Catalog / Project & Email Tools Cheatsheet

Project & Email Tools Cheatsheet

A comprehensive cheat sheet for project management and email productivity tools, covering essential features, shortcuts, and best practices.

Project Management Tools Overview

Asana

Description: Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work.

Key Features: Task management, project timelines, team collaboration, reporting, integrations.

Common Use Cases: Project planning, task assignments, progress tracking, meeting management, and bug tracking.

Pricing: Offers a free plan for small teams. Paid plans add more features like advanced reporting and custom branding.

Pros: User-friendly interface, strong collaboration features, extensive integration options.

Cons: Can be overwhelming for simple projects, pricing can be steep for larger teams.

Trello

Description: Trello uses a visual, card-based system to organize projects and tasks. It’s known for its simplicity and flexibility.

Key Features: Boards, lists, cards, checklists, due dates, attachments, and Power-Ups (integrations).

Common Use Cases: Agile project management, personal task management, content calendars, and team collaboration.

Pricing: Offers a free plan with basic features. Paid plans provide advanced checklists, custom backgrounds, and more storage.

Pros: Simple to use, highly visual, flexible for various project types.

Cons: Limited built-in features compared to other tools, can become disorganized with complex projects.

Jira

Description: Jira is a project management tool designed for software development teams. It offers robust features for issue tracking and agile project management.

Key Features: Issue tracking, agile boards, customizable workflows, reporting, and integrations.

Common Use Cases: Software development, bug tracking, sprint planning, release management, and customer support.

Pricing: Offers a free plan for small teams. Paid plans include more users, storage, and advanced features.

Pros: Powerful issue tracking, customizable workflows, strong integration with other Atlassian products.

Cons: Complex setup and configuration, steep learning curve, can be expensive for large teams.

Email Productivity Tools & Techniques

Email Clients

Gmail

Popular web-based email service with robust features, integrations, and spam filtering.

Microsoft Outlook

Part of the Microsoft Office suite, offering email, calendar, contacts, and task management.

Thunderbird

Free and open-source email client with extensive customization options and add-ons.

Apple Mail

Default email client on macOS and iOS, known for its simplicity and integration with Apple ecosystem.

Email Management Techniques

Inbox Zero: Aim to keep your inbox empty or near empty by processing emails regularly using methods like deleting, delegating, deferring, and doing.

Time Blocking: Schedule specific times each day to check and respond to emails, avoiding constant interruptions.

Email Filters & Rules: Automatically sort incoming emails into folders based on sender, subject, or keywords.

Unsubscribe Ruthlessly: Reduce email clutter by unsubscribing from newsletters and promotional emails you no longer read.

Use Templates: Create pre-written email templates for common responses to save time and ensure consistency.

Email Productivity Tools

Boomerang

Schedule emails to be sent later and track email responses.

Mailtrack

Real-time email tracking to know when and how many times your emails are opened.

Grammarly

AI-powered writing assistant to improve grammar, spelling, and style.

Todoist

Task management app that integrates with email to turn emails into actionable tasks.

Advanced Project Management Techniques

Agile Methodologies

Scrum: An iterative and incremental framework for managing complex projects, often used in software development. Key components include sprints, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives.

Kanban: A visual system for managing workflow, focusing on limiting work in progress (WIP) and improving flow. Kanban boards use columns to represent different stages of a process.

Lean: A methodology focused on minimizing waste and maximizing value. Principles include identifying value, mapping the value stream, creating flow, establishing pull, and seeking perfection.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Description: A project management technique used to determine the longest sequence of activities that must be completed on time for the project to finish on schedule.

Steps:

  1. Identify all activities required to complete the project.
  2. Determine the dependencies between activities.
  3. Estimate the duration of each activity.
  4. Identify the critical path (the longest sequence of dependent activities).
  5. Monitor and control the project schedule based on the critical path.

Resource Management

Resource Allocation

Assigning the right resources (people, equipment, materials) to the right tasks at the right time.

Resource Leveling

Adjusting the project schedule to balance resource demand and availability.

Resource Smoothing

Optimizing resource usage without affecting the project timeline.

Collaboration and Communication Tools

Team Communication Platforms

Slack

A messaging app for teams, offering channels, direct messages, file sharing, and integrations with various tools.

Microsoft Teams

A collaboration platform that combines chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

Discord

A voice, video, and text communication app, popular in gaming communities but also used for team collaboration.

Video Conferencing Tools

Zoom

A video conferencing platform with features like screen sharing, recording, and virtual backgrounds.

Google Meet

A video conferencing service integrated with Google Workspace, offering easy access and seamless integration with other Google apps.

Skype

A video calling and messaging app, offering free calls and instant messaging.

Document Collaboration

Google Docs/Sheets/Slides: Web-based office suite offering real-time collaboration, version history, and easy sharing.

Microsoft Office 365: Cloud-based version of Microsoft Office, providing collaboration features like co-authoring and shared workbooks.

Dropbox Paper: A collaborative document editing tool with real-time co-editing, task assignments, and rich media integration.