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Inspiration

A time to dig deep

hanges of season are often times of reassess- arose, what you did and why, and what should be exam-
ment and reinvigoration. Though it will not ined further.
officially be autumn until September 22, most
C of us have already left summer initiatives Also, when brainstorming, sometimes just changing the
behind and begun or completed plans for the fall. order in which you address key goals will elicit fresh
thinking. Don't worry about being perfect; the key is to be
Sometimes, however, in the eagerness to move forward, fully present. Don't try to hide anything from yourself or
we fail to take an in-depth look at the period coming to a fool yourself, and no matter who is examining results with
close. We may track key benchmarks, adjust our strategies you, own up to your mistakes. Use them as learning op-
and come up with a workable plan. But this evaluation, portunities not only for you, but also for your colleagues.
done repeatedly throughout the year, can become stale.
The good news? There are ways to keep it fresh. Get organized
It's also worth noting that lack of organization negatively
Much of what goes on quarter to quarter is constant, yet affects planning, execution and analysis. When this is the
each period presents different conditions and issues, even case, one solution is to employ a project management tool.
if only subtle. Never assume you know all the factors that Here are a few websites that list to pros and cons of what
contributed to successes and failures. Each situation is they consider to be 2021's top project management offer-
new and needs to be approached with that awareness. ings:

Make it a team effort
ProofHub, https://www.proofhub.com/articles/top-proj-
One way to make sure you do an in-depth analysis is to ect-management-tools-list
involve other people in the process. These could be col-
leagues, people outside of your company or a combina- Scoro, https://www.scoro.com/blog/best-project-manage-
tion. The advantage of brainstorming with co-workers is ment-software-list/
that they have inside knowledge of your company's inner PC Magazine: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-
workings, issues and goals. Alternatively, people outside project-management-software
of your organization might spot areas to examine that you
and your cohorts would never have noticed.
Whatever you choose to do, give it your best effort. When
In forming your team, select people you can relax with you are fully informed regarding your recent successes
and whose ideas will stimulate your own. You need to feel and failures, you can positively impact your bottom line
safe to let your thoughts flow in a constructive manner. If while also improving the lives of those you serve.
you have regular team meetings where you debrief with
colleagues, the mix of personalities might not be ideal for
you. But you can make it work. Just be prepared.

Do a preliminary analysis beforehand, highlighting new
factors that came into play, what went well, what problems Kate Gillespie, President and CEO
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