Introduction

A work plan is a structured outline that helps organise tasks and activities to achieve specific objectives.

In project management, a work plan is crucial because it provides a clear framework for completing tasks efficiently and meeting project objectives. It helps in:

1. Defining tasks and priorities: Ensures that all essential activities are clearly identified and organised.
2. Allocating resources: Identifies what tools, personnel, and materials are needed.
3. Managing timelines: Establishes deadlines for different phases of the project.
4. Aligning with stakeholder expectations: Ensures the project meets the needs of those involved.
5. Tracking progress: Helps monitor and adjust tasks as needed for successful project delivery.

A work plan typically includes key details such as:

• Objective
• Tasks
• Resource requirements
• Stakeholder needs
• Workgroup targets
• Timeline
• Progress review

Let’s break down each key detail of a work plan:

1. Objective: The objective is the clear and specific goal that the work plan aims to achieve. It outlines the purpose of the tasks and gives direction to the entire project. Having a well-defined objective ensures that everyone involved understands the desired outcome and works towards it.

   Example

   The objective of a marketing campaign could be to increase brand awareness by 20% in the next quarter.

2. Tasks: Tasks are the individual actions or steps that need to be completed to achieve the objective. Tasks should be broken down into manageable actions and assigned to relevant team members to ensure progress is made toward the overall goal.

   Example

   Tasks for a website redesign project could include creating wireframes, designing the user interface, and testing the functionality.

3. Resource Requirements: This refers to the materials, equipment, or personnel needed to complete tasks. Properly identifying these ensures that you have everything in place to avoid delays and resource shortages during the project.

   Example

   For a marketing project, resources might include a graphic designer, design software, and social media accounts.

4. Stakeholder Needs: Stakeholders can include clients, team members, or anyone affected by the project. Understanding their expectations helps align project outcomes with their needs, improving satisfaction and success rates.

   Example

   A stakeholder might want regular updates and a final report showing how the project benefits their business.

5. Workgroup Targets: These are specific goals or performance metrics set for the team. Clear targets guide the team’s efforts, ensuring everyone works towards the same objectives within set timelines.

   Example

   A target could be completing the project’s first phase within two weeks, with 80% task completion. 

6. Timeline: The timeline is the schedule that outlines the start and end dates for tasks and milestones. It helps ensure that the project progresses in an organised manner and that deadlines are met. Timelines can be adjusted as needed, but a clear timeline helps keep the team focused and on track.
   Example

   A product development project may have a 6-month timeline, with key tasks like prototyping and testing mapped out at specific intervals.

7. Progress review: Progress reviews involve regularly assessing the status of the project to ensure that tasks are completed on time and objectives are being met. These reviews help identify any delays or issues and allow for necessary adjustments to the work plan. They also provide opportunities for feedback and continuous improvement.
   Example

   In a construction project, a weekly progress review might track the completion of different phases, such as foundation work, framing, and inspections.

A work plan serves as a roadmap, guiding individuals or teams in managing tasks efficiently while aligning with broader project or organisational goals.

Here is a template of a work plan: Work Plan Template

Business technology applications play a crucial role in modern work environments, making it easier for individuals and teams to manage tasks efficiently and stay on track with their goals. These tools provide numerous benefits, such as automating repetitive tasks, enabling real-time collaboration, and offering data storage and access from any location. By streamlining processes, they free up valuable time for more strategic work and enhance overall productivity.

Specifically, when it comes to scheduling tasks and planning work, these applications are incredibly powerful. They allow users to schedule tasks with defined start and end dates, set priorities, and even automate recurring tasks, ensuring that important deadlines are met without requiring manual intervention every time. 

In addition to scheduling, these applications facilitate resource allocation by assigning tasks to the right team members and tracking time spent on each task through time-tracking features. Milestones can be set to track progress, while built-in collaboration tools keep everyone aligned and accountable. With real-time updates, reporting, and the ability to integrate with communication platforms, business technology applications ensure that work is efficiently planned, monitored, and executed.

Here are four (4) of the best business technology applications currently used in project management to schedule tasks and plan work, along with their key features: 

Here is the bar graph comparing the four business technology applications (Asana, Trello, Monday.com, and Microsoft Project) based on key features such as task scheduling, collaboration, resource management, and reporting.

Asana

Asana is a web-based project management tool designed to help teams organise, track, and manage their work. It allows users to create projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress, all in a collaborative environment. Asana's main goal is to improve productivity by streamlining communication and task management so teams can focus on completing tasks rather than spending time organising them.

For the purpose of this module, we will use the free version of Asana to complete the tasks in Assessments 2.

Set up Asana

1. Sign Up for Asana:

   • Go to Asana's website and sign up for a free account.
   • You can use your Swinburne email to sign up.

2. Create a New Project:

   • Once signed in, click the “+ New Project” button on the main dashboard.
   • Choose “Blank Project” to start from scratch or use the “Weekly Priorities” template if available.
   • Name the project something like “Personal Work Schedule”.

3. Choose a Layout:

   • Asana offers different views. For a personal work schedule, List View is typically best for task organisation, but Calendar View works well if you prefer to see their tasks on a visual timeline.
   • Select List View to start and switch to Calendar View later.

4. Add Sections (Optional):

   • To break down tasks, you can create sections such as “Daily Tasks”, “Weekly Tasks”, or “Upcoming Tasks”.
   • Click “Add Section” at the top to create these divisions.

5. Add Tasks:

   • Click “+ Add Task” to add tasks or activities to their schedule. You can add specific tasks like “Complete Research Report”, “Attend Team Meeting”, or “Prepare Presentation”.
   • For each task, you can:
     • Set a due date by clicking on the calendar icon.
     • Assign priorities to ensure they focus on the most important tasks first.
     • Add a description or subtasks for more complex tasks (like breaking down a project into smaller steps).

6. Assign Deadlines and Timeframes:

   • After creating tasks, you can assign specific start and due dates for each task by clicking on the calendar next to the task name.
   • This will allow you to see their tasks on the Calendar View and track your personal work schedule.

7. Use the Calendar View:

   • Once tasks and deadlines are added, you can switch to the Calendar View to visualise the schedule. This shows all tasks laid out over a monthly or weekly calendar, making it easy to see upcoming deadlines.

8. Track Progress:

   • As you complete tasks, you can mark tasks as complete by checking the box next to each task. This helps keep your schedule up to date and track progress.

Watch

The video below will help you set up Asana step by step: 

Regularly reviewing personal work performance is crucial for continuous improvement and professional growth. It helps individuals understand their strengths and identify areas for development. By reflecting on their performance, individuals can make adjustments to enhance efficiency, productivity, and job satisfaction. Reviewing work performance also encourages accountability, helps in setting realistic goals, and contributes to meeting broader team or organisational objectives. It fosters a growth mindset, where feedback and reflection are seen as opportunities for learning and improving skills.

Methods of Personal Work Performance Review

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment involves personally reflecting on your own performance, evaluating how well you’ve completed tasks, met deadlines, and achieved your goals. It allows individuals to take ownership of their development by identifying strengths and weaknesses.

Feedback from others

Feedback from others involves gathering input from colleagues, managers, or clients to gain an external perspective on your work performance. This can be formal (performance reviews) or informal (conversations, suggestions).

Both self-assessment and feedback from others are essential methods for a comprehensive review of personal work performance. Together, they provide a balanced view, helping individuals grow both independently and through collaboration with others.

How to use Asana to review your performance

1. Task Completion Tracking: Asana shows a clear indicator of tasks that are completed versus those that are still pending. You can track the percentage of tasks completed for a particular project or over a specific time period.

2. Progress Reports: You can use Asana's reporting features to generate summaries of your task completion, timelines, and deadlines. These reports help visualise how you are performing against your goals and whether you are meeting deadlines.

3. Project Dashboard: Asana’s dashboard view provides a visual representation of your progress across all tasks and projects, allowing you to quickly assess areas where you might be falling behind or excelling.

4. Milestones and Goals: Asana allows you to set milestones within a project. You can review how well you’ve performed in reaching these key milestones, helping you track your progress over time.

5. Workload Management: With Asana’s workload feature (premium), you can view how balanced your assigned tasks are. This helps in managing your performance by ensuring you’re not overloaded and can adjust as needed.

6. Feedback from Team Members: Asana integrates collaboration and communication. You can receive direct feedback from colleagues on tasks via comments, which you can review to assess your performance from an external perspective.

These features can be used to conduct both self-assessment and collect feedback from others, fulfilling key methods of personal work performance review.

Let's investigate nine (9) key techniques to prepare personal plans and establish priorities in the context of project management:

These techniques are crucial in project management because they provide structure and clarity, enabling individuals to effectively manage time, resources, and tasks. By setting clear priorities and organising work systematically, project managers can focus on the most critical tasks that drive the project forward, ensuring deadlines are met and resources are used efficiently. Techniques like SMART goals and the Eisenhower Matrix help in breaking down complex projects into manageable tasks, reducing stress and improving productivity. Ultimately, these methods ensure that projects stay on track, risks are minimised, and objectives are achieved in a timely manner.

Feedback is a key component of personal and professional development. It provides valuable insights into how work is received by others, helping individuals identify both their strengths and areas that need improvement. In project management, feedback fosters better communication and teamwork, ensuring that efforts align with the project’s goals and expectations. By receiving and acting on feedback, individuals can continuously improve their performance, refine their skills, and contribute more effectively to the success of a project. It also helps maintain accountability and ensures that the quality of work remains high throughout the project.

Elicit, analyse, and interpret feedback

Let's see five (5) effective methods to elicit, analyse, and interpret feedback in the context of project management: