Innovation is about improving existing processes. At its core SCAMPER is an easy to implement creative thinking and problem solving method that facilitates continuous improvement. 

In February, the InLoox blog was fully dedicated to time management. Even though National Time Management Month is over now, project managers will always need to have this essential skill if they want to deliver successful projects. 

Photo by Flickr User Vic, Licensed under CC BY 2.0

We’ve been telling you not to procrastinate, e.g. in this blog post, or gave you tips on how to be more productive (here or here). But let’s be honest, no matter how often you say, “This is the last time! I will never ever, ever procrastinate again, EVER!”, you’re going to do it again and again. So why not make use of it? If you can’t avoid doing it, you might as well do it more effectively.

Last week we introduced the Pomodoro technique, which is probably one of the most popular time management methods out there. But there are many more methods that help you manage time better. Here’s an overview of five of them. 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” – either way, project managers have to manage time carefully if they want to work effectively and complete projects successfully. As one of the three constraints, time is the hardest one to control as it depends on so many, often uncontrollable, factors. 

The Pomodoro Technique is one of the most popular time management methods, not least because it’s so easy to implement. You can start immediately, all you need is a timer and a bit of discipline.  

‘Home office’, the dream scenario for a lot of workers. Flexible work times, no stuffy work attire, no commuting – what’s not to like? Various studies show that employees who work from home are actually more productive - but to be productive in the home office you will need solid time management skills. 

“Unclear project contract“, “fuzzy project goals” or just a simple “we’ve completely talked past each other” – a lot of times a project is missing an important foundation for its success from the very beginning: a clear scope specification, which functions as an essential guideline throughout the progress of the project. Client and contractor should both be clear about what they expect from each other and clearly define what they consider a successful project completion. 

It’s always important to look back and identify what went wrong, but also what went really well, which aspects you can improve and what you want to achieve next. The same goes for our blog so we compiled a list of your, our readers’, favorite posts on the InLoox blog – a little flashback, if you will. 

Photo by Pixabay User Comfreak (edited)

‘Thought Leader’ is one of the buzzwords in business nowadays. What distinguishes a thought leader from a ‘normal’ leader?  Simply speaking, thought leaders are what the internet would call influencers, they are those with high Klout scores and high follower numbers on Twitter because they are experts in one specialized field.