The different approaches to project management

All project managers want the same thing: projects that deliver results and bring in a solid ROI. But the way you get there depends on how your team works, what kind of project you're tackling, and your company’s overall approach to project management. In this section, we’ll look at different ways to manage projects and the methods you can use to make sure your projects hit the mark.

Project collaboration: what does it really mean — and why does it matter?

Most projects require collaboration across multiple departments, with different teams playing different roles to ensure the project runs smoothly. 

Typically, these roles include:

• Project sponsor: The project’s biggest supporter. They provide resources, support, and high-level direction.

• Project manager: The person in charge of planning, executing, and monitoring the project to make sure everything stays on track.

• Team members: The people doing the work. They bring their expertise to the table and handle specific tasks.

• Project stakeholders: Anyone affected by the project’s results — this can include both internal team members and external parties.

• Project customer: The end-user or client. Their satisfaction is the ultimate measure of a project’s success.

Project collaboration is the process where these stakeholders work together to achieve a shared goal. It typically involves open communication, mutual support, and the sharing of collective expertise 

Collaborative project management goes a step further, integrating collaboration into every phase of project management, from planning to execution. This approach provides alignment, transparency and adaptability.

The benefits of collaborative project management

By combining diverse perspectives, collaborative project management helps teams brainstorm fresh ideas, develop solutions, and deliver results more efficiently. But the real impact comes from how teams collaborate effectively and the resources they use to do so. 

MeisterTask is a straightforward, secure project management tool that helps your team manage project workflows with ease. It’s built with simplicity in mind, so you and your team get all the features you need (and none that you don’t) for successful collaboration. MeisterTask helps you:

• Plan smarter ahead of time: Instead of searching for scattered documents and long email threads, use Notes in MeisterTask to centralize your project plan. This way, everyone knows their role, key deadlines and what must be done — even before the work begins.

• Stay on the same page with teams: Say goodbye to missed updates or information isolated between departments. With real-time task tracking, embedded documentation and instant notifications, your team stays in the loop without the need for constant check-ins. Need to bring someone new in? Simply mention them in a task, drop a quick comment or link directly to the relevant project notes.

• Deliver results, not chaos: Track project progress by generating quick reports for an overview of project status so nothing falls through the cracks. And when the project wraps up, your documentation and insights are already stored in MeisterTask. Use these resources to help plan and improve your next collaborative project.

Project management methodologies 

Different projects demand different approaches. Each project management method has unique principles and practices that affect how projects are planned, executed and monitored. Let’s explore some widely used methods and learn how teams can benefit from these specific approaches.

Kanban

Kanban is a popular, flexible and visual project management method that uses boards to represent workflows. Each board contains columns that reflect different stages of the project management process, while tasks are displayed as cards that move through the columns. This approach helps teams easily visualize work in progress, manage task priorities and identify bottlenecks.

This method is right for you if you often handle ever-evolving workloads. For example, you may work in a busy marketing or IT support team with new tasks and updates constantly flowing in. Kanban project management might also suit you if you’re specifically seeking a flexible, visual approach.

Scrum

The Scrum method, often used in agile project management, involves delivering work in short, focused sprints. Scrum teams typically hold regular stand-up meetings to discuss progress and address any obstacles, encouraging alignment and continuous improvement.

Scrum is excellent for iterative development. This method is likely to suit you if you work in software development or with projects that require frequent updates or stakeholder feedback. 

💡MeisterTask supports Scrum practices with templates that track sprint progress and visualize goals. Teams can easily assign tasks, set sprint deadlines and monitor overall project health.

Agile project management

Agile project management prioritizes flexibility, iterative planning and customer satisfaction. This type of project management embraces change and is suitable for you if you often work on fast-paced projects with evolving requirements. It encourages collaboration among cross-functional teams and continuous delivery of value to customers.

Waterfall

Waterfall is a linear project management approach that progresses through defined phases. For example, initiation, planning, execution and closing. Each phase depends on the completion of the previous one, making the waterfall best suited for projects with precise requirements and predictable outcomes.

This type of project management method works well for clearly defined, sequential tasks. If you work in industries like construction or manufacturing, it’s an excellent choice. This is because waterfall project management practices work wonders for ensuring precision and adherence to specifications.

Hybrid models

Many teams also benefit from a hybrid approach that blends elements of the above project management strategies. For example, you may choose waterfall for high-level project planning and agile project management for task execution.