‘External Apps’ section. Click on ‘External Apps’.
   
3. Once you go to ‘External Apps’, click on Link. After you click on Link, you will get a dropdown menu.
4. Select GitHub Repositories. Click on Authorize (admin name), select the repositories to be linked, and link it to your project.

Conclusion

Integrations in requirements management are crucial to ensure project success. Xebrio offers powerful integrations with GitHub that centralize and visualize all your software development data, link GitHub pull requests and commits to Xebrio tasks and bugs and bring Jira issues into Xebrio projects. With Xebrio’s integrations, you can collaborate with your development team to complete projects on time and boost productivity.

The post Integrations 101: How To Integrate GitHub With Xebrio first appeared on Xebrio.

Anxiety can severely impact someone’s professional life to a point where they find it challenging to navigate simple tasks. Employers need to take cognizance of mental health issues and implement measures to make their organization a safe space for their employees.

You may or may not have worked with someone who suffers from anxiety. Knowing how to foster a collaborative and trustworthy environment that supports your colleagues is always better.

Causes of Anxiety in the Workplace

Anxiety is more than simply worrying about a task or a deadline. It is a feeling of unease and restlessness accompanied by fear. Climbing the career ladder, a high-pressure job, performance, a demanding boss, unfriendly culture, and more contributes to workplace anxiety.

Anxiety makes it difficult for people in the workplace to function efficiently. They cannot perform simple tasks and have a hard time completing their work. Employees should disclose their mental health condition to end mental health stigma, provided they are given a safe space to do so.

So, what are the causes of anxiety that can affect employees in the workplace?

1. Workplace conflicts

In a team, there are bound to be different members with different attitudes and approaches to work. It’s smooth sailing if they can respect each other’s opinions and disagree on different matters.

A team that is unable to communicate their differences healthily leads to conflicts. In addition, jealousy and a poor attitude towards a peer’s success lead to interpersonal conflicts. Individuals with anxiety will have difficulty navigating through these conflicts and be unable to express themselves. They will find it difficult to work in an unhealthy work environment. The manager will have to step in and manage conflicts and keep the environment healthy for everyone on the team.

2. Unrealistic deadlines

Suppose an employee feels the deadlines set for them are not realistic, or their work performance expectations are not realistic. In that case, they may get anxious and not perform their best at work. The team leader’s job here is to ensure his team is challenged enough while setting them up for success.

3. Long work hours

Everyone at their workplace is expected to wait an extra hour to complete their work every once in a while. It is troubling if an organization develops a culture of expecting its employees to work overtime. It isn’t sustainable in the long run, especially for those dealing with anxiety. Everyone has to put in more effort than they need to, making their schedules go haywire.

4. Leading a team

Being a leader in a position of responsibility. Managers have to delegate work, mentor juniors, hire or fire people, manage conflicts within the team, and more. They are the points of contact between the upper-level management and their team, often stuck between the two. Managers are responsible for their team’s successes and failures.

The pressures of these responsibilities take a toll, causing stress and anxiety.

5. Lack of clarity on given tasks

Every job role comes with its set of roles and responsibilities. Bosses with unrealistic expectations believe their employees will take up more work responsibilities than their job descriptions. Employees who take up additional work are given more preference for an upcoming promotion than those who don’t.

In start-ups and small organizations, lines between different roles blur out. In a bootstrapped start-up, one person has to fulfill multiple responsibilities, which results in an unending cycle of overwork and long working hours, thus causing anxiety disorders.

6. Low salary, no benefits, no appreciation

Employees can work better and stay motivated only if they are appreciated for the efforts they put into the work. This, coupled with well-deserved pay and benefits, is something every employee deserves. When employers take their employees for granted and overburden them with work without genuine appreciation, it can lead to stress and anxiety about their job performance.

Effects of anxiety in the workplace

Having any type of anxiety disorder can disrupt someone’s work life. It can impact their chances of being promoted at work, or finding new work can become difficult; employers may refrain from giving them better job assignments, fearing how they would perform. All of this increases work pressure and triggers workplace anxiety.

Here are some other effects of anxiety at the workplace:

– Reduced job performance and quality of work

– Low to no job satisfaction

– Feeling isolated

– Strain on workplace relationships

– Lack of motivation

– Inability to manage time and plan work activities

– Decline in health

– Emotional outbursts

– Career stagnation

Employers, team leaders, and peers must be empathetic towards employees who are suffering from anxiety disorders. With the organization’s help, they must have a safe and supporting environment to perform their best.

What you can do to help your colleagues with anxiety

1. Research and educate yourself

If your colleague suffers from an anxiety disorder, try to learn more about their condition. Take some time out of your schedule and research anxiety disorders. Understand their symptoms and their triggers. Try to spot whether there is any situation at work that makes them feel uncomfortable. Observing your team and how they react to certain situations will help you gauge their strengths and limitations.

2. Don’t judge or minimize your coworker’s experience

Anxiety is a severe disorder. It is just as serious as any physical injury or physical disorder like heart disease. If your coworker takes you in confidence and tells you they have an anxiety disorder, don’t judge them for it. Refrain from making any offhanded comments that would deteriorate the situation. Instead, help them get through their anxiety attack and alleviate their fears.

The National Institute for Mental Health stated, “an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year“.

3. Be aware

Spend enough time with your coworkers to understand what their triggers are. Is it unrealistic deadlines? Is it working overtime? Is it the problematic manager? Are they not appreciated enough for all the efforts they put in? When you know their triggers, you can step in before their anxiety sets in.

Break down their tasks and help them identify the steps they need to take to achieve those tasks. Integrate OKRs to improve their productivity and tackle their work one by one. This may help them tackle their work easily.

4. Be patient and compassionate when your coworker is amidst an anxiety attack.

When your coworker is suffering from an anxiety attack, be empathetic. Don’t undermine their feelings here. Allow them the space to recuperate from the anxiety. Don’t force them to work immediately, as panic attacks can take a physical toll on them.

Adjust your work environment to incorporate their emotions. Provide them with a small room to stay in to get through their panic attack. Stay with them and offer them whatever help they require.

5. Offer to help with work-related stressors.

Work can be the biggest stressor and a trigger. If the overburden of work affects them, delegate their added responsibilities to other team members. Hand them tasks one by one rather than dumping all of them together.

Going through the pile of tasks can overwhelm them and, in turn, trigger their panic attack. Use task management software to divide tasks with realistic deadlines so they can plan their work better.

6. Offer encouragement

Encourage the coworkers who suffer from anxiety. Push their limits to an extent you know they can handle the work. Champion their milestones and achievements so they feel they can take on more work than before without triggering themselves.

How to implement an empathetic attitude on an organizational level

There needs to be a shift in the attitude towards mental health on an organizational level. Introduce and implement policies that help improve the overall mental health of the employees. Every leader should be proficient enough to understand their employees. Interact and communicate with them to reinforce a positive environment and its importance to the team’s overall success.

Transparency and openness among the team are essential so they can share what has been bothering them, and they won’t be scared to come to you for a solution.

Listen to the employees when they try to communicate with the leaders. Take a more grounded approach when you want to change things in the organization. Understand how everyone operates before swooping in and trying to change the structures.

Managing anxiety on a personal level

It is different from managing a team member with an anxiety issue; it’s a different ball game when you have to manage your own anxiety.

Layoffs within your team may leave you more work than anticipated and can increase your anxiety. It doesn’t mean that it should hamper your well-being and productivity.

Identify your stressors and consciously work on them on a physical and mental level. Meditate or incorporate regular stress management activities in your day-to-day life.

Confide in one of your trusted coworkers about the issues you’re facing at work. They may be able to relate to what you’re going through or help you navigate through the day.

You can include other self-care practices like indulging in a hobby, exercising, or taking a much-deserved vacation.

Final thoughts

Meeting quarterly goals, deadlines, and career goals, every employee has to deal with anxiety at some point. Those who suffer from it regularly only thrive in an open environment with non-judgmental coworkers and a thriving support system. As a team leader, you must set the tone for your team and create an open and honest communication channel with a growth and success trajectory.

The post It’s Time to Talk about Workplace Anxiety first appeared on Xebrio.

Moreover, you can map your requirements to every test case without errors and confusion. If you are in an industry or vertical that is heavily reliant on compliance, this document is a boon for you. Let’s understand what is Requirements Traceability Matrix in greater detail.

What is a Traceability Matrix (TM)?

A Traceability Matrix refers to a worksheet that co-relates two-baseline documents. These documents mandate a many-to-many relationship with the end-goal of understanding the completeness of the relationship. If you want to keep tabs on your requirements list and want to ensure that the project requirements are fulfilled on time, a Traceability Matrix can be a powerful tool.

So, What is Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)? 

A Requirements Traceability Matrix–or RTM as it is commonly known– is a document that:

• Outlines different types of requirements based on the desired outcome, such as business requirements, user requirements, UI requirements, functional and non-functional requirements, technical requirements, and more
• Showcases the key relationship between artifacts (think: source code, tests, issues, etc.) and requirements
• Maps, tracks, and verifies whether all your requirements are connected to the relevant test scenarios and cases or not
• Checks the status (pass or fail) as well as the progress of the current project requirements
• Is used to prove whether the requirements have been accounted for in the testing phase or not
• Captures important details such as tests, requirements, test results, and issues
• Helps assess the impact of changing project requirements on workflows, test cases, software code, training materials, and so on
• Helps adhere to quality standards, stay competitive, and create safe products

Some of the key parameters that you must include within a Requirements Traceability Matrix include the following:

• Requirement ID
• Requirement type and a short description
• Test cases with the current status

The takeaway:A Requirements Traceability Matrix is a single document that is produced at the end of the software development cycle. Think of this document as an indicator to validate whether the requirements have been checked via test cases. In the end, no functionality or requirement proposed by the client should go unchecked during the software testing phase.

How to Create a Traceability Matrix?

The conventional method of creating a Requirements Traceability Matrix is with spreadsheets. You can also look at useful online video tutorials or take the help of readymade templates to do the same. Alternatively, you can use other specialized tools and software to make the process quicker.

No matter which tool you go for, you need to follow these steps to create a useful RTM:

Step 1: Start by defining your RTM goals and make sure to give comprehensive reasoning behind each RTM showcased.

Step 2: Collate the necessary requirement documentation (think: technical requirement document, functional requirement document, business requirement document, etc.).

Step 3: To make things easier, you can create a spreadsheet. Here, you can create relevant columns such as business requirements, test cases, bugs, results, etc. You should also record the requirement ID number for every requirement from your BRD.

Step 4: The next step is to record all corresponding functional requirements with your business requirement.

Step 5: Then, you should focus on connecting the test case IDs to the corresponding functional requirements.

Step 6: The final step entails updating your traceability matrix if (and when) a change occurs.

Pro tip: Invest in foolproof traceability software like Xebrio to seamlessly establish the right relationship between your requirements and artifacts. The whole process of documenting the requirements becomes simple, and you can easily build test cases from requirements, create test runs from test cases, and resolve issues from test runs. We have mentioned the steps to create the entire traceability matrix using Xebrio in the following sections.

1. Forward Traceability:

This matrix helps:

• Understand whether the project is progressing in the right direction or not
• Ensure that each requirement is applied to the product and is tested thoroughly
• Map requirements to test cases effectively

2. Backward/Reverse Traceability:

This matrix is useful for:

• Ensuring whether the current product is heading in the right direction
• Tracing forward (for instance, from requirement to source code to test cases) as well as tracing backward (for example, from requirement to business goals)
• Verifying the scope of the project to ensure no additions are being made ad-hoc
• Mapping test cases to requirements

3. Bi-Directional Traceability (Forward and Backward):

This traceability matrix helps:

• Ensure all requirements are covered by test cases
• Analyze the impact of a change in requirements due to a ‘defect’ in a work product (and vice versa)

Real-World Applications of Different Types of Requirements Traceability Matrix

1. Test Matrix

Useful for:

• Software testing
• Helps prove that tests have been conducted
• Documents test cases, test results, and test runs
• Makes use of requirements and issues within the matrix

2. Compliance Matrix

Useful for:

• Industries that deal with complicated compliance regulations
• Helps demonstrate compliance to auditors and takes the pressure off of audits
• Allows you to easily understand what you need to develop (as well as test)
• Enables you to document updates such as issue resolution, for instance, and document requirements changes in real-time
• Ensure that you keep track of your tests and test results with respect to the outlined requirements

3. Risk Matrix

Useful for:

• Managing risks and engaging in risk analysis
• Helps assess (whether you should eliminate, mitigate, or accept the risk)
• Helps manage risks before it becomes a big issue
• Demonstrates the severity of risks with a risk score and showcases the probability of the risk?

Top-5 Benefits of Requirements Traceability Matrix

Benefit #1: Helps users meet their business goals

How it can benefit users:

• Helps users to follow the life of a requirement
• Ensures that the requirements are able to fulfil their original business goals
• For instance, it can help users to understand if they were able to meet the required compliance requirements or not

Benefit #2: Allows users to drive the right kind of tests

How it can benefit users:

• Helps the quality assurance (QA) team to analyze what needs to be tested
• Improves test coverage by allowing users to map test cases to each requirement
• Helps demonstrate how the user’s requirements have been properly executed and prove compliance quicker
• Enables users to pass audits without chaos or fear

Benefit #3: Enables users to make informed decisions, particularly relating to requirements change

How it can benefit users:

• Helps users to drive informed decision-making throughout product development by allowing them to get visibility across development
• Helps analyze how a product design will be impacted by requirements as well as how a changing requirement affects product development

Benefit #4: Allows users to manage projects more easily and engage in effective versioning

How it can benefit users:

• Demonstrates the requirements coverage in the number of test cases
• Helps users to understand how their project is faring, manage the scope of the requirement, link requirements to tests, and gauge how realistically their team is able to meet the requirements
• Helps accelerate release cycles
• Helps understand the shift in requirements changes and how it impacts the overall project

Benefit #5: Empowers users to demonstrate key parameters and provide accurate documentation

How it can benefit users:

• Showcases important elements such as design status and execution status for a specific test case, wireframes, user stories, etc.
• Talks about whether a User Acceptance test should be done by the user
• Offers light on the current defects and helps users to prioritize them to prevent the backlog
• Showcases missing requirements and highlights document inconsistencies

How to create a Requirements Traceability Matrix with Xebrio

Xebrio’s traceability matrix eliminates the messiness of spreadsheets. To create the traceability matrix, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: To create a requirements traceability matrix using Xebrio, the first and most crucial step is to create a business requirements document early in the project lifecycle. Xebrio makes requirements traceability easy by allowing you to create a new requirement, add stakeholders, and finalize requirements.

Step 2: Collate the requirement documentation (think: technical requirement document, functional requirement document, business requirement document, etc.).

Step 3: Once you add your requirements, go to the test coverage tab, add the test cases, and finalize them. After you have added the test cases:

• • 1. Go to the test suite tab, create a new test suite, and add the finalized test cases.
  • 2. Create a new build.
  • 3. Add the test suites, and link the corresponding requirement to the build. Once everything is linked, you can release the build for testing.

Step 4: If any test cases fail or you raise bugs against those test cases, they will be visible in the linked requirements through the version traceability tab.

By establishing version traceability in Xebrio, you can increase transparency across your project, ultimately leading to project success.

Final Thoughts

A Requirements Traceability Matrix helps confirm 100% test coverage. This is why this powerful document must be made with mindfulness, attention to detail, and care. It enables you to spot missing requirements or document inconsistencies.

Moreover, you can also get insights into the current defects and the implementation status with a singular focus on organizational goals. If you want to empower your QA team with fewer revisits and less rework of test cases, create a robust Requirements Traceability Matrix document.

The post Requirements Traceability Matrix: A Handy Guide first appeared on Xebrio.

1. The Digital Project Manager

Hosted by Galen Low, each 1-hour episode of The Digital Project Manager covers an important topic when it comes to project management. For example, you’ll see that recent episodes have covered remote project management, how to manage expectations, and how to make the best sprint retrospectives.

Each episode brings on an expert, such as subject matter experts and real-life project managers, to help cover the topic at hand. It brings up all the subjects that matter most to project managers right now, and you’ll see that there’s lots of applicable advice that you can bring to your own work.

2. Project Management Happy Hour

If you like a podcast that’s more relaxed in tone, then you’ll want to check Project Management Happy Hour out. Hosted by Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson, in every episode they aim to bring you the best tips for effective project management. That includes practical advice and examples from actual project managers, so you can see how you can apply that advice in your own work.

They also bring on guests to talk about important topics, such as what they wished they’d known when they started project management, as well as how to break into the field of project management.

Many like this podcast as they feel it doesn’t get as bogged down in technicalities as others do. Because it’s such an easy listen, it’ll be much more effective at teaching you new techniques and ideas.

3. Manage This

At 30 minutes each, these podcast episodes are a bit shorter and easier to get into, making the show very popular with busy project managers. With nearly 150 episodes under their belt though, there’s lots to check out at Manage This.

“No matter what field you’re in, there’s going to be useful and actionable advice for you here” says Darren Jeavons, a PM writer at Essay Help and UK Top Writers. “That makes the show something all project managers should be listening to.”

There are episodes on how to get started in project management, successful stakeholder engagement, the PMP exam, and much more. The show also features interviews with expert guests, so you can learn more from their experience too.

4. PM Point Of View

If you want a podcast that brings advice from the experts, you can’t do better than PM Point of View. Hosted by Kendall Lott, the show is made by the Project Management Institute, Washington DC (PMIWDC). As such, you’ll get some of the most up to date and useful information possible. Lott himself is highly experienced, having worked in project management for a large range of different companies and clients.

Their most popular episodes have covered things like cybersecurity in project management, influencers in the project management sphere, and what happens when a project fails. With so many interesting episodes to listen to already, you’ll learn a lot from this show.

5. PMO Strategies

If you’re a project manager at the project management office (PMO) level, then you’ll want to make sure that you check PMO Strategies out. Hosted by Laura Barnard, the show focuses more on the impact and outcomes of good project management. That means they take a different angle than others, that typically look at processes and the tools you need.

Working with guests on the show, they share the insights they have in project management, and learn more about how you can get the best outcome every time. Some of the best episodes here cover things like measuring outcomes, performance, and how to adapt to thrive in your field.

6. The Everyday PM

The Everyday PM is one of the newer podcasts on this list, and it already has a lot to teach you about the work of project management. Host Ann Campea has a focus on the day to day work of a project manager, rather than the overall view that a lot of other podcasts take. “Their approach means you’ll learn a lot about the skills needed to be a good project manager, as well as any of the tactics they use in their role” says Jeanette Pierson, a tech journalist from Research Paper Writing Service and Assignment Help.

When you check this podcast out, look for the episodes on how to assemble a team like the Marvel’s Avengers, how to to present well, and understanding the new normal of leadership. These will all help you learn more about being the best project manager possible.

7. People And Projects

While you can focus on the skills and technicalities of project management all day long, you’re also going to need excellent soft skills in order to get the most out of what you do. As such, you’ll want to check out People and Projects podcast. It has a real focus on the people you’re managing, and how you can get the most out of them.

As such, you’ll see episodes that look at how you can communicate with your team, how to keep them motivated, and how to improve productivity. These skills are just as important, so you want to make sure that you’re not neglecting them.

There’s over 350 episodes here so there’s a huge backlog that you can check out. If you want to get started, try listening to their episodes on leadership and self deception, how to be a better writer, and helping your team survive the messy middle of projects.

8. The Biker PM

If you’re working in project management in a small business, then The Biker PM is the podcast that you want to check out. Host Anthoney Pavelich talks to experts every episodes, including entrepreneurs who have started up their own businesses. In these episodes, he asks them about the challenges they faced when they first got into their businesses, and how they overcame them.

For those who are just starting out, this podcast is a must listen. You’ll be able to learn from a lot of the mistakes that others have made, and see how you can avoid them in your own work. If you want to learn more before you embark on your project management career, check this show out.

9. Projectified

If you’re someone looking for a more snappy podcast, that gets to the point quickly and gives you valuable advice, then you’ll want to check Projectified out. Each episode is just 20 minutes long, which is perfect for listening on your commute or on breaks.

This show was created by the Project Management Institute too, and it’s designed for anyone in the project management space. That includes senior managers as well as new ones, those in start ups and Fortune 500 companies and everywhere in between.

As the podcast is created by the Project Management Institute, you know that you’re going to get high quality and accurate information from the show. That way, you can use any advice you get here with confidence.

10. Project Management Paradise

Want to hear project management advice from someone who’s been there, done that? If so, then you’ll want to listen to Project Management Paradise. Hosted by Aaron Murphy, an experienced project manager, he aims to bring you advice that’s practical and useful in your day-to-day work.

You’ll also find plenty of interviews with other experts in the field, from a whole range of different industries. As such, there’s lots of info here and ideas that you can get from some of the top people around. You can get tips on how to shift organizational behavior, working within your company culture, and change management among many other topics.

11. 5 Minutes Project Management Podcast

The 5 Minutes Project Management Podcast, as you may have guessed, is only 5 minutes long per episode. Because of this, it’s one that you can easily squeeze into your day no matter how busy you are. Even though the episodes are so short, you’re going to get so much out of each and every one.

There’s lots of episodes in the backlog too, with 500 episodes covering a whole range of topics. With so much here, you’ll find tips on crisis management, managing staff, improving your own skills, and much more. Even better, the episodes count towards Professional Development Units (PDUs) if you’re studying towards a CAPM or PMP certification.

As you’ve seen, there’s a wide array of project management podcasts out there right now. With so many available, there’s going to be something here that covers your needs. Whether you’re just starting out, need to learn new skills, or want to learn more about people management, there’s a podcast in here for you. Start listening now and see what they have to offer.

About the Author

Jenny Han is a writer for Do My Homework and PhD Writers. She covers project management across all industries and stages of your career. She’s also a blogger for Write My Essay.

The post XI Project Management Podcasts That You Should Check Out first appeared on Xebrio.

What is a project management communication plan?

A project communication plan is a strategic plan of operations. This shows how crucial information is going to be communicated to all interested parties in your project. It sets out exactly who will hear which information when, how frequently, and by what means. “If you’re a project manager,” says Wendy James, a business blogger at Write my X and 1 Day 2 write, “you have probably worked out all the finer details of the project itself. However, have you considered at which exact points of your process you’re going to update your client, your team members, or your senior leadership?

The importance of a project management communication plan

A project may not make the distance if the communication surrounding it is poor. It could well be the most ambitious, well-thought-out project in the world. If it is not communicated effectively though, to the right people, financial loss to the company may be the result.
A project management communication plan is invaluable because it:

• Allows for written documentation and a recording of the project all stakeholders can refer to
• Gives a clear roadmap of when stakeholders can expect updates
• Allows for visibility and transparency at all stages of the project
• Gives opportunity for feedback from all interested parties, to avoid wasted endeavours or missteps
• Streamlines meetings or dispenses with them altogether.
• Increases the chance of a projected being completed to schedule, and with success

How to create a project management communication plan?

The following are all important points to include in your project communication plan:

• The objective of your communication plan
• The roles of each of your stakeholders in the project
• The kind of information you will need to share
• Which methods of communication you are going to employ
• How often you plan for each shareholder to receive information

The most important steps to take in its creation are:

1. Choose your desired format

Your platform for communicating information will be very important, so choose it wisely. It should allow for the easy collection of feedback from all interested parties, easy storage, and the ability to be shared. Traditionally, a project manager might make use of a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. Now, you might prefer the more visual benefit of a timeline or a flowchart. These can clearly showcase your information and updates, and lay out at which punctuation points they will be delivered to your stakeholders.

2. Identify your goal in communication

Make your goal clear and convey it from the start. It will help your plan to have a focus and make it far easier for you to stick to. The goal may be simply to keep stakeholders informed on all aspects of your project, but it may also include making them continually mindful of your project’s benefits and general ethos. This will keep them firmly on board with its intent. Write your goal down, and advocate is as you go through the execution of your project.

3. Identify who your stakeholders are

Projects will invariably have many different kinds of stakeholders, all of them with varying degrees of involvement. Make sure you identify and list each and every one of the stakeholders who are invested in your project, and who you’re going to be communicating with. These will include team members directly involved in the project, management and senior leadership, investors, and strategists. This list will be also very useful for those new to the project or unfamiliar with it, so they can view who their fellow stakeholders are.

4. Identify your methods of communication

How do you intend to communicate with your stakeholders and all who have an interest in your project? Are you going to use email, phone calls, conference calls, virtual meetings, in-person meetings, or social media? Before you decide, make sure you take into consideration stakeholders’ preferred methods of being contacted. Here’s a more detailed list:

• Check-ins, daily or weekly
• Video conferencing, in person, or over the phone meetings
• Summaries of meetings communicated by email
• Status reports
• Presentations
• Surveys and charts
• ‘To action’ lists
• A project dashboard
• Collaboration apps – Slack or Google Hangouts

Also, think about how you will deliver information. This can be when you reach an important milestone, or if there is an unexpected event or consequence you want to give notice of. Consider how formal you want each any every communication to be, depending on the progress of the project.

5. Set out your frequency of communication

How often are you going to communicate, and for which type of communication method? For example, are you going to send a weekly email on a Monday morning, or a monthly budget report, discussed in an in-person meeting? How often are you going to include each person? Will certain executives receive less frequent, need-to-know information, while more grass-roots team members need daily updates? This important frequency planning also needs to be copied over to your calendar or task management software.

6. Determine who is going to provide your communications

This role will most often be taken on by the project manager, but if there are other team members who are going to be sending out updates, make sure you include their names and roles in your plan and detail what they will be communicating, when.

7. What to do if your project changes?

If the project changes, as projects often do, your communication plan needs to change along with it. Your plan must allow for adaptation and addition, without causing undue stress or concern. “Your communication plan is your Mother Ship,” says Billy J. Nelson,
a project manager at Origin Writings and Brit Student. “If problems arise, you need to be able to fall back on as a blueprint, but also to afford it some degree of flexibility.”

What if there is sensitive information?

Security risks could be a grave consideration of your project. Knowing who to contact and with what information is ultimately crucial. A flowchart could prove useful in identifying your communication channels in this instance.

How your communication plan will work once the project is underway

Once your communication plan is done, it’s time to distribute it to all relevant parties. The beauty of such a plan is that you won’t be bothered for updates, as everyone concerned will know exactly when they are coming and how.  Nobody will be strolling over to your desk asking for updates or checking their emails every five minutes. The planned updates will also act as encouragement for all members of the team, stimulating momentum and perseverance to see this thing through and keeping the deadline of the project in their minds.

How to keep on message

Don’t go overboard with telling everyone everything! You may be tempted to micro-update every little detail, but think smart about communicating only what is necessary, at timely intervals. If you communicate too often, with too much information, your message will get lost, as your recipients will get bored and switch off.

Be concise and to the point in your emails or communications – keep them totally on message. Use an email template if you think it will assist you in clear concise delivery. Your plan and your template will keep you focused on the updates you need to impart, and not have you side-tracked onto irrelevant issues.

How to maintain momentum with your communication plan

Practice makes perfect. This may be your first time creating and delivering a project management communication plan, and it may not be immediately grasped by other team members. Soon though, they’ll see it’s an invaluable tool and you’ll be in the swing of streamlining both your communication plans and your company’s projects. if there are any mistakes in the plan’s execution, try and try again. A plan like this will make projects go more smoothly with less fuss and less stress and help get them delivered on time. The time you spend devising your project management communication plan will soon outweigh any teething problems.

As we’ve demonstrated, a project management communication plan is vitally important for getting your business’ project off the ground and seeing it to a successful conclusion. The plan is a useful blueprint for all parties concerned, needs to be thoroughly thought through in advance, and executed to the letter, just like your project. With your plan and your project in tandem, your goals should be firmly in reach.

About the Author

George J. Newton writes as a business development manager for Write my research paper and PhD Kingdom. He has been married for ten years, and always plans how to communicate. He also contributes to Next Coursework.

The post How to Create a Brilliant Project Management Communication Plan first appeared on Xebrio.

According to a study, 16% of businesses only include remote workers in their teams. According to a related study, remote workers are 24% more likely to be content and successful. Yes, it is in style. However, not everyone succeeds at it.

Likewise, several studies show how companies are failing regarding remote work by making ridiculous errors. It involves utilizing erroneous remote work tools and techniques. Any team management has its difficulties.

But these difficulties sometimes seem exacerbated when working in a remote team. We certainly understand that. And hence, to assist you with managing a remote workforce, we have put together a collection of easy tips and hacks!

10 hacks to make remote team management easier:

Here are some simple management tips to help you perform at your peak and maximize your workday, whether you’re managing a remote team or working as a member.

1. Schedule Time to Meet Face-to-Face

It is imperative to schedule regular in-person meetings with remote workers, whether they occur weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Nothing can replace the significance of face time, for real. If you meet in person, you and your employees will understand one another’s personalities, natures, work habits, ideas, and perspectives.

Working efficiently and productively requires getting to know the person behind the screen and getting to know them better. To meet your remote staff, you can plan get-togethers every month or every two to three months, depending on what timetable works best for your business.

Warm gatherings and enjoyable team-building exercises directly impact productivity, team spirit, and overall performance. Irrespective of your team size, it’s crucial to emphasize team-building exercises and foster a feeling of community inside your firm.

This meeting trend can present an opportunity to hold a meaningful conversation with your staff about your company’s culture, goals, and future.

2. Focus on Team-Building

Communication is only one aspect of team interaction. Talking about new ventures and exchanging ideas is engaging; thus, you should have team-building activities with your team. Any activity you think would help your team grow socially, and professionally can be used as a team-building exercise.

Ask them to offer a brief overview of their background, a virtual tour of their workplace, or even just a discussion of their likes and dislikes. The objective here is for your team to engage and get to know one another.

3. Set Boundaries

To keep a healthy balance between their job and personal lives, team members who work remotely or from different locations frequently need to establish some boundaries. Any notifications, chat messages, or emails can disrupt someone’s sleep or family time because the teammates may work from various locations or nations with different time zones.

Discussing phone and text times and work schedules with each team member and agreeing beforehand might show them that you value their time & care about them. As a result, it will be easier to cultivate positive relationships with staff members and ensure that no one is under undue stress.

4. Work on your Team Morale

When there is no communication among the team members, those working remotely or in various cities may feel alienated or unmotivated. Compared to team members who work full-time in the office, dealing with a remote employee with low morale can often be difficult.

Similarly, it might be challenging to boost morale among distant teams. Managers cannot conduct team-building activities and games to promote cooperation and boost motivation when they are physically absent.

Here are some examples of some fun team building activities that could be conducted online, such as The ever-familiar Bingo, Never Have I Ever, Virtual Masterchef, Speed typing test etc.

A different strategy is required to get around this and boost the morale of remote team members. Any employee who lacks motivation should be able to get the support they need from their employers.

If a colleague is running behind schedule and unable to work, offer them the necessary counselling and have a respectful conversation regularly to maintain their morale. Provide sufficient and in-depth training materials if a worker needs help getting up to speed. You can raise your team’s morale by rewarding them for their hard work and expressing gratitude.

5. Provide your Team with the Right Tools

Increasing productivity while working wouldn’t have been conceivable ten years ago. Only a few apps were available to keep you constantly connected to the team so you could complete things while working remotely. But there are many options available to us today.

There are applications like Zoom and Google Meet that guarantee safe and effective video chat with your complete workforce. Slack, Trello, Workzone, Xebrio, Hive, and Basecamp are just a few tools that can simplify task posting and team communication.

It establishes a professional online environment and keeps the team updated on any upcoming deadlines. So, ensure your team has the latest tech to be productive during work hours.

6. Hire the Right Fit

Your employees will determine how difficult or simple your job as a manager will be to hire remote developers. Finding someone suited for remote work will make your job much easier if you recruit remote workers.

Choose candidates who, besides their academic credentials and prior remote work experience, are self-driven, results-oriented, reliable, and responsive. Likewise, strong cooperation and adaptability abilities are also important for all applicants, whether they will be based in an office or working remotely.

7. Respect Cultural Differences

Regardless of the size of the remote team you are leading, managing cultural diversity can occasionally be difficult. Managers and other leaders must deal with difficulties like the various cultures and languages of the team members.

Therefore, it’s crucial to navigate cultural diversity at work properly. It would be highly beneficial if you aided your team members in learning about the customs, languages, and religious holidays of many nations and cultures. It will assist in resolving issues and minimizing cultural misunderstandings.

It is stated that you may connect with individuals more effectively and healthily after you recognize and respect their cultural heritage.

8. Build a Calendar that Suits Everybody

People who work in remote teams work in separate time zones. Sadly, this implies that while some of you are just starting your day, others have already started. Although it frequently happens in remote teams, you can still get around it.

The vital aspect is maintaining track of everyone’s time zone and adjusting the calendar accordingly. Set up meetings when most of your team members are available.

9. Invest in a Project Management Software

You must choose which project management software is best for your team members to be more productive and enhance team productivity.

Making the greatest software choices can increase your productivity. You can escape the micromanagement snare, and your team can manage the task at every level. Likewise, it makes setting clear objectives simple for the team.

The tools you use can also impact how well you can remotely manage teams. Your tech stack’s solutions can distinguish between well-organized projects and those that necessitate continuous backtracking to find the most recent information.

10. Empower your Remote Team to make Better Productivity Choices

Any productivity approach you choose will only be as effective as your team is at putting it into practice. It doesn’t matter if time blocking or something else is the key to each person’s productivity if they can only adhere to it irregularly.

Play a proactive part in helping to support your team. Permit to take a break and assist in establishing boundaries. “Always-on” workplace culture was spurred by mobile technology and has only been strengthened by our unanticipated shift to remote work.

Remote workers have been left to establish their boundaries and expectations without clear boundaries, which has resulted in much higher rates of workplace stress and burnout. Giving your team members the freedom to choose the productivity strategies that work best for them won’t solve all of your problems. However, it is a means by which they can gain better control over their time and energy.

Believe in your Remote Team:

Remote work is here to stay. The pandemic has forced people worldwide to search for better, more comfortable solutions, which has led them to accept the concept of remote employment. With such large workforce populations on board, we must focus on any potential weaknesses in remote team management. These challenges makes you to boost friendships and team bonding with your team members. Start with a small if you want to make sure that working remotely with your team goes smoothly. You will achieve the outcomes you are looking for with small efforts, certain routines, and practices. With the help of your team and 10 hacks, you can efficiently manage your team remotely and notice a big difference!

About the Author:

Harikrishna Kundariya, a marketer, developer, IoT, ChatBot & blockchain savvy, designer, co-founder, director of eSparkBiz Technologies, a software development company.

The post Easy Hacks to Manage Remote Teams first appeared on Xebrio.

The post 11 of the Best Project Management Tools to Deliver an Awesome Project first appeared on Xebrio.

It’s tricky being a juggler. Tossing and catching several objects at the same time is both a skill and an art. It requires practice, patience, and the ability to learn from mistakes.

Managing complex projects and delivering them on time is not that different from juggling. You have to balance and handle several issues, stay on top of the schedule, look after your team, the budget, the objectives, the timelines, and much more. As a project manager, you can’t afford to drop even one of them or, the game is over.

Fortunately, there are structured, tried-and-tested ways to address these issues and tackle uncertainties. So, you can deliver a successful performance on time, every time.

What Are Complex Projects?

To begin with, let’s investigate what makes a project complex.

Telling whether a project is complex or can turn into a complex one beforehand, is not always possible. Let us look at some typical characteristics of complicated projects that you should be aware of, to be prepared better.

Factors and Characteristics of Complicated Projects

Complex projects are often made up of a number of smaller projects, under an overall umbrella objective. At other times, the goal may not be clearly defined so you have to work out the steps and deliverables as you go along.

Then again, complexity could creep into a project because of a lack of training, resources, or technology. So, there are various reasons why a project can be complex, and there isn’t one specific sort. In general, complex projects have a high degree of interconnected, interdependent, and interrelated parts.

Project Complexity Models

Many theorists have devised various project complexity models because of the unarguable importance of successful and timely delivery. These models identify interwoven components and relationships. This enables project managers to diagnose the degree of complexity present and apply relevant techniques.

The model above, for example, uses the concept of ‘program management.’ To apply this, you need to diagnose the complexity of various parts of a project, and then focus on the high-risk, highly complex sections. Once those risks and complexities have been managed, the less complex ones can be successfully tackled.

Other models, similar to this one, break a complex project up into parts, classified in terms of low to high risk, and other parameters such as the cost, team, budget, number of stakeholders, and number of goals.

Yet another model, developed at Intel, assesses project characteristics based not only on the above but also historical data on past projects and “what if” scenarios. A high-low score is assigned to each value, and from this, a project complexity score is evaluated.

Manhattan to Mars, Via American Airlines: Interesting Examples of Complex Projects

So far, we’ve been discussing the theory of complex projects. Let’s look at a few real-life examples to bring the issue to life. Some of these are staggeringly complex. Others, less so. However, in each case, the same principles of inter-relatedness, variability, and interdependent parts can be seen.

1. The Empire State Building
   More than eight decades after its construction, this New York City landmark is still cited as a case study for success. Its construction involved roughly seven million working hours and over 10 million bricks. Yet, it was finished with efficiency and skill. It was completed in 410 days, two weeks ahead of schedule, and about $20 million under budget. The project managers managed a host of different variables admirably. There was just-in-time delivery, a railway system to move materials, cooperation between architects and engineers, advanced planning, quick problem-solving, and superb organizational skills.
2. American Airlines – When this airline merged with US Airways in 2013, it created an overlap in technology and programs. American Airlines’ spreadsheets were inadequate for managing complex projects and resources, which was financially ineffective. Project managers began using upgraded project management software for time entry, resource management, collaboration, and capacity planning to solve this. This resulted in labor efficiencies, which, in turn, created a multi-million dollar positive impact on the balance sheet, thereby serving as an excellent example of how complexity can be brought down with the right technological solutions. Project requirement management software has led to many such victories.
   Wellingtone’s survey says, only about a fourth of organizations they surveyed, used project management tools. A little more than half of all organizations from the survey didn’t have access to real-time KPIs. Half of all respondents said they spend one or more days manually collate project reports highlighting the immense productivity gains on offer using project management software.
3. NASA’s Mars Program – This is a project that’s out of this world, quite literally. It is still ongoing, with the Mars 2020 rover mission set for launch in July 2020. There are overlapping goals, including scientific experiments, the search for a habitable environment, and the quest for microbes. Thus, it’s a hugely complex project with many parts, many objectives, and a defined deadline. To keep costs and risks low, the project design is based on earlier mission architecture and proven landing systems. One lesson to learn from this is to manage complex projects via a mixture of what has worked in the past, combined with adaptability to new factors. To be able to tell what has worked so far and what hasn’t, managers and team leaders must document all the lessons learned from the project.

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Read More: Why Project Managers Should Record Lessons Learned

The Six Skills Necessary for Complex Project Management

Clearly, handling a complex project requires significant effort and tactics as compared to handing a project that is routine. The best project managers use a variety of skills and techniques to complete projects of this nature.

Here are six skills that will come in handy

1. Adaptability – A complex project is one that is constantly changing. Thus, you need to be adaptable and make dynamic changes and improvements to your project and project operations on the go. Keeping the overall goal in mind, you need to shift tactics and strategies depending on the situation at hand.
2. Collaboration – Complex projects need the cooperation of several different people and teams. All of these bring various advantages to the table. All of them have to be handled differently. Therefore, the ability to cooperate is crucial. Seeing others’ points of view and expressing your own are essential steps in creating a win-win situation.
3. Communication – In a complex project, the various team members, stakeholders, and management need to be informed of the various points of view when it comes to progress. And all of them, too, will have their opinions. The best way to create an atmosphere of trust and confidence is via effective communication. This is a two-way street that will build relationships for smoother ways of working together.
   
   Expertise – As a project manager, you must constantly draw from your past experiences as well as educate yourself on current and new ones. This will make you the acknowledged expert on the project, and the person whom others will seek when they encounter difficulties. Another aspect of expertise is to recognize which members of your team are specialists in various disciplines and draw upon their skills as and when needed.
4. Ability to Negotiate – With complex projects, there always has to be an element of give-and-take when it comes to progressing towards objectives. This is important when there are several stakeholders. The art of negotiation is, therefore, an important trump card. This is best done with a knowledge of the overall goal, combined with the needs of those you interact with. The best negotiators make every person feel as though they have been heard.
5. Ability to Lead and Motivate – Complex projects are either uncharted territory or peaks that are quite a challenge to scale. There can be many roadblocks. But leaders need to be composed and put forward their best efforts. Effective leadership means that you are motivated and have the ability to motivate others too. For example, in the current hybrid work environment, how will you manage remote teams and keep them motivated throughout the project? That is something as a project manager you should be well-versed with. Author, businessman, and speaker John C. Maxwell says it the best; “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Guiding and directing your team to the finish line, providing key inputs, and recognizing merit are all invaluable qualities of leadership.

A Preparation Checklist

In an MIT-Sloan magazine article, management professors who had researched mega-projects for a decade came up with the following five principles to keep in mind.

1. Assess what’s worked before – This involves learning from similar projects in the past, distilling your own experience as well as looking at case studies.
2. Organize for the unforeseen – Here, you must expect changing behavior and shifting elements of risk. Thus, you ought to make room for some flexibility in partnerships and collaboration. It is also a good idea to be absolutely ready with a risk management plan, or a ‘Plan B’ of sorts even.
3. Rehearse first – Explore options, look at working models, and improve upon them. Try-outs, simulations, and trials all come in handy here.
4. Calibrate and apportion risks – In this step, you ought to balance innovation and standardization when it comes to various outcomes. Try out multiple structures and see which ones can be tweaked for the best results as the project progresses.
5. Harness innovation – While fixed structures are essential, can they contain an element of flexibility that encourages innovation to flourish? Also, can these innovations then become standard practice? Asking these questions will enable you to progress efficiently and effectively.

Tips and Techniques on How to Manage Complext Projects

While the above will get you ready to deal with the most complex projects, there are further tips that you can use. After all, you never know what tip borrowed from which project may help you. First, you should keep the overall objective in mind for every step taken. What is the shortest and most effective way to get there? What are the issues you’re likely to face on the way? Then, it makes sense to define specific goals. With complex projects, it’s possible that there could be one main objective which overlaps with others. How would you define these? What are the timelines of each? How do you know when a goal has been successfully achieved?

Of course, as with all projects, you then need to turn your attention towards your team. Do you already have everyone you need? Are there special abilities you need to harness? Once you’re clear about your team, you need to define roles and responsibilities. Communicate with all members and spell out what’s expected from them. Listen to their feedback and make adjustments where needed. Break down the task into smaller steps and let people know where they fit in.

Finally, creating a motivating team environment, especially for a complex project, is very important. Encourage a spirit of openness. Recognize and reward achievements. Help teammates with any issues they may be facing. Make it clear that you need everyone to cooperate.

With these steps, you’ll be able to accomplish and successfully close the most complex of projects.

Closing Complex Projects on Time, Every Time

Deadlines are among the most critical aspects of any project, and more so with complex projects. Preparing a schedule of work, and ensuring that this is done on time, is a significant and essential step.

Here’s how to organize the various tasks and make sure they’re completed in a timely manner.

• First, choose the right tools:
  All work items, tasks, and processes should first be identified. It’s best to create a step-by-step scenario so that you’re aware at any point when one task needs to be completed in order for another one to start. You can use Task management software for the same.  The Xebrio task management tool, for example, allows you to create tasks, delegate them to teammates, visualize them in a Kanban board, as a classic list, or as individually detailed pages. It also lets you track time and access reports, insights, and analyze efforts spent on tasks.But why this particular tool helps deliver complex projects on time is because it provides much-needed visibility all throughout the lifecycle of the project with the ability to connect tasks to requirements, milestones, and test cases, collaborate with clients, and prioritize & time-track task progress. All of these measures help you monitor each and every aspect of a project, provide risk management and change management, and help your team gain control over a project.

 

 

• • Next, organize a work schedule:
    This is a very important document with complex projects. It’s a roadmap that provides direction, lets you review progress, and can be constantly referred to by team members. It is critical for dividing complex projects into manageable parts, completed one after another.

• • Monitor progress:
    Once work has begun, there should be a monitoring process for each task. This makes sure that everything is progressing according to schedule. Such monitoring reviews should be done on a regular basis, and team members involved should be ready with progress reports.

• Keep reviewing in detail, often:
  Finally, with the reviews, you will also be instantly aware of things that are ahead of schedule, or tasks that are falling behind. This will enable you to make adjustments. With complex projects, such aspects can have a cascading effect, so it is key to have this snapshot of overall progress.

You must be thinking, ‘Why do teams miss deadlines?’ They could be talented, hardworking, and cooperative, and yet somehow, the task gets delayed. If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, here are the three reasons you should keep an eye on.

Think of them as tips for managing complex projects.

• • Optimistic timelines:
    It could as well be that everyone has underestimated how long it will take to do something. This could be because of a feeling that everything will go as planned or an inability to factor in unforeseen events. Such improper estimation is common and should be guarded against.

• • Poor time management:
    Some studies show that during an 8-hour workday, most people only do 3 hours of productive work. This could be because of frequent meetings, multitasking, socializing, or digital distractions. Perhaps steps need to be taken to reduce these to a minimum.

• Stakeholder checkpoints:
  Project managers should try and ensure that all stakeholders regularly review progress to see whether the complex project is proceeding according to expectations. Otherwise, if stakeholder inputs come in too late, or if objectives shift, valuable time is lost in redoing work.

When Projects Are Complex, Communication is Critical

As we’ve seen, a complex project has many moving parts. Various people work side by side on multiple issues, they handle different goals, and deadlines and objectives can shift. That is why communication is so important. Every person involved must know his or her roles and responsibilities. As a project manager, you need to be on top of it all, receiving feedback, imparting clarity, and making adjustments.

The Project Management Institute’s in-depth report: Pulse of the Profession (The High Cost of Low Performance: The Essential Role of Communications) found that ineffective communication is the primary contributor to project failure one-third of the time, and harmed project success more than half the time.

In Conclusion

Some projects are simple. Others are not so simple. Some others are extremely challenging. It helps to keep in mind that there is a difference between a complicated project and a complex one. Complex projects tend to be non-linear. They have many subsections and goals, which can overlap. These don’t have to be complicated – the vital thing to remember is that it has to be managed differently.
You need, expertise, skill, and agility for managing complex projects. With some planning in advance, with the right techniques, and with the right software, there’s every reason to expect a successful and on-time delivery.

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