Whenever I {speak with| talk with| talk to| speak to| consult with} {someone| somebody} about {project| job| task} management and {social media| social networks} I {tend to| have the tendency to} get one of two {reactions| responses}. They either see the {value| worth} {right away| immediately| right now} or they {don't| do not} get it at all-dismissing the {socialization| socializing} of {project| job| task} management out of hand. After a {few| couple of} minutes of {conversation| discussion}, their {negative attitude| lack of confidence} {seems| appears} to {boil down to| come down to} the following {two| 2} arguments:

1. They {are put off by| resent} {what| exactly what} they {consider| think about} the {trivial| insignificant| minor| unimportant} nature of {current| present| existing} {social media| social networks} like {Facebook and Twitter| Twitter and facebook}.
2. {Democratizing| Equalizing} the {project| job| task} management {process| procedure} conflicts with their top-down, command-and-control management {style| design}.

{Most of| The majority of} the angst about {using| utilizing} social networking within the {project| job| task} management {process| procedure} {comes from| originates from} a {lack| absence} of understanding. I agree with those who {suggest| recommend} that {simply| just| merely} {incorporating| integrating| including} a Twitter-like activity stream or {mimicking| imitating| simulating} Facebook {isn't| isn't really} a {legitimate| genuine} {strategy| technique| method} for {socializing| interacting socially| mingling} the {project| job| task} management {process| procedure}. If that's the sum total of your social {project| job| task} management {strategy| technique| method}, I {don't| do not} {believe| think} it will {help| assist} you {accomplish| achieve} much.

That being {said| stated}, the {workforce| labor force} today {utilizes| uses| makes use of} {social media| social networks} in their {daily lives| lives| every day lives} for a {number of| variety of} {personal| individual} activities, making it an {easily| quickly} {recognizable| identifiable} metaphor for making work management processes more {accessible| available}. The {way| method} the {workforce| labor force} {interacts| communicates| engages| connects} with media today is {significantly| considerably| substantially} {different| various} than {what| exactly what} we were doing {30 years| Thirty Years} {ago| back| earlier}. If we can {successfully| effectively} {capture| catch| record} the essence of {what| exactly what} makes {social media| social networks} work {generally| typically| normally| usually}, within the work management context, I see the {increase| boost} in {collaboration| partnership| cooperation}, {communication| interaction} and {visibility| exposure| presence} a {potential| prospective| possible} {productivity| efficiency| performance} {boon| benefit| advantage}.

{What| Exactly what}'s more, Generation X and Y are accustomed to having more control over {what| exactly what} they do {and when| when} they do it than any generation of {workers| employees} {before| prior to} them. {Furthermore| Additionally| Moreover| In addition}, they {have| have actually} been trained to do their {work in| operate in} {collaborative| collective} environments and are accustomed to {receiving| getting} {immediate| instant} feedback and {recognition| acknowledgment}.

Old-school management {concepts| ideas| principles} like top-down command-and-control are still at the heart of {traditional| conventional| standard} {project| job| task} management {methodologies| approaches| methods} and make it {difficult| challenging| tough| hard} to {effectively| efficiently| successfully} lead and {manage| handle} today's {workforce| labor force}. I {believe| think} this paradigm {must| should| needs to} {change| alter} if we {want to| wish to} {enable| allow| make it possible for} the {workforce| labor force} to {achieve| accomplish| attain} {maximum| optimum} {productivity| efficiency| performance} and {perceive| view} {what| exactly what} they do as more than "{just| simply} a {job| task}." I {think| believe} we {need to| have to} {realize| recognize| understand} that {project| job| task} {managers| supervisors} {should| ought to| must| need to} {no longer| not} "own" {project| job| task} status {data| information}, their {team members| staff member| employee} should. {Project| Job| Task} {managers| supervisors} {should| ought to| must| need to} be {expected| anticipated} to look ahead and {plan| prepare} {how to| ways to| the best ways to} {overcome| conquer| get rid of} {obstacles| challenges| barriers} through {better| much better} {communication| interaction} not increased micromanagement. The more {project| job| task} {managers| supervisors} {become| end up being} leaders, and they less they {act like| imitate} drill sergeants, the more {successful| effective} {project| job| task} {teams| groups} will {become| end up being}.

What Are the {First Steps| Initial steps| Primary steps}?

{Fortunately| Thankfully| Luckily}, {getting started| starting| beginning| getting going} {doesn't| does not} {necessarily| always} {involve| include} any {kind of| type of| sort of} {social media| social networks} tools (although there are {many| numerous| lots of}). The most {important| essential| crucial} {place| location} to {start| begin} is with the right {frame of mind| state of mind| mindset}:

1. {Give| Provide| Offer} {team members| staff member| employee} the {opportunity| chance} to {contribute to| add to} the {creation| development| production} of time-lines and deliverables. This {fosters| promotes| cultivates} increased ownership and {improves| enhances} the {likelihood| possibility| probability} that {milestones| turning points} will be {met| satisfied| fulfilled}. As {mentioned| discussed| pointed out} {earlier| previously}, it {should| ought to| must| needs to} be {individual| private| specific} {team members| staff member| employee} who own status {information| info| details}. That's the only {way| method} to make it {accurate| precise} and {reliable| dependable| reputable| trustworthy| trusted}, and I {like to| prefer to| want to} call it {democratizing| equalizing} the {process| procedure}.

2. {Provide| Offer| Supply} a {means| way| method} for {capturing| catching| recording} qualitative {information| info| details} in addition to quantitative {information| info| details}. I {look at| take a look at} it like the color commentary on a sports broadcast. There's a lot more to {accurate| precise} status {information| info| details} that {simply| just| merely} the {statistics| stats| data}. Qualitative {information| info| details} {gives| provides| offers} context to {simple| easy| basic} red, green, or yellow status {indicators| signs| indications}. Make it {easy| simple} for {team members| staff member| employee} to contribute this {information| info| details} and {project| job| task} leaders will have the "{real| genuine} story" when {looking at| taking a look at} {project| job| task} status. (This is something that {social media| social networks} tools do {very well| extremely well| effectively}, by the way.).

3. {Realize| Recognize| Understand} that {most people| many people| the majority of people} take pride in their work and some {occasional| periodic} {recognition| acknowledgment} is a {good thing| advantage| good idea}. {Most of| The majority of} the time, it {seem like| look like| appear like} we {only| just} {hear from| speak with} {the boss| in charge| the one in charge} is if we{'ve|  have actually} done something wrong. {One of| Among} the {reasons| factors} that team members {don't| do not} {update| upgrade} their {project| job| task} status in the PPM {software| software application}, yet will {sometimes| in some cases| often} {spend| invest} hours {updating| upgrading} status on Twitter or Facebook, is {because| since| due to the fact that} they get {positive| favorable} feedback from their {friends| buddies| pals| good friends}.

{Whether or not| Whether} you {determine| identify| figure out} to {use| utilize} a {project| job| task} management {solution| service| option} that {incorporates| integrates| includes} tools that {facilitate| help with| assist in} these {types of| kinds of} {behaviors| habits}, or you {choose to| decide to| opt to} {use| utilize} stand-alone {social media| social networks} tools, is {largely| mostly| mainly} {up to| as much as| approximately} you. The {questions| concerns} you {need to| have to} ask {include| consist of}:.

1. {What| Exactly what} will {help| assist} my {team| group} {communicate| interact} and {collaborate| work together| team up}?
2. How familiar are they with {social media| social networks} {generally| typically| normally| usually}?
3. Does it {need to| have to} {collect| gather} {information| info| details} into a {centralized| central} {location| place| area} for analysis and {distribution| circulation}?

{Socializing| Interacting socially| Mingling} (and {democratizing| equalizing}) the {process| procedure} {just| simply} {makes sense| makes good sense} to me. Those closest to the work {really| truly| actually} do {understand| comprehend} it {best| finest}. And, they {should| ought to| must| need to} be "{enabled| allowed| made it possible for}" to {provide| offer| supply} input into time-lines, {milestones| turning points}, and deliverables if {project| job| task} leaders {really| truly| actually} {want| desire} {accurate| precise} {information| info| details}. Does that mean that the {project| job| task} leaders {role| function} {diminishes| decreases| reduces| lessens}? Not in the least. In my {opinion| viewpoint}, their {role| function} {is elevated| rises} as it {evolves| develops| progresses} into more of a {sophisticated| advanced} {leadership| management} {role| function}. {Project| Job| Task} leaders who {are able to| have the ability to} {grasp| understand| comprehend} the vision of {relinquishing| giving up} the arcane {notions| concepts| ideas} of {managing| handling} {people| individuals} with a top-down {philosophy| viewpoint| approach} are seeing their {project| job| task} {teams| groups} increase {productivity| efficiency| performance}. I {hear from| speak with} {people| individuals} all the time who {tell| inform} me that this {mindset| frame of mind| state of mind} was not {only| just} liberating in {terms of| regards to} the {decrease| reduction| decline} in time they {spent| invested} glued to the {computer| computer system} screen; {involving| including} their {teams| groups} in more of the {project| job| task} {planning| preparation} {process| procedure} increases {team member| staff member| employee} engagement, increased {team| group} {camaraderie| friendship| sociability}, and {improved| enhanced} {productivity| efficiency| performance}.

In today's world, {socializing| interacting socially| mingling} the work management {process| procedure} {makes sense| makes good sense}. {What| Exactly what} are you doing to {democratize| equalize} {project| job| task} management and engage your {project| job| task} {teams| groups}?