Cause we are living in a digital world and I am a digital girl
With people becoming increasingly stretched for time, it's no surprise they’ve started using workplace tools outside the office.
- July 30, 2019
Born in the noughties, I’ve grown in tandem with the technology we use today. Over such a short time span I’ve seen new devices advance at a scary-rate, making the idea of a future AI takeover all the more believable.
Born in the noughties, I’ve grown in tandem with the technology we use today. Over such a short time span I’ve seen new devices advance at a scary-rate, making the idea of a future AI takeover all the more believable.
Actual screens have replaced the need for sunscreen and the process of opening a window has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s become a social norm to see a toddler with an iPhone, gifted as a tool of distraction so that their parents can have some free time to check their own devices. It’s not frowned upon, it’s just a way of life that my generation has come to know and accept.
This change in lifestyle has naturally seen adjustments in the workplace, making that balance between work and home life all the more difficult to establish.
Software has replaced the classic to-do list and demanding work schedules have seen an influx in the creation of workplace apps. But when did it become okay for these tools to make a break from the office and plant themselves onto our personal devices?
Do you want to be reminded of work when you're at home?
Many would answer no, but modern families are starting to run more like workforces. Research in recent years suggests that 65% of people educated at a university degree-level, struggle to balance work-life and home. As a means to counteract this problem, they’ve resorted to downloading project management platforms such as Trello and Jira onto their smart devices.
After doing some research, I discovered this article about a mother of three who admitted to using Google Calendar to manage her children’s time, and Jira to keep on top of home projects. Atlassian (the creators of Jira) chose not to comment, but you have to ask yourself is it such a bad thing? I personally don’t think so.
In the same article, a dad in Seattle set up a family Slack account for his immediate and extended family to improve communication. A mother in Utah revealed after using Trello at work, she later implemented it at home and this influenced her children as it helped them stay on top of school work.
This new approach to productivity has extended beyond applications; the same woman revealed her family holds meetings every Sunday to go over their to-do lists and upcoming activities. She uses software to track notes in the meeting, dividing them into sections according to weekly goals.
I believe this is a perfect example of the future operation of families. We just have to wait patiently for a sitcom to depict this change in dynamics and then we’ll know for sure that the virtual world is here to stay until the next wave of change!
Nobody likes to be stressed out
It’s been suggested that staying organised relieves stress. In my 25 years on this planet, I’ve not met a single person who enjoys being stressed out. It’d be like somebody admitting they enjoy being in physical pain, but let’s not go down that road… hey I’m not judging, each to their own.
For those who prefer not to be in physical pain, if an app existed to relieve it, would you not use it? Of course you would! This doesn’t exist (yet), and in today’s reality, if you were to accidentally cut yourself, for example, you’d naturally reach for a first aid kit and patch yourself up (in minor situations). But what do you do when you’re stressed? You can’t put a plaster on your head and wait for it to scab over and heal, but you can’t just do nothing either. If left untreated, stress can build up and make you ill, but why let it get to that point?
Let’s say for argument’s sake that you decide to go skateboarding for the first time, there’s a high risk of falling off the board and scraping your knees, ouch. How would you avoid that? Simple, protective clothing and pads. Now, let’s say you have a full schedule ahead that is only expected to get busier, protective clothing and pads aren’t going to save you, but an app might…
Invisible pain is just as real as the psychical, in fact, if you do nothing to mitigate stress, it can lead to visible pain and you don’t want to end up both physically and mentally exhausted — talk about a double whammy!
Apps can help you stay organised, thus allowing you to function as normal without affecting other areas of your life.
PPM software is here to stay, in the workplace and beyond...
In a professional environment, projects need to be tackled in stages.
The first stage of the life cycle requires a thorough understanding of the project at hand, revealing what’s needed in order to complete it. Understanding project scope and specifications — budget and resources, reveals the timescale.
Project management tools provide the data needed to make accurate estimations, as well as insight over resources, costs, and scope into whether or not adjustments need to be made in the current proposal to ensure profitability.
PPM software helps managers create realistic timelines and deadlines based on an overview of current projects and availability to avoid overloading of resources.
In the execution phase, project management software helps by allowing you to track the status of tasks, in terms of who completed what and when.
Throughout the duration of a project, PPM software helps those involved keep within budget, and offers a glance into resources performing well, as well as those in need of additional support.
Adjustments can be tracked in cases where major roadblocks or challenges crop up with insight into the speed, and a realistic overview of the resolution put forward.
The management of documents, correspondence, versions, and client approval in a single platform enables users to streamline project completion. Once a project reaches the point of completion, data is collected and used to improve future performance so that it can be improved.
After reading the above it’s easy to see why businesses use PPM software right? Well at home the exact same principles apply, just in a different form.
Project Portfolio Management software allows for scope, oversight of those involved, realistic timescales, and data — all of which aid in ensuring we not only prevent total overload of ourselves but for others too.
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