Mastering notion for project management

Master project management in Notion: leverage blocks, customize views, and collaborate for enhanced team productivity.

Dec 13, 2023

It's Monday morning, and you've got projects scattered across Trello and a handful of other tools. Plus, each task has a bunch of links that you need to dive into just to figure out what's going on.

So, you're doing the usual app-hopping, switching contexts, and juggling tabs like it's your side job. And guess what? After a full eight hours, you're left wondering why it feels like you've been running on a productivity hamster wheel.

Most of the project management tools are great for project managers but not so much for the ones actually doing the work.

That's where we need a game-changer—a project management app that brings everything under one roof. This is where Notion Comes into play. It's like your Swiss Army knife, super versatile, and ready to match your work style.

This article is your guide to using Notion for project management. Let's dive in!

Why choose Notion for project management?

There are countless online tools out there claiming to keep your work organized and boost collaboration. But the catch is, most of them miss the mark when it comes to having the essential features for effective project management.

Take a closer look, and you'll notice that many project management tools cater to specific types of workers. For example, Asana and Trello are heaven for marketers, while Jira and Linear are tailor-made for software developers.

These tools come with a predetermined idea of how you should use them, and they rarely align with what you really need. That's the main reason folks keep hopping from one tool to another.

Now, here's where Notion steps in with its game-changing feature: customization. Notion operates on blocks and databases, giving you the power to craft your dream workspace for project management and beyond.

With Notion, the possibilities are endless. You can whip up and assign tasks, document processes, embed content blocks, use task templates, create spreadsheets, and collaborate seamlessly.

In simpler terms, it's like having the functions of several apps bundled into one. No wonder Notion is a go-to choice for solopreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and startups alike.

Consider Emil Bryggare, the CEO and founder of Convas, as an example. He made the switch from Asana to Notion, and here's the reason why:

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“When we first started Convas, we used Asana for project and task management. We already used Notion for knowledge management, so we decided to try if we can get rid of yet another tool. Having everything in one tool makes it perfect for us at this stage.”

5 ways to use Notion for Project Management

Notion's versatility and adaptability make it a powerful tool for project management. Here are five ways you can utilize it for efficient and effective project management:

Project Plan & Organize :Create a centralized project hub with details, tasks, deadlines, resources, and team. Outline tasks, prioritize, and visualize progress using boards or timelines.

Manage & Track: Utilize Kanban boards, set deadlines & reminders, filter tasks, and track time. Measure individual and team productivity by integrating with time tracking tools.

Collaborate & Communicate: Share project pages and documents, discuss tasks through comments & mentions, create meeting notes & agendas, and integrate with communication tools for real-time updates.

Manage Knowledge: Store project documents, build a wiki with articles & FAQs, clip relevant web content, and develop a project glossary for clarity.

Report & Analyze: Generate reports, visualize data with charts & graphs, export data for further analysis, and leverage AI features for convenience.

Key Features of Notion Project Management

Notion offers diverse features for project management:

Wikis: Centralize documentation for policies, contracts, company goals, and project details in one location.

Kanban Board: Track task assignments and statuses ("To do," "Doing," or "Done") for a clear overview of team progress.

Database Views: View project tasks in list, timeline, calendar, gallery, or table formats for flexible scheduling and planning.

Blocks: Everything in Notion is a 'block,' whether text, image, or table, allowing for easy rearrangement and transformation.

Project Pages: Each item in Notion's database has its own dedicated page, serving as a versatile canvas for text, knowledge bases, Kanban boards, or any other content.

How to use Notion for Project Management?

Notion provides extensive flexibility and customization options tailored to meet your particular requirements.

Additionally, numerous pre-designed templates for project management are accessible in the market. Obtain them either from the Notion Gallery or Bullet's Templates Gallery, where free and premium templates are conveniently categorized.

Below is a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on utilizing Notion from scratch for managing projects.

Step 1: Create a Project Dashboard

Begin by logging into your existing Notion account or establishing one if you haven't done so yet. Establish a dedicated workspace for your project management, where you can efficiently organize multiple projects.

Step 2: Create a Project Database

Within your workspace, generate a new database to store information relevant to your project. To do this, click the "New page" button and select "Database." To know more about database, you can check mastering notion databases.

Step 3: Define your database properties

Tailor your project database by specifying properties. Standard properties comprise:

Project Name: The project's title.

Project Description: A concise project overview.

Status: Monitor progress (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Completed).

Priority: Allocate priority levels to each project.

Due Dates: Establish deadlines for projects.

Assignee: Designate responsible team members for each project.

Tags: Classify projects by type or department.

Step 4: Add projects to the Database

Input your projects into the database as separate entries, providing the necessary details for each project. Complete the relevant information for every individual project entry.

Step 5: Set up Visual Project Management

Opt for a visual project management method by generating Kanban boards or Gantt charts.

For Kanban boards, employ columns like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done" for visual task and project management.

For Gantt charts, establish a table with columns for tasks, start dates, and end dates, then utilize the timeline view to produce a Gantt chart.

Step 6: Task Management

In each project entry, compile task and subtask lists using bullet points, checkboxes, or tables.

Assign tasks to team members and establish deadlines.

Utilize the @ mention feature to alert team members of task updates.

Attach files, links, and pertinent documents to associated tasks for convenient access.

Step 7: Collaboration and Communication

Encourage teamwork by chatting about project updates, tossing around ideas, and dropping questions right on the project pages. Don't forget to use @mentions to give your teammates a heads-up when you need their thoughts or action!

Step 8: Track the tasks

Consistently update task statuses in the project database, utilizing the status property to reflect progress. Employ filters and views to craft personalized project perspectives, like a "My Tasks" view for each team member.

Step 9: Reminders & Notifications

Establish reminders and deadlines for crucial tasks to stay organized and meet timelines. Notion will send notifications when tasks are approaching their due dates.

Step 10: Review & Adjust

Periodically examine project databases and boards to evaluate advancement, pinpoint bottlenecks, and make adjustments to project plans as needed.

Step 11: Share and Collaborate

Make sure to keep everyone in the loop and engaged in the project by sharing the relevant project pages or databases with stakeholders, clients, or external partners.

Step 12: Archive Completed Projects

After finishing a project, either archive it or relocate it to an archive workspace to maintain a well-organized workspace.

EndNotes

Notion is seriously amazing for project management, offering tons of ways to customize things the way you like. It's versatile enough to fit in with any team, from engineering to marketing.

Sure, there's a bit of a learning curve, but you can kickstart with pre-made project databases and use cool automation tools to shift your tasks in a breeze. Once you get the hang of it, you won't even think about switching to another app!

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Nagarathinammal