Are you managing other people? If so, you probably know firsthand that traditional project management is broken. To truly manage a team effectively, you need a new kind of tool—one that’s designed to manage people, not just projects.
We created bythehorizon.com based on our own frustrating experiences as managers. We were overwhelmed by emails, meetings, and random check-ins trying to figure out what was going on, and no one ever felt in control. The tools we used didn’t help; at best, they just listed tasks without creating the sense of control and clarity we desperately needed.
So, we spoke with hundreds of managers to understand how they tackle their top management challenges. We discovered three basic principles that help the best managers around the world lead happier, more productive, and more successful teams. These principles are the foundation of bythehorizon.com, and currently, 15,111 teams are working smarter and achieving more with bythehorizon.com.
1. Set Clear Goals
People need a goal to focus on what’s important, motivate them toward a concrete outcome, and give them a sense of achievement when they reach it. Even a simple goal like “Complete this list of tasks for next week” is valuable.
Without goals, you end up assigning one task after another without direction. This demotivates the team. Imagine climbing a mountain as a team without seeing the peak, with the manager merely instructing where to step next. The team loses its sense of direction and, more importantly, motivation when the climb gets tough. They may slow down or give up entirely because their work seems endless and pointless without a big picture.
For us, the solution is to build a culture of transparency, and this is built into our product. The bythehorizon.com dashboard shows everyone how tasks fit into the larger context, who is responsible for what, and the current status. Even the tallest mountain feels conquerable when it’s all visually laid out on a board.
2. Manage by Time
We lose our sense of control without proper time management. Detailed project hierarchies don’t help with planning because they miss the order of execution. Real work is always planned by dates and deadlines, so starting with a list of tasks doesn’t make sense. Instead, plan a detailed list of all tasks for this week, next week, and so on. Managing by time sets achievable goals, creates urgency, and encourages smart decision-making.
We have a great post on how to build a weekly task board for your team: “3 Ridiculously Simple Steps to Skyrocket Your Team’s Productivity.” Last winter, we made time management even easier with our timeline feature, which is like a Gantt chart but simple, intuitive, and focused on people.
3. Give Recognition
Recognition is one of the most powerful tools managers have, but unfortunately, most tools on the market overlook it. What happens when you complete a task in traditional project management tools? It disappears! This is the opposite of what should happen. A manager should say, “Good job,” or at least acknowledge, “Hey, it’s done.”
Have you seen Dan Ariely’s great TED talk on what motivates people? One of the top factors is receiving recognition for your work. Bythehorizon.com elevates the need for recognition to a whole new level. Everyone can see a list of weekly tasks, and when a task is marked “done,” it turns green. Everyone knows, and recognition is given by the whole team, not just the manager. It’s instant and powerful. As a team, you can focus on the shared goal of turning the whole week green, and celebrate together. That’s why people say that bythehorizon.com is not only addictive but also makes teams happier.
