Last one year, I been working with a company as a contractor software developer. We don't use any project management tools, and it was hard for me at first. I been working companies who uses peoject management tools, kanba, board etc almost 7 years and it was the first time seeing this. But how we are doing?
Emails and Tickets
Our communication is on Emails. If some customer found a bug on our software, they create a ticket on our helpdesk, after that we are discuss about how we can fix it or who is wanna do it. Even some of the times I saw tickets and without any reply on it, fix it, reply my colleagues that bug fixed.
This approach is fine for short term management, things get messy when it's comes to bigger tasks.
Pen and Paper
Some of the tasks cannot be on Emails and Tickets because it's much bigger tasks. For example, I been developing an Application for iOS platform last couple months and I been tried emailing, things getting lost on inbox and doesn't make me motivated at all. Tried to use other things kanban, board etc but didn't feel it.
Then I tried something new and also boring, bought a pen and notebook and started to take notes and organize my roadmap. Now things really improved compare to before.
Now almost using everyday, for everything same method:
- Step one: Take out your notebook and pen
- Step two: Start writing about it
- Step thee: If it's not enough, you can draw it