Best Tools for New Project Managers

Whether or not you have been thrown to the wolves in your new project management job, chances are your job could be a lot more streamlined if only you had the right tools. Everywhere you look, there are software programs, project methodologies, team building activities, and other tools project managers use for project success being thrown in your face. What are you to do - and how do you find out what tools you need now and what tools can wait? Read on to find out!

You will definitely want a collaborative program - even if your company hasn't quite transitioned to this yet. One reason collaborative software is preferable to programs like Project 2007 (and all the better if the software you choose is compatible with Project 2007 so you can import from your program and export to your program) is that by streamlining the collaboration process you can save yourself valuable time in the long run. Key programs that are easy to use include Central Desktop, Ubidesk, and SantexQ. Take advantage of free trials and the software reviews here on Bright Hub to find a program that will work best for your needs.

Freshbooks is only one example of great billing software that is available. Intuit's Quickbooks is another viable option. This program allows you to track hours, bill, and keep track of finances. You may want to appoint one employee to run Quickbooks and manage the project budget. Nevertheless, you will want to be sure that you have some way to track expenses and income for your project.

The whiteboard and pens may seem like a simplistic tool, but you will find these to be most useful in your project managing experiences. Use the whiteboard during brainstorming sessions, to keep track of important milestone dates, or to assign tasks each day. The whiteboard is a very handy tool for managing projects - and for tracking meetings.

Now you know that successful new project managers use collaborative software, time tracking software, billing software, the PMBOK guide, and a white board. Here are four more must-have tools for beginning project managers to add to their repertoire.

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Sticky notes can also be used to outline your project milestones, track action item dependencies and more in a much more informal way. Finally, you can use sticky notes to brainstorm on. This way, during the brainstorming session, the sticky notes can be moved around and reordered until the session is completed.

You knew it was coming. You should have Microsoft Project or a reasonable alternative for your project management needs. Why? Unless you are using a comprehensive project suite covering all bases of your project management needs, you will want to have the industry standard - or close to it at your hands. You will need to create Gantt Charts, Pert Charts, Network Diagrams, and level resources when things get out of hand. While your collaborative software is great for keeping up on everyone's progress, you will still want the backbone to project management at your fingertips.

Finally, whether you want to use Microsoft Office products, Open Office, or another office suite, you will need software that allows you to view email, compose documents, create spreadsheets, and track meeting notes. Make sure that you understand the features of your program that you will commonly use. For example, there are many features in Excel you will want to familiarize yourself with before creating your first spreadsheets..

While you don't need to feel obligated to rush out and get your hands on all nine tools, this list should give you an idea as to where to start in acquiring the tools you will need for a long and prosperous project management career.