Ensuring Successful Adoption of Project Management Software

I see (ambitious, well-meaning) agencies fall into these 5 pitfalls every day. And all of them are related to project management. 1. There is no single source of truth for their work. Tasks and commitments are spread across Google Docs, sheets, meeting notes, calendar slots, and PM software. It’s a simple recipe for chaos. Nobody’s able to keep track of everything they committed to, or realistically assess if they can get it all done. The fix: Set up a single source of truth. (For ZenPilot and our clients, we follow a simple rule: “if it's not in ClickUp, it didn't happen”.) 2. Work is not aligned with a realistic and detailed timeline. Deliverables may have due dates, but the particular steps (or subtasks) to get that deliverable done either aren’t there, or they don’t have information on when the steps will be completed. When you don’t know when each team member will complete each subtask, you won’t know who’s overbooked = they won’t get to their subtask on time = the whole project might be delayed. The fix: Prioritize work using due dates, and layout steps/subtasks in your process so that their due date falls on the day when it will be done. (Due Dates == Do Dates) 3. Processes/SOPs live separately from day to day work. If you’ve got your SOPs in a separate wiki or a set of Google Docs, that can hurt you in the long run. You’ll have your team hunting for SOPs outside of their day to day PM system. And if they find them, they’ll be scratching their heads whether the process is up to date. And even if it is up to date, now they need to create tasks for themselves to follow the process… The fix: Make your processes live where the work gets done. Ideally, turn them into ClickUp templates. 4. Ignoring project management habits. Your PM tool setup (hierarchy, folders, etc.) matters. The way your team uses the tool every day matters 10x more. If you’re not intentional about the habits you’re building, your tasks and projects will be updated inconsistently, with varying amounts of detail—leading to unclear data about where work actually stands. The fix: Set and train the team on uniform habits and standards around how often and in what detail tasks get updated. 5. Lack of consistency + accountability in their PM system. Typical scenario: An agency owner/director leads the charge implementing a new PM tool. It works great. They move on to their next goal. Without their supervision, standards fall apart. Nobody’s accountable for checking whether the system is being maintained. Team members end up updating the system “when they get around to it” (which quickly turns to “rarely ever”), making the data in the system unusable for decision making. The fix: Appoint a ClickUp Champion. Give them the task of checking the system daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Have them remind/train team members who don’t follow the system. Fix those, and you’ll be a top 10% agency.

Adopting new technology requires what I call “foundational”work. Here are three such key tasks: 1) Conduct a Thorough Needs Assessment -Evaluate existing tools and workflows: Are they meeting your needs, or are inefficiencies and manual tasks slowing you down? -Pinpoint pain points: Identify recurring challenges such as data silos, integration issues, or compliance gaps. -Engage your team: Host discussions or surveys to uncover their everyday challenges and gain insights from those closest to the work. 2) Map and Analyze Workflows -Document end-to-end processes: Map each step of key workflows, from intake to output. -Spot inefficiencies: Look for bottlenecks, redundant steps, and high-risk areas where errors commonly occur. -Visualize opportunities: Use these insights to identify areas ripe for automation or enhancement. 3) Set Clear, Data-Driven Goals -Tie goals to business outcomes: Define objectives that align with broader organizational priorities—e.g., "Reduce contract review time by 30%" or "Achieve a 15% increase in team productivity." -Define metrics of success: Establish KPIs that will help you track progress and assess ROI over time. 4) Build Cross-Functional Buy-In -Engage early with stakeholders: Collaborate with legal, IT, finance, and operations teams to ensure the chosen solution addresses both tactical needs and strategic objectives. -Promote transparency: Share the rationale behind adopting new technology and the benefits for each stakeholder group to build trust. #legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Meeting with enterprise customers and learning about their experiences with our products and services is always enlightening. I want everyone to benefit from our products and features, from roll-out and adoption to realizing business impact. A recurring theme I've heard from customers is their concern about the change management required to achieve successful adoption. To help alleviate that concern, I've summarized some proven tactics from early Copilot adopters who have successfully increased user adoption, excitement, satisfaction, and productivity. -Select a subset of teams to test-pilot the licenses through an early-access program -Host training sessions to get users up to speed quickly -Conduct an education campaign with employee opportunities to show and tell best practices -Set up feedback channels (i.e. Teams, Viva Engage) for user-reporting and knowledge sharing -After users are finding value, begin new test-pilots by moving licenses to other teams -Create an employee Ambassador program to help onboard new users Create your own AI adoption playbook with these tactics and more in our Copilot Success Kit. #Microsoft365Copilot https://lnkd.in/g7UhxPTg

You're not just delivering a project You're delivering a behavior shift. A new system, process, or tool means nothing if no one uses it. Except most project plans stop at launch. Not adoption. If you're a PM, you're also a change manager. Here's 3 tips to build for behavior AND delivery: ☝ Define what's changing for the end user Every project introduces friction. New steps. New tools. New habits. Map the real impact. Not just the shift in duties, but the human change. ✌ Bring people in early Change lands smoother when people see themselves in the solution. Co-design communications + plans with users. This will make them champions rather than critics. 🤟 Reinforce even after launch The project isn't done at go-live. Change management doesn't just happen at the end either. It's a living process, so plan for training, support, feedback loops, and follow-ups. That's where real adoption happens. Deliverables don't manage change. People do. Make sure to build behavior change into your projects so they're successful. 🤙