No matter if you are a struggling taxpayer (who’s seriously considering claiming your chihuahua as a dependent), a new accountant, or a veteran of the industry, below you’ll find the taxes memes and accounting memes to make you laugh… and cry at the same time!

Top Taxes Memes In 2023

We think you’ll agree with us when we say: for accountants and taxpayers alike, taxes are a painful subject. With that in mind, we’ve gone and done an epic scouring of the interwebs to find hilarious memes to cheer you up and get you through the day!

Everhour is the top choice for small businesses and small to mid-size teams of 5 to 50 members, including professionals like software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it!

Seamlessly integrating with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution for small and mid-size teams.

With dedicated support ensuring you receive timely assistance, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Tax Return Memes

Dreaming about the moment you open your mailbox and see your tax return? You’re not alone! Below is your one-stop tax return memes collection!

Tax Season Memes

When the tax season rolls around, you know you’re in for a hard time. We hope that these epic tax season memes will cheer you up during the busy season!

Accounting Memes

Shoutout to all the tired accountants out there! If it hasn’t been your day, or week, or month, or even your year… The pics below will at least make you giggle!

Ahem, while we’re at it – check out our list of the best small business accounting software. We made you laugh, it’s only fair! 😏

Pickup Lines for Accountants Memes

Last but not least, who said that romance was dead in the accounting department?! When it comes to the art of flirting, there are some solid accounting pickup lines you’ve got to try!

In Closing

How can we help? Everhour is a time management software that will help you know where your personal time and time of your team is going, keep projects on budget, reduce your business costs and increase transparency.

We hope that this roundup of the funniest tax memes & accounting memes has brightened your day! And thanks for checking.

The post Laugh Your Way Through Tax Season: The Funniest Taxes Memes Online appeared first on Everhour Blog.

Everhour is the top choice for small businesses and small to mid-size teams of 5 to 50 members, including professionals like software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it!

Seamlessly integrating with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution for small and mid-size teams.

With dedicated support ensuring you receive timely assistance, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

What for Do You Need Timesheet Meme?

Sending a meme is a nice way to lighten up the working atmosphere and get the timesheet without being bossy. Spruce up a working routine with the collection of timesheet memes to remind your staff about the deadline coming.

1. Gentle Timesheet Reminders

Lets call it the stage of early-warning timesheet reminders.

2. Five-Second Reminders to Submit a Timesheet

Then you get several other reminders, when the time is pressing.

3. Harsh Timesheet Reminder

And now… That moment when boss is running out of patience.

4. Timesheets Due: Employee Lame Excuses

That time when an employee delays filling out timesheet.

5. When You Finally Do Your Timesheet

Oh, that feeling when you finally submitted your timesheet.

6. And Now… Timesheet Approval

When you are waiting for the verdict from your boss.

Next Level

If you see that delay in reporting is a tendency rather than a rare occasion, then the relevant time management software maybe not the least important factor. The best timesheets apps can greatly empower your team, and employing the best time tracking practices will make your work flawless.

At Everhour we are constantly working on a time management system that helps you to track your working hours effectively and improve time management. Everhour integrates seamlessly with such project management systems as Asana, Basecamp, Trello, Github, Jira. That’s why you will see the timer near each task you are working with, which makes time tracking simple to use and convenient.

Try Everhour free for 14 days, and see the benefits are obvious. 🙂

The post Laugh at the Clock: Best Timesheet Memes for Your Daily Dose of Humor appeared first on Everhour Blog.

In this article, we will learn what Monroe’s motivated sequence is and what best techniques you can use to develop the art of giving public speeches.

​What is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence?

Alan Monroe, a professor at Purdue University, used the psychology of persuasion to develop an outline for making speeches. This system helps to deliver the best public presentations that motivate people to act. It’s now known as Monroe’s Motivated Sequence outline.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence finds application in various real-world scenarios. It helps to organize and structure speeches, making them clear and ensuring their point hits home. The implementation of the elements of persuasion psychology, keeps the audience focused and inspired to act. That’s why Monroe’s motivated sequence outline is so effective. Its five key stages include attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and call to action.

​

Everhour is the top time tracker for SMB teams, including software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it! Seamlessly integrating with popular PM tools, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution. With dedicated support, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Steps

Let’s dive right in and have a look at the five steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence that you need to follow to get your speeches to work.

Step 1: Grab attention

Getting listeners’ attention may seem challenging. However, it’s a chance to make a solid foundation for your speech. If you grab your audience’s attention at the start, they are more likely to listen to you till the end. 

Use your imagination here. You’re basically looking for a way to get your audience to sit up and pay attention. Make your listeners realize that you have something fascinating to say. In general, people have very short attention spans. Once you have their attention you need to move on quickly.

Identify with your listeners

Begin your presentation with a story related to your topic, tell a dramatic tale, pose a question, make a shocking statement, use a historical fact… This will work as a great ice-breaker, relieving your inner tension and helping you capture listeners’ interest.

Make your audience trust you

Tell them why the topic is interesting to them. State clear and practical purposes, so people will know what to expect. Raise curiosity by asking questions or sharing unexpected facts related to the topic. 

Show authority and reputation

Make yourself more credible by sharing a set of reliable statistics or mentioning that you’ve investigated the topic thoroughly before. Add some visual content to your presentation, such as videos, charts, and images, as well as solid statistics. This will show that you’re well-prepared and ready to teach your listeners about the issue.

Step 2: Define the need

At this stage, you need to raise awareness of the problem you’re presenting. Don’t suggest any solutions in this step. Use this part to help people understand that there is a problem and that the challenge needs to be undertaken.

Elaborate the issue

Explain the way things work right now and that this needs to change. Show the consequences of keeping the issue as it is right now. At the same time, there is no need to increase tension or invoke panic. It’ll seem unrealistic. Just support your topic. Use reliable information, such as statistical data and evidence from the people involved. At this point, the visual data prepared in advance will be your most valuable asset.

Make it urgent

Imply the idea of time limits. Using statistics, make your audience realize how important the topic is and that it requires determined action right now. Show the dynamics of the issue becoming worse, explain if the consequences are irreversible or not. 

Highlight how it affects your listeners

Your audience may be concerned about a lot of issues around the world but never take action. This is mainly because these issues aren’t directly related to your listeners. Demonstrate how the problem affects each person in the room. Make your listeners accumulate tension until they feel the need to resolve the issue themselves.

Step 3: Satisfy the need

When you see that the audience is ready for action, it’s time to show them the way. Here you need to provide your solution. It should be concise, simple to follow, and easily understood by every listener. 

Present your idea in detail

Formulate your position and provide your solution. Divide your proposal into simple steps and clearly state what you want your listeners to do, believe, or understand.

Provide examples and summarize the idea

Find some fitting examples that demonstrate how your solution should work. Charts and statistics will also add to your arguments. Think of how your solution could benefit your audience and remember to include this information into your presentation.

Suggest your idea for discussion

You need to be prepared for possible questions and have a few counterarguments in your back pocket to show that your solution works. Fear no question. Instead, take the interest as a positive sign that your audience is listening.

Step 4: Visualize the future

At this point, you present to your audience what will the future be like if they implement or refuse your solution. You can do it using the following methods:

Positive attitude

Emphasis should be on the positive sides of your plan’s realization. Explain to your listeners how good the future will be if they agree to follow your idea.

Negative attitude

The focus should be on the negative consequences if your plan is rejected. Explain to your audience how bad the future will be if they reject your solution.

Contrast

This is used to compare positive and negative attitudes. First, start with a negative scenario and after contrast it with a positive one. Make the contrast vivid and feasible. Your listeners should feel that your solution is the only and best choice out there. 

Step 5: Actualization

At the end of your speech, your listeners shouldn’t feel overwhelmed with information. It’s important to concisely summarize and propose steps of action to your audience. 

1. Tell your listeners exactly what steps they need to take to resolve the issue.
2. Explain to your listeners which tools they have to address the problem.
3. Invite your listeners to ask you additional questions.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Outline Examples

Many public speakers, vendors, CEOs, students, and those who want to succeed in giving presentations, in general, employ Monroe’s motivated sequence speech technique to ensure that when they talk, they hit the mark. For example, almost every TED talk presentation is built with Monroe’s Motivated Sequence to engage fully with the audience. That’s why they’re so popular. It’s the science of public speaking. 

Let’s take a look at this example here and analyze it.

Melissa Marshall, communications teacher and faculty member of the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences at Penn State University, clearly follows Monroe’s motivated sequence outline.

Here’s the outline of Monroe’s motivated sequence example:

1. Grab attention. Melissa identifies herself with the audience by saying that she felt scared when teaching nerdy guys communication skills. Most of us would feel scared taking on a responsible task. Also, she wittily uses the allegory of Alice in Wonderland, talking about the hidden and fascinating world of science she discovered.
2. Define the need. The speaker talks about the importance of developing great communication skills for scientists and engineers so that they will be able to share their ideas with regular people.
3. Satisfy the need. Melissa explains the steps on how to boost communication and story-telling skills by avoiding jargon, giving simple comparisons, and avoiding bullet points in presentations.
4. Visualize the future. The speaker explains how beneficial it’ll be for scientists and engineers to obtain communication skills as they will be able to share their ideas with a greater audience.
5. Actualization. Melissa wraps up her topic with a simple formula: (science – (jargon + bullets) / relevance) x passion ) that can be easily implemented in practice by nerdy guys.

That’s it!

Now, think, what in this speech made you want to act? Pinpoint that and you’ll know what to aim for in your next big talk.

Remember, Monroe’s motivated sequence outline isn’t just for conference presentations. You can use it for your daily office work to make great and persuasive speeches during meetings or giving presentations. 

What Else Do You Need For a Good Presentation

Monroe’s motivated sequence outline will form a strong foundation for your speech, but what else will help drive the point home? Here are some additional tips on how to prepare beforehand and what to do after your presentation:

Stay motivated 😌

Many of us often feel that the most unpleasant tasks should be done last. Creating speeches may be one of them. They require lots of preparation and, something scary, talking in front of people. Don’t fall into this common misconception! Start preparing early and you’ll be more likely to have success. We’ve gathered the most effective tips on how to stay productive and motivated here. 

Keep your time 🕒

Use special time tracking software that is easily integrated into your daily apps. They will help arrange, monitor, and devote working time evenly through working processes. This allows you to prepare well-designed and thoroughly-considered speeches that will win over your audience.

Consider the best time for your presentation 🌇

Timing is essential for your speech just like in the workflow process. Think when most of your colleagues can spare some time to see your presentation. A simple time tracker can help you match your co-workers’ schedules to arrange your meeting at the best time. 

Use diagrams, flowcharts and mind maps 📈

Structure your speech and highlight the most important parts of your presentation. Never read your speech from a sheet, use cards or diagrams to see the key points you’re going to talk about. This will make your presentation more vivid and show that you know the subject well.

Release tension 🧘

Balance your working time and time-off. It’s important to rest enough before writing your speech as it’s a creative process and the best ideas hit fresh brains. Measure your productivity and stay creative at work to produce inspirational ideas and presentations.

Keep track of the goals set during your presentation ✅

Monitoring task fulfillment after your presentation gives you valuable data on how well the project is moving forward. A good estimation is important! You can present the information gathered in the form of statistics at the next meeting, showing the progress of the project and your contribution to it.

That’s a Wrap for Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Outline

Knowing how to best utilize Monroe’s motivated sequence outline to create great speeches is step 1 for anyone who wants to influence people, have the ability to persuade and upgrade their employability potential. It’s an essential skill for all successful business people, no matter the field.

Although not all people possess the skill of public speaking, it’s possible to develop and maintain it. What’s needed is practice, some knowledge of specialized techniques, such as Monroe’s motivated sequence outline, and more practice.

The post Effective Persuasion with Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Outline: Tips & Techniques appeared first on Everhour Blog.

Yet, amidst these difficulties, there’s a silver lining: the camaraderie and shared laughter that come from relatable night shift memes. Night shift workers have discovered a comedic outlet that helps them find humor in the nocturnal hours. 

In this blog post, we delve into the world of night shift memes and uncover the laughter that bonds those who toil through the night.

Night Shift Nurse Memes

Nurses, the unsung heroes of the night, face a range of unique situations during their shifts. Night shift nurse memes capture these experiences with a blend of humor and understanding. 

These memes shed light on the trials and triumphs of working as a nurse when the world is fast asleep. From dealing with peculiar patient requests to battling the endless struggle for a decent cup of coffee, night shift nurse memes depict the hilarious moments that only those in the same shoes can truly appreciate.

Here are some examples of night shift nurse memes that will have you nodding your head in agreement and laughing out loud:

Shifts by Everhour provides an intuitive shift scheduling software for managing employee schedules with ease. From flexible scheduling options to mobile accessibility, it’s the ideal solution for optimizing workforce management in any industry.

Welcome to the Night Shift Memes

Stepping into the night shift realm is like entering a whole new world, where darkness becomes your companion and sleep becomes a distant memory. The “Welcome to the Night Shift” memes perfectly capture the rollercoaster of emotions that come with embracing this nocturnal lifestyle.

These memes playfully depict the initial experiences and adjustments of individuals starting their night shift journeys. From the disorientation of flipping your sleep schedule upside down to navigating the world of nocturnal creatures, these memes strike a chord with anyone who has embarked on the night shift adventure.

Here are a few examples of “Welcome to the Night Shift” memes that will make you smile and nod knowingly:

Night Shift Isn’t That Bad Memes

Working the night shift often comes with its fair share of challenges, but there’s a silver lining hidden in the darkness. The “Night Shift Isn’t That Bad” memes celebrate the unexpected perks and humorous moments that make the nocturnal journey a little more bearable.

These memes playfully showcase the unique advantages and joys of working during the night. From having the workplace all to yourself to enjoying a quieter and more peaceful environment, these memes remind us that there’s a bright side to the night shift.

Here are a few examples of “Night Shift Isn’t That Bad” memes that will put a smile on your face:

Day Shift vs. Night Shift Memes

The eternal debate between day shift and night shift workers has sparked a treasure trove of hilarious memes. These memes playfully compare the experiences of those working during the day and those burning the midnight oil. Let’s dive into the world of day shift vs. night shift memes and explore the humorous contrasts between the two.

These memes highlight the quirks, challenges, and perks of each shift. From contrasting sleep patterns and caffeine dependencies to contrasting work environments and social lives, day shift vs. night shift memes provide a light-hearted glimpse into the unique worlds of both schedules.

Here are a few examples of day shift vs. night shift memes that will have you chuckling and nodding along:

Night Shift Meme: Conclusion

Night shift work may have its challenges, but the world of night shift memes brings laughter and camaraderie to those who embrace the nocturnal lifestyle. From night shift nurses to newbies adjusting to the darkness, from finding humor in the challenges to celebrating the perks, these memes serve as a reminder that we’re all in this together.

As you continue your night shift journey, remember to find solace and amusement in the relatable experiences captured by these memes. Let the laughter fuel your resilience and make those late-night hours a little brighter.

Keep the humor alive in the nocturnal world!

The post Hilarious Night Shift Memes to Brighten Your Graveyard Hours appeared first on Everhour Blog.

Because statements of work are detailed and thorough, creating one can seem a bit overwhelming. It may require employing certain tools – such as the best time tracking software, for example. To help, we’ve broken down the details for you and put together this simple, easy-to-follow guide to the ins and outs of creating a statement of work.

The FREE template you can find below 👇👇👇

What is a Statement of Work?

A statement of work or SoW is a contract setting up the expectations for the project and aligning the team(s) involved. Details should clarify the price, timeline, deliverables, process, expectations of requirements, invoicing schedules, and much more, depending on the scope and breadth of your project.

Put simply, SoW is a document of agreement between a client and agency defining the details of what the project will include and what it won’t. 

A statement of work is among the first documents you’ll put together to assemble the framework of a project before entering the planning and execution stages. In essence- it’s the first detailed overview of your project. 

Everhour is the top time tracker for SMB teams, including software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it! Seamlessly integrating with popular PM tools, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution. With dedicated support, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Why is a statement of work important?

Ultimately, a statement of work is about managing and documenting expectations. The guidelines laid out in the statement of work provide clarity, and detail, and will make sure everyone’s on the same page, avoiding conflict within the workings of the project. The sides and parties who should receive a statement of work are:

1. The project leader will need the statement of work since it captures and defines every detail of building and maintaining the project.
2. Contractors or collaborators outside your organization will use the SoW as a detailed compass for navigating the terms, deliverables, work details, schedules, and expected outcomes.
3. Everyone involved with the contract, regardless of whether they’re bound and contracted. For instance, contractors who are still bidding on the project, or even vendors looking to contribute with product/services you may need to utilize. You may want to make sure that they understand and acknowledge the guidelines laid out in your SoW.

Statement of Work vs Scope of Work, Project Charter & Master Services Agreement

We’ve found that these terms are easily confused, or they’re used interchangeably (incorrectly), so we thought we’d include a short section here clarifying the differences. 

Statement of work vs. scope of work

If you are wondering what the difference is between a scope of work vs. a statement of work, it’s pretty simple:

The statement of work is an all-encompassing, detailed document outlining the goals, purpose, guidelines, deliverables, time requirements, costs, etc.

The scope of work is one section within the SoW describing in detail the projected outcomes of the project and the specifics about the job done to hit those outcomes. 

Outlining the project scope helps nail down the project’s direction and make sure it stays rooted to its original goal. Projects will invariably change some, but a scope of work helps ensure that change doesn’t deviate too far from the path or grow out of control. You’ll find the scope of work detailed out more when we examine the SoW outline. 

Statement of work vs. project charter

The difference between a project charter and an SoW is that the project charter confirms authorization of the project, and contains the scope of work within it. In contrast, a project charter is a short, formal document confirming approval to start or continue a project. It’s usually drawn up after review by an investor or project initiator, and it states the purpose and key elements of the project. Learn more about a project charter and what it can do for you.

Statement of work vs. master services agreement (MSA)

An MSA covers a mutually consensual contract outlining the terms that govern future agreements or transactions between an agency and a client. The MSA’s purpose is to bind the parties involved to some simple terms in order to expedite the agreement of any future transactions quickly. The MSA should include and define as many terms as possible as generically as possible to avoid the need for repeated renegotiation so that all parties can better focus on the details.  

3 Different Types of SoW

The basic types of statements of work fall mainly into 3 categories:

1. Design/detail

This type of SoW outlines the buyer’s expectations and requirements for the flow of the project and is put in place to tell the supplier how the work’s completion should meet those expectations. Examples of these requirements could include quality control, measurements, materials, etc. The most critical point of this type of SoW is to make clear that since the contractor is required to follow the buyer’s explicit requirements rather than its own, the buyer bears the risk of performance.

Using a requirements-gathering template for this type of SoW is key, as it ensures communication regarding any questions and answers about the buyer’s requirements (a measurement of materials, quality, and requirements for the supplier’s process, just to name a few).

2. Level of effort/time and materials/unit rate

This type of SoW is a kind of one-size-fits-all version and focuses on the deliverables of work hours, as well as defining the materials required to complete the project.

3. Performance-based

This SoW defines the conditions of contracts measured on a performance-based work structure, including equipment supplied and the purpose of the work performed:

The method of completion of the work is unspecified, giving the project manager the autonomy to decide how to complete the project successfully.

How to Write a Statement of Work

Since it captures and defines every detail of your project, it’s imperative that your statement of work is thorough and accurate. At the same time, it’s a good idea to keep it short and detailed to make it easy to follow. Sounds tough? Worry not! Here’s how to make it right:

• Break up the project into phases. This way, you can get an idea of what each stage requires as you go, along with what SoW has to contain within each phase.
• Define your goal and how you’re going to reach it. Present a detailed outline of deliverables. Then what it’s going to take to produce those deliverables? Expand on not only what is within the scope of the project, but what may be outside of it as well. 
• Explain the purpose of your project in a way that will be crystal clear to all involved. The plan itself may be a dynamic process, but your clear, concise purpose won’t. This is the benchmark on how you’ll measure the project’s success. 
• Set clear, simple, quantifying boundaries, so all parties understand the expectations of project completion. 
• Based on the four points above, our scope of the project statement is to mutually determine expectations of the project’s range of requirements within the tasks of the project.
• Make it short and sweet but still clear enough that there’s no room for misinterpretation.
• Educate and validate! Make sure you know your SoW inside out. This way, your team, your client, and whoever else is on a need-to-know basis understands it too. Best practice: check-in throughout the project and provide bullet reminders of pertinent points to keep everyone on track.  
• USE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOL! A good project management tool is a game-changer. It ensures you have all t’s crossed and i’s dotted in your SoW. 

🎓 PRO TIP: If possible, include a work breakdown structure in your SoW. It is super useful for breaking down larger projects into more manageable chunks. Consider using project management software to manage, organize, and track your tasks and their respective sub-tasks.

Using Everhour as an example, you can break down the budget spent by individual task, project phase, and even employee. Employees themselves can have a blanket hourly rate, or a specific project rate — making it easy to account for any external contractors you bring into your team. For longer projects and retainers, there’s also an option to track recurring budgets.

Statement of Work Outline

As with finishing any large task- breaking down a statement of work into detailed bits makes it infinitely easier to complete. The parts of your SoW will be proportionate to the size of your project. Let’s get into the major points of the project it should touch on. 

✔️ Introduction

The introduction gives a general explanation of the work and who is involved in the project. A standing offer will follow (a commitment to the project). This locks in the cost of products and/or services needed for the project. It also paves the way for a more formal, detailed contract.

✔️ Project purpose

This portion of the SoW describes the purpose of doing the project. What is it for? Why do you want to initiate the project? Be sure a strong purpose statement starts off the project purpose section and provides detailed answers to questions about objectives, deliverables, and returns on investment.

✔️ Scope of work

Here you’ll find detailed information on further completion of the project. You’ll include an outline detailing the required work, the processes used to complete the job, what time frame it will take to complete the project, and the utilization of resources to complete the project, such as tools, software, hardware, etc.

✔️ Where will the work be done?

Specify the project site if your team will be working from a central location, or details about the circumstances if they’re working remotely. No matter where your people are working, communication detailing their location, as well as any tools used on location is imperative. (Software, equipment, etc.)

✔️ Break down the steps outlined in the scope of work section into detailed tasks

This is the place to make sure your steps are clear and detailed, as laid out in the scope of work. Things like the specific work needed, processes to achieve completion, how long it will take to complete the project, and the required purchasable resources to complete the project.

Remember, breaking up each of these categories into phases or milestones will make it much easier to create detailed, quantifiable plans for each. to make sure everyone understands what it will take to complete each phase of the project. 

✔️ Create measurable milestones

Layout clearly how much time is available and scheduled to complete the project from beginning to end. Agree on a start date and a proposed finish date, then make sure detailed billable hours by day, week, month are available. This includes hours spent on detailing and recording billable hours and schedules!

Make any maximum amounts for billable hours for contractors and/or vendors clear here as well. This is the part where we’re dabbling in people’s paychecks- so specificity is paramount here. 

✔️ What are the deliverables?

Make a list of deliverables along with a clear, agreed-upon explanation of what is due and when. Details related to the “finished product” are helpful here- quantity, color, size, structure, etc. Whatever is required to satisfy the expectation of deliverables, be it physical, visual, or whatever – agree on its details and when it’s due.

✔️ Scheduling

This section includes a detailed list of the anticipated schedule for each and any parties involved in the project and begins with the expected completion of deliverables. The details of which vendor, contractor, etc. will hold responsibility for this when it will begin, the performance period, the development phase, the review phase, the implementation phase, the testing phase, and the timing of the close of the project. Depending upon the specifics of the project, there may be more or fewer scheduling phases.

✔️ Standards and testing

Define and list the industry standards required if applicable, as well as any adherence to testing requirements. Make it detailed. What do the standards clearly state? Measure the inventory of testing equipment, if any, and those persons involved in the testing process.

✔️ Obtain a clear definition of success

Define the expectations of the stakeholders involved in this project. What would they define as the successful completion of the project? Make sure this is clear to all parties.

✔️ Misc. requirements

Will anyone need to travel for this project? Detail that here. List any certifications or educational degrees required for the successful completion of the project (if any), and be sure to list specifically any equipment or resources needed. 

✔️ Payments 

Once the project budget is created- list and agree on the payment amounts, schedule of payments related to the project, and whether are payouts delivered upon completion or up-front. Will payment occur per milestone? Whatever payment plan suits the needs of all parties of the project requires agreement here.

✔️ Other, misc. 

Every project is different, and they don’t usually fit neatly in a box wrapped up with a bow. There are almost always ancillary details that don’t fall into the categories listed above. This section is the place to list them in detail. Examples of these could include budgets for travel pay, details around security, protection of proprietary information, etc. 

✔️ Closure

This piece is just as it says: final determination of the deliverables. Including the conditions of their acceptance, responsibility for the quality of deliverables, and determining involvement in delivery, review, and approval. The closure also includes an agreement by all parties regarding the final administrative duties. This ensures the project is approved, officially closed and archived.

Statement of Work Templates

An SoW template can be a lifesaver when it comes to designing and writing out a complete statement of work. The process is time-consuming! Because of the amount of detail it needs to include, using even a simple statement of work template will help you avoid leaving anything out. 

Click one of the links below to download a free, simple, easy-to-use SoW template. Our template is basic, providing the broad points an SoW should cover. This gives you the freedom to tailor it to the needs of your business. Also, it excludes those things you may not need.

The template will walk you through each step, making the process of creating the SoW faster and easier. It also documents the specifics of dates and timelines, helping your team stay on task. Reach your project goal successfully:

Here’s the link: Statement of Work Template

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a statement of work a contract?
  Not by itself. It’s a document within the contract or part of a project’s contract laying out the landscape of the project.
• Is a statement of work a legal document?
  Yes- since it’s within the contract, it’s a legally binding document.
• Who creates the statement of work?
  The SoW passes through a few hands during its creation: A coordinator plans the categories that are to be included in the SoW. Next, an author(s) devise a draft. The SoW is then passed to a reviewer(s) who provides comments and potential changes needed. The editor coordinates with the reviewers to analyze their insights. He or she then either incorporates them into the SoW or disregards them depending upon the consensus. The final version of the document is then signed by both parties and passed on for implementation.

A Few Final Thoughts

It really can’t be overstated how important it is to draft a clean, quality statement of work for any project. Set yourself up for success! First, understand what an SoW is. Next, what kind of SoW is right for your specific needs? Finally- understand how to follow the steps and the outline thoroughly. Using a template ensures you’ll get it right, and will help you reach your project’s goals. 

The post Statement of Work Explained: Essentials of a Well-Crafted SOW appeared first on Everhour Blog.

Here’s the link: Everhour Free Timesheet Template

All you need to do is make a copy and start using it! Below are a few more details on its benefits and how to use it effectively. 

How to use this simple timesheet template

Here at Everhour, we’ve already helped over 3,000 businesses to track time and manage projects. You might have heard of our time tracker (if not, we welcome you to try it), but if you need to keep things simple – an efficient timesheet template is more than enough.

So, how it works:

• Make a copy of our Google Spreadsheet (the template itself isn’t editable);
• Set the first date (for all other days, dates will be set automatically) and whether you need to include weekends;
• Choose an appropriate layout: Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly;
• Fill out time spent using hours and minutes (there is a cheat sheet to easily convert hours into decimal format);
• Print the spreadsheet using the “File > Print” option in your browser. Even a monthly timesheet fits perfectly in A4 format. Just skip any other page, except the first one, to avoid printing notes, etc.
• Download your spreadsheet in the format you need by choosing “File > Download as…”. Choose your required format, and simply click “Save”;
• Done! 

Why use Google Spreadsheet vs. MS Word or PDF?

• Documents can often get lost easily on the local drive;
• Downloadable templates are not always cross-platform compatible and they apparently require additional software to use;
• When filling out a template in MS Word or PDF there is no way to use formulas, therefore you have to do all the calculations manually, which may lead to errors;
• When using a downloadable template, the layout may become distortable making your timesheet unreadable;
• Google Spreadsheet helps you avoid mentioned issues, but of course, those are not the only benefits you’ll discover.

Everhour is the top choice for small businesses and small to mid-size teams of 5 to 50 members, including professionals like software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it!

Seamlessly integrating with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution for small and mid-size teams.

With dedicated support ensuring you receive timely assistance, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

More free tools

• Time card calculator: Online calculator with clock-in, clock-out, breaks, and overtime pay. Easy to fill and print your weekly or bi-weekly timesheet.
• Weekly timesheet: Track time spent on specific tasks or activities. Useful for planning, client reporting, billing, and payroll.
• Invoice generator: Invoice promptly or send your clients an estimate with a professional-looking invoice template. Include a link to pay the invoice online.
• Time-blocking templates: Time-blocking planner templates you can download in PDF and print out or make a copy of our Google Spreadsheet and customize them for yourself.

All in all, Google project management tools can bring wonders to your workflow!

The post Powerful Timesheet Template in Google Sheets: Customize for Seamless Project Tracking appeared first on Everhour Blog.

What Are Time Management Games?

If you notice the first signs of poor time management in your company – missed deadlines, lateness to meetings, poor performance – it’s time to take action! But, having your employees sit through another lecture on the ‘importance of timekeeping’ might not be the best idea.

Instead, why not switch up the game a little and turn learning discipline into fun time management activities? But before that, here are some basic tips:

• Make time tracking easy. The system should be easy enough for the average employee who has to fill the thing in every day.
• Everyone should be tracking hours.
• Do not force billing 8 hours a day. If you want a real picture of efficiency, make sure you create an environment where people are free to report honestly.
• Fill in hours regularly.
• Discuss the results, and give feedback.
• Track everything, not only project hours.

Completing timesheets takes involvement from the entire team. It is a journey, not a destination.

Everhour is the top time tracker for SMB teams, including software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it! Seamlessly integrating with popular PM tools, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution. With dedicated support, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

So, what are the best time management activities? Here are some examples:

• Offline games (Time Squared, solving jigsaw puzzles, The Big Picture Challenge, time jar)
• Online games (Overcooked, using Pomodoro timer, etc)

Benefits of Time Management Games

Self-education to improve time management skills after a hectic and task-packed day can help your employees learn useful new skills. And these time management games can be a perfect solution to unwind.

Did you know that time management games are an excellent tool for training the sensory nervous system, improving concentration, and critical thinking?

You can use them as:

• Team-building exercises
• Warm-up activities
• Ice-breakers
• Or, simply, as part of training

A range of time management games and techniques are freely available on the internet. They can be online and offline, group, or individual.

But to help you sort the wheat from the chaff and know which games genuinely work, we’ve gathered the best time management games and activities for you and your staff.

Why Do Games Work?

‘Gamification’ isn’t just a recent trend; it’s an innovative way of learning that has caught teachers’ and students’ attention. 

Using interactive and fun ways of learning has numerous benefits. But these are our top favorites:

• Improves problem-solving skills – Taking on new challenges at a different level helps your brain grow and develop, allowing you to get more for your experiences.
• Relieves stress – Let’s face it, no matter how fantastic work is, it also involves a level of stress. While stress is an excellent motivator at times, knowing how to manage it is key to long-term success. 
• Builds teamwork skills – Get to know your team better and have some fun. This creates better working relationships allowing your team to be more productive.
• Playing games is fun – All work and no play makes Jack a dull (and unproductive) boy. 65% of Americans play video games, so why not use this popularity and give it purpose.
• Improves learning retention – By actively engaging your employees in your time management games, you’re enhancing their capabilities for learning retention. Studies show active participation in learning improves how much information and skill a person retains from the training. 

Offline Time Management Games 

Traditional offline time management games are best played in an office environment. They are designed for individual and team play and involve lots of human interaction – the more people, the more fun.

These games are great for understanding how to boost daily productivity and make better use of working time. And if you are looking for some extra tips on how to make yourself highly productive, follow the link.

The Big Picture Challenge

Teach your team to look beyond the immediate horizon in their work and plan for the future with the “Big Picture Challenge.” Inspired by Orangeworks.

• Divide your co-workers into small groups, each responsible for painting a small segment of The Big Picture
• With no idea what the final image will be, teams must work together to ensure that all lines meet and colors match up.
• The painted image can be a representation of a company’s brand, conference theme, values, goals, or even a recreation of a famous work of art.
• Upon completion, the final masterpiece is unveiled for the first time to the inevitable sound of thundering applause and enthusiastic cheers.
• The completed work can be proudly displayed in the office as a constant reminder of what can be achieved through teamwork.

Teams must adopt a ‘big picture’ approach to ensure that the final result is a success. This creative team bonding exercise requires effective color coordination and collaborative teamwork is required for each canvas to fit perfectly.

And BTW, here is the best software tools to help your colleagues plan effectively.

Circadian Rhythm

Teach your team to synchronize their work with their body clock with the “Circadian Rhythm” game. 

• Ask each player to jot down their daily routine in hours. Starting from waking up to going to bed
• Each participant should label each block with the following features: ‘on fire,’ ‘vibrant,’ ‘cruise control,’ ‘at 70%’, ‘distracted,’ ‘slowing down,’ ‘tired,’ ‘hungry’ indicating how they felt during the activity they were doing.
• Ask the participants to connect their hourly blocks to time management at the workplace and discuss the following points.

Points to discuss:

• What is the most active part of your day ‘on fire’?
• What is the most ‘distracted’ part of the day?
• During which part of the day is it better to complete the hardest/most manageable tasks?
• When is it best to take a break?
• Who has similar working/ relaxing rhythms in your team?

Wrap-up:

If the participants share their rhythms with each other, they could build an efficient working schedule for the whole team. It’s also an excellent opportunity to get to know teammates better and boost communication skills at the same time. 

Another effective way for your colleagues to control their working time and breaks is to use the Pomodoro technique. It’ll help avoid overburdening and quick-burning out with time work periods and relaxation intervals.

Time Squared

Show your colleagues how they allocate their time throughout the day by playing the “Time Squared” game.

• Print 3 pages with 24 squares that represent the 24 hours of a day.
• Share the 1st page with the participants 
• Explain that each square represents one hour of a day
• Ask them to fill out the squares with their routine activities. E.g. eating 4 hours = 4 squares, sleeping 7 hours = 7 squares, etc.
• Share the 2nd page with the participants
• Ask them to fill out the squares on the second page with the non-working time they spend at their workplace. E.g., coffee breaks, talk shops, calls to mom, checking social networks, etc.
• Share the 3rd page with the participants
• Ask them to summarize the data from the 1st and 2nd pages on the 3rd page. Use different colors to tell them apart. e.g., green for the 1st page, blue for the 2nd, red for the 3rd.
• Explain to your colleagues that the uncolored squares = ‘productive time.’

The task can be done throughout the day, so that your co-workers have more precise results on their papers, allowing them to evaluate time efficiently.

Points to discuss:

• How could you re-evaluate your time?
• Would you change anything in your statistics?
• Are there any steps you could take to increase your productive time?
• How would you rearrange your time to have some extra time for rest?

Wrap-up:

This game is a convenient way to actually see on paper how time is spent throughout the day. Afterward, ask your colleagues to find new ways to improve their time management. One great place to start is with some time management literature.

Delegation Skill Practice

Teach your colleagues to delegate tasks effectively with the “Delegation Skill Practice” exercise.

• Ask your colleagues to think of the most unpleasant task that they have to do in their work. Tell them that today they’ll have the chance to delegate it to someone else
• Ask them to think about how they would explain their unpleasant tasks to their personal assistants, how they would check that the task is done, and how they would encourage their personal assistants to complete the task
• Divide your colleagues into teams of 3: delegator, employee, observer
• Share the delegation observer sheet with delegators to help check how well the delegator explains the task
• Share notes sheet with employees to make notes while the delegator explains the task
• After the delegator explains the task, the employee jots the task down, and the observer checks the points in the delegation observer sheet. Allow some time for the team to discuss the results
• Change the roles in teams and repeat the task. The game has 3 rounds so that every participant tries every role
• Discuss the activity with your team.

Points to discuss:

• Which task is the most unpleasant in the team? What was the most challenging/easiest part of the task?
• Who is the best delegator on the team?
• Who is the ‘best employee’ in the team?
• Which part of the game was the most difficult?
• Which role was the most difficult?
• What could you do to improve the delegators/employees’ performance for each participant?

Wrap-up:

Knowing how to delegate tasks is an essential skill for any manager. It optimizes time spent and helps ensure the best person for the job is assigned to it, whenever possible.

To help better manage your team, and allocate time more efficiently, check out the techniques and strategies we’ve come up with here.

What I Did Yesterday

Teach your team how to find patterns in everyday working activities with the “What I did yesterday” game. 

• Ask participants to note down 10 things they did at work yesterday on one piece of paper
• On the second piece of paper ask the participants to note down 5 things they expect to discuss at their next performance review
• Now, have them look at the two lists together and mark in some way on the first list all the things which have a direct link to the second list. 

Wrap-up:

The ‘light bulb’ moment is the recognition that we spend time on things that have little or no consequence on our performance. Using this activity, participants can adjust the expectations of their daily schedule and become more efficient. This will help them accept an appropriate amount of work, prioritize, and be able to give a clearer deadline. Leading to a more prosperous, efficient company.

The Mayo Jar Lesson

The mayo jar activity demonstrates the importance of doing the most important tasks first.

As the story goes a professor stands before his philosophy class with an empty jar, fills it to the top with golf balls, and asks if it’s full. The group says “yes.” Yet he still manages to fill the jar with more stuff — first pebbles, then sand, even a beer or two!

It’s a powerful lesson. Depending on which objects you put in first determines how many other items you can put in afterward. If you put sand in first, nothing else will fit (except some water), but if you start with the big rocks (our most important tasks) and go down, you can fit some of everything in.

This jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your work – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter – your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.

How will you manage your time jar?

If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. There will always be time to clean the house, throw a dinner party, or fix the disposal.

$86,400

Emphasize the importance of time and you are in control of how you spend it. Time is about making the right choices.

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course?

The Bank of TIME

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it is written off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest. It carries over no balance from the day before. It allows no overdrafts. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns what remains of the day.

• To realize the value of ONE YEAR. ask a student who failed a grade.
• To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
• To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
• To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
• To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train.
• To realize the value of ONE SECOND. ask someone who narrowly avoided an accident.

Credit to The Coaching Toolbox.

Ribbon of Life

For this time management exercise, you need a ribbon with a length of 100cm (1 meter) and a pair of scissors.

Ask your team: What is the estimated lifespan of an individual?

The normal response will be between 75 and 85 years. Let’s say it’s 79. So you need to cut 21cm off your ribbon. It is now 79cm long, meaning we have 79 years left.

What is the average age of the participants?

This depends on the group you’re doing this exercise with. But let’s say the number you get is 29, so you chop another 29cm of your ribbon. These years are what you would call “sunk costs”, you can’t do anything about them. The ribbon now has 50cm.

So we have 50 years left? The actual answer is no.

You still need to factor in a lot of variables: weekends, public holidays, casual/sick leave, and annual holidays. Every year has 52 weeks, so that’s 52 Sundays per year. Multiply that by 50 years (the current length of our ribbon) and you get 7.14. Reduce the ribbon by 7cm. The same logic applies to Saturdays. Reduce another 7cm. The ribbon now has 36cm.

36 cm minus holidays and leave

There are 10 Public/National holidays per year, which gives us 1.5 years when multiplied by 50. Reduce the ribbon by 1.5 cm. Plus we spend approximately 40 days a year on casual leave, sick leave, and annual holidays. That’s around 5 years, so you cut off another 5 cm. The ribbon now has 29.5cm.

29 cm and counting…

But we still need to take into account sleeping, eating, and commuting. We spend a third of our day (and so a third of our year) sleeping. Considering an average of 8 hours of sleep per day, we get 122 * 50 = almost 17 years. Cut off another 17 cm. The ribbon now has 12.5 cm.

You need around 2 hours per day to eat lunch, breakfast, snacks, and dinner. 30 days a year X 50 years= 4 years or so. Cut off another 4 cm. The ribbon now has 8.5cm.

Lastly, let’s factor in commuting and time spent traveling from one place to another for activities. If we average one hour a day, that’s 2 more years. The ribbon now has 6.5cm.

In fact, when all is said and done, there are ONLY 6 years of life to make it or break it!

Credit to Daniel Silvestre.

How Long is a Minute?

In this simple yet effective game, participants are invited into a room devoid of visible clocks, and are instructed to set aside their phones and watches. With their eyes closed, everyone stands up and attempts to gauge when exactly 60 seconds have passed. Some may open their eyes too early, others too late, revealing individual differences in time perception.

The game serves a dual purpose: it’s both a fun challenge and a learning opportunity. By experiencing firsthand how differently each person perceives the passage of time, participants gain insights into their own time management skills. Understanding these differences can lead to more accurate project planning and task estimation in professional settings.

Great for:

• Recognizing the importance of time and comparing personal time perception with that of colleagues.
• Enhancing self-awareness about task time estimation.

Desert Island

Imagine being stranded on a desert island with limited resources and having to prioritize what items are essential for survival. In this game, participants are tasked with quickly jotting down the items they would bring to a desert island within a time limit. Afterward, the group discusses each item and collectively assigns points based on its perceived importance and usefulness in a survival scenario.

This game not only tests participants’ ability to think critically and make decisions under pressure but also highlights the importance of prioritization and resource management. It encourages teams to consider different perspectives and negotiate priorities, fostering teamwork and mutual understanding.

Great for:

• Teaching the team how to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Encouraging quick and efficient decision-making skills.
• Highlighting the importance of focusing on essential tasks and avoiding distractions.

Online Time Management Games

Time is an essential and widely-used value in any video game. If you’ve ever played against the clock, you’ll know that even in the game environment, it can be stressful.

But there is an upside. Playing games with timers means you’re already on the way to developing essential time perception skills. But instead of ‘wasting’ your time with a shoot-’em-up, why not try out the specific category of games designed especially for time management skills improvement  – time management games? And make playtime productivity time?

Let’s take a look at some popular online time management games.

Overcooked!

Overcooked! is a restaurant time management game. The idea behind the game is to serve various food to your customers, try to keep them happy, and cook everything in absurdly stressful conditions – like a hot air balloon or in the middle of the street. Sounds like a normal day at the office, right? The game offers lots of obstacles to overcome, a diversity of cooking recipes, and lots of fun, especially in multiplayer mode.

Time management skills trained:

• Delegation and team-coordination skills by ordering and organizing the cooking process
• Rapid decision-making by dealing with portals, fires, moving floors, and changes in settings
• Dealing with time-pressure skills as every level is time-limited
• Team-work in multiplayer mode

What to discuss with your team:

• How did it feel to be under pressure in the kitchen?
• How did you learn to manage the process?
• What would you do differently?

Game Dev Story

You play as a video game developer making hit video games and brand-new consoles in start-up projects. To be a success and keep things afloat, you need to hire and manage your own team, control the process of game development, and deal with the critics.

Time management skills trained:

• Leadership skills, which you learn by controlling your workers’ speed and quality development as well as hiring the right people
• Business skills of money-making by selling and advertising the products

What to discuss with your team:

• What are the best strategies for making more money in the game?
• What professionals should you hire first of all to manage your company effectively?
• How to better allocate the company’s budget in the game?

Farm Frenzy 3

Farm Frenzy 3 immerses players in the role of a farmer managing a bustling farm. It’s a time management game that involves animal care, crop cultivation, and business development.

Time management skills trained:

• Crop and animal management
• Production optimization and supply chain logistics
• Financial planning and investment in farm upgrades
• Risk management and resilience against challenges

What to discuss with your team:

• Strategies for maximizing crop yield and animal productivity
• Approaches to handling seasonal fluctuations and market demands
• Lessons learned in prioritizing tasks and managing farm resources

Theme Hotel

Theme Hotel challenges players to build and manage a 5-star hotel from the ground up. It emphasizes strategic planning, customer service, and business expansion in a competitive market.

Time management skills trained:

• Facility layout and design optimization
• Staff recruitment and management
• Financial planning and budgeting
• Customer satisfaction and retention strategies

What to discuss with your team:

• Techniques for designing an efficient hotel layout
• Insights on maintaining high customer ratings and occupancy
• Challenges and solutions in managing staff and resources

Farmerama

In Farmerama, you have your own farm where you grow your harvest, take care of the animals, and come under fire from alien attacks that happen out of the blue.

Time management skills trained:

• Planning skills by planting and caring about your harvest
• Marketing skills by selling and buying plants and animals
• Teamwork skills by participating in various farming communities

What to discuss with your team:

• Which steps should you take to develop your farm effectively?
• What should you do to gather the largest crop?
• Did you communicate with other players? Why/why not?
• Did you have similar objectives with other players? Did you collaborate with them? Why/why not?

12 labors of Hercules

You’ll play as Hercules, who has to complete his 12 Labours in order to rescue his wife from Hades’ Underworld. The game has a definite time limit, so you’ll have to find ways to stop it while completing various tasks.

Time management skills trained:

• Timing skills, as you’ll have to meet deadlines to collect all the stars
• Critical thinking and logic as you’ll need to think about in which order and how complete the tasks
• Rapid decision-making through dealing with ghosts, lava pits, and monsters.
• Organization skills by using the skills of companions, such as Medusa, Pegasus, Cerberus, and others

What to discuss with your team:

• How did you feel when completing tasks in a limited time?
• Were the game tasks easy or challenging to do?
• Have you tried all the modes of the game? Which mode suits you best?

Diner Dash Adventures

Diner Dash Adventures puts you in the shoes of Flo, managing a bustling restaurant in DinerTown. It’s a classic time management game where you seat customers, take orders, and serve food to keep your restaurant thriving.

Time management skills trained:

• Customer service and satisfaction
• Task prioritization and efficiency
• Resource management (such as tables, food supplies)
• Speed and accuracy in multitasking

What to discuss with your team:

• Strategies for optimizing customer flow and satisfaction
• Techniques for handling peak times and difficult customers
• How to balance speed and accuracy in completing tasks

Sally’s Spa

In Sally’s Spa, you manage a spa business by providing various treatments to customers, hiring staff, and expanding services. It’s a time management game that focuses on customer satisfaction and business growth.

Time management skills trained:

• Service coordination and efficiency
• Staff management and delegation
• Inventory management and purchasing decisions
• Adaptability to varying customer demands and personalities

What to discuss with your team:

• Methods for improving service quality and customer satisfaction scores
• Challenges and solutions in managing multiple spa stations
• Insights on hiring and training staff effectively

Fabulous — Angela’s Fashion Fever

Fabulous — Angela’s Fashion Fever follows Angela’s journey in the fashion industry, where players manage a boutique. It’s a time management game focused on fashion design, customer service, and business success.

Time management skills trained:

• Customer relationship management
• Inventory management and product placement
• Time-sensitive task completion for score optimization
• Creative problem-solving in a fast-paced environment

What to discuss with your team:

• Techniques for enhancing customer shopping experiences
• Strategies for improving boutique performance and profitability
• Insights on managing fashion trends and seasonal demands

Plague Inc.

In this popular strategy game, you’ll join the dark side and play for the team of viruses and diseases, trying to contaminate as much territory as possible. The world scientific community will oppose you, developing effective medicine against you. Will you succeed in your evil task?

Time management skills trained:

• Timekeeping skills through fighting with scientists in the attempts to contaminate vast territories of the Earth
• Critical thinking, logic, and decision making as you’ll have to choose the most effective suffer viruses in line with the points earned

What to discuss with your team:

• How did you feel playing for the dark side?
• Did you develop any particular strategies for contamination to win the game?
• What do you think about the game’s timing?
• What was the hardest part of the game?

Remember! Be careful not to lose too much time while playing games.

Time Management Games Wrap-up

Time management games are a truly great way to train those important organizational skills. They use non-formal education methods to train your brain to react to time differently. 

Available both online and offline and as individual and team activities, you’ll be sure to find one that suits you. To help you decide quickly which to try first. Here’s a breakdown:

Offline Games

Best suited for playing in the office. They help learn your strong and weak points as well as get to know your colleagues better and strengthen relationships with them.

Online Games

Great for improving your cognitive functions, such as attention, reaction, prioritizing, logic, and critical thinking. Besides, online games are excellent tools for developing time-tracking, organizational, and general business skills.

Bonus: From Games to Real Life: Time Management With Everhour

Now that you’ve had some fun trying out these time management games and activities, it’s time to get down to business. 

Are you looking to improve time management practices in your company? We’d like to help you choose the best timesheet app, tailored for your business needs and corporate culture.

Seamless time management solution by Everhour

Everhour’s online time management solution is a simple, efficient, and handy tool. With Everhour’s Chrome time tracking you’ll be able to:

• Track project deadlines and monitor budgets
• Keep tracking of working time for teams and employees via employee time tracking tools
• Track employees’ workloads and assignments via an attendance tracker and a time clock app
• Plan your resources by viewing project portfolios and teams
• Send timely invoices based on time tracked and expenses

Everhour provides a seamless time-tracking experience as it is one of the best time and attendance software out there. It can be easily integrated into other project-management apps, such as Asana, Trello, Basecamp, Jira, and more, allowing you to manage your projects and time without switching back and forth between tabs. It uses the best time tracking practices to ensure not a single minute gets lost.

Pros of Everhour for your business

With Everhour you can forget about:

• Manual project setup – automatically important your projects and track time
• Switching between apps for logging time – it’s all integrated into one seamless system
• Wrong data, faulty timesheets – maintain accuracy and get real statistics about how you’re spending your time.

Try our demo for free to explore how our time tracking software can optimize your business, or get in touch with our team who’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

The post 21 Best Time Management Games: Fun and Engaging Ways to Improve Productivity appeared first on Everhour Blog.

In this article, you will learn what a performance improvement plan is, how to compile a great one, and how to implement it effectively to get the results you need.

What is a Performance Improvement Plan?

A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a tool for helping underperforming employees succeed by addressing job goal failures or behavioral issues. It gives employees with performance failures an opportunity to meet job goals and fix all the issues arising in a work process.

A performance improvement plan:

1. is developed and approved by the employee’s manager and HR 
2. clearly states the steps an employee should take to improve their performance
3. has definite goals and a deadline (30, 60, or 90 days)
4. explains the implications (demotion, dismissal, or transfer to another department) should the employee fail to meet the requirements listed in PIP
5. can be used for legal scrutiny in case a company and an employee don’t find common ground on work-related issues

When to Apply a Performance Improvement Plan

Employees tend to treat performance improvement plans rather negatively 😡 and often consider them as an informal invitation for termination or demotion. When implementing a PIP, use caution. This decision needs to be well-thought-out. For this, HR needs to:

1. determine if a PIP is really required in this case
2. avoid any bias implication that may occur during employee’s performance monitoring 
3. provide support to the employee and their manager alongside the plan implementation
4. state clear goals, performance assessment criteria, and deadlines in the PIP

Everhour is the top choice for small businesses and small to mid-size teams of 5 to 50 members, including professionals like software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it!

Seamlessly integrating with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution for small and mid-size teams.

With dedicated support ensuring you receive timely assistance, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Examples for Applying a Performance Improvement Plan

Here are several examples of when a performance improvement plan can be applied:

How to Craft an Effective Performance Improvement Plan

Now, that you know some of the reasons for a performance improvement plan, let’s discover how to create the most effective ones.

A performance improvement plan is usually a formal, confidential document not more than two pages long. It’s written by HR, with the approval of the manager, and agreement with the employee. Here are the stages of how to do it well.

Creating a Performance Improvement Plan

Stage 1: Define the problem

At this stage, you need to understand precisely what an employee is doing wrong that adversely affects their performance. These negative points should be well defined and include examples of poor work or behavior. Not just feelings or thoughts.

You can also realize if you truly need a PIP at this point. A good thing to do is to call your employee in for a chat and determine together:

• what’s wrong with the employee’s performance
• which parts could be improved
• how to improve their work and behavior

This way you’ll encourage the employee to participate in their improvement and they will feel more committed to it. In addition, it’ll be easier to understand the reason for the employee’s poor performance. These can be different – starting from feeling too much pressure to unmet expectations and ending in personal problems at home. 

Give your workers a chance to be heard. Maybe a simple change in working schedule or some time-off work will change the situation dramatically.

Stage 2: Determine the objectives

If you’ve defined the performance problems but a chat about improvement had no impact, then it’s time to set the objectives for your PIP. The easiest and most effective way to create workable objectives is to use the SMART framework. Meaning that your objectives should be:

• S for specific. They have tangible outcomes and definite numbers and dates
• M for measurable. They can be estimated and tracked
• A for attainable. They should be challenging but achievable
• R for relevant. They should be valuable for an employee
• T for time-bound. They have deadlines and check-in sessions

When creating a PIP, it’s worthwhile communicating with all the participants involved directly or indirectly in the improvement process. Discuss the situation of the employee’s performance not only with them and the manager but with all the possible parties concerned, within reason. Remember, certain issues are related to confidentiality. This will give you a deeper understanding of the issue and help avoid any bias on employees’ work.

Stage 3: Provide support

At this stage, you need to define the possible steps that the employee should take to achieve their objectives. Consider what kind of support you could provide to the employee. For example, a list of available resources they can use, such as a manager’s assistance, training, and sources of additional information. 

Make sure your employee feels the support of their team. Think about the improvements the employee could make with the help of their co-workers. Encourage communication and readiness to help among team members.

For effective self-organization, you can suggest the employee uses time-management tips or helpful mini-apps to significantly ease working processes. 

Stage 4: Set up a schedule and interim check-ins

When all the performance improvement plan objectives and steps are specified, it’s time to determine the key dates to monitor the outcomes.

Arrange meetings with your employee at regular intervals, before the deadlines. Providing interim result feedback contributes to more effective work on errors. You’ll be better able to correct and guide the employee’s development along with the PIP objectives and achievements and help them self-correct before the deadline.

Automate your schedule with a handy time-tracking app. Keep yourself and your employee informed on the upcoming tasks and deadlines. 

Stage 5: Point out the consequences

Elaborate on the consequences the employee will meet if there is a failure to fulfill the performance improvement plan objectives. This stage is rather touchy, as you state the negative after-effects that follow PIP’s failure. Therefore you need to make sure that the employee understands:

• the reason you implemented a PIP
• the steps the employee should follow to fulfill PIP objectives successfully 
• who the employee should refer to for help and advice
• what are the deadlines and check-in sessions

When assessing the employee’s work, it’s worth concentrating not only on the errors made but also on the positive contributions and achieved goals that they made. It shows the path the employee can use to improve their performance, and that their effort is valued. 

Performance Improvement Plan – Elements

You already know the stages you should follow when writing a performance improvement plan. Let’s have a look at its structure. 

Generally, employee performance improvement plan worksheets do not differ much from company to company in their structure. Meaning that if you download or follow a standard template it won’t differ much from the performance improvement plans of IBM, Google, or Amazon.

The only thing you need to consider before creating a performance improvement plan is that it can vary in the number of days usually from 30, 60 to 90 days. So, what to include in your performance improvement plan:

Part 1: Stakeholders

This part should include everyone involved in the improvement process. They can be supervisors, managers, HRs, co-workers, and employees. Remember to mention their names, positions, and departments in the company.

Part 2: Dates

The dates should include: 

1. when the document was created
2. when the meeting with the employee was arranged
3. deadlines and check-in dates.

Part 3: Current quality performance

Describe in detail:

1. what problems the employee is experiencing in their work 
2. if there were any meetings or discussions on work quality organized previously
3. the workflow processes that require improvement and what kind of improvement it should be
4. any previous training or coaching that employees had to improve their performance.

Part 4: Improvement objectives

List the objectives that have definite measurable criteria and certain deadlines. They should be achievable and valuable for the employee. 

Part 5: Support, resources, and extra information

This part should include:

1. the list of the people the employee can refer to for help
2. resources the employee can use for performance improvements, such as coaching or pieces of training
3. extra materials and outside sources the employee can use on their own to improve their work

Part 6: Performance improvement plan outcomes

Include the definite outcomes you expect from the employee by the expiry date of the performance improvement plan. In this part, you need to add the negative consequences the employee can have if they fail to meet the PIP deadlines or PIP objectives.

Part 7: Action steps and timetable

This part should contain:

1. the steps the employee should take to fulfill the PIP objectives
2. the schedule for revision of each objective completion
3. PIP start and end dates

Part 8: Signatures

Include the signatures of all the parties involved to ensure they agree to the steps laid out in the plan.

Performance Improvement Plan – Sample Letter ✉️

A performance improvement plan is usually sent in the form of a letter after a discussion with the employee at a meeting. 

Here is a sample of a standard performance improvement letter:

To: (employee’s name)
From: (your name)
Subject: Performance Improvement Plan (date)

This letter represents a Performance Improvement Plan (date of creation) with a focus on improving your performance at work in the areas listed below.

- Current quality performance
- Improvement objectives
- Acting steps
- Performance improvement outcomes
- Interim check-in
- Final deadline

The Performance Improvement Plan shall take effect on (date) and the final meeting on the performance improvement outcomes will be on (date).

In the case that the Performance Improvement Plan objectives are not met by the deadline, the company will have to (state the consequences).

My supervisor has discussed and explained the following Performance Improvement Plan to me. I understand and acknowledge the contents and realize the potential consequences.

(Employee’s name)
(Signature and date)

The Performance Improvement Plan was revised and approved by:

(Supervisor’s name)
(Signature and date)

(Manager’s name)
(Signature and date)

(HR’s name)
(Signature and date)

How to Respond to a Performance Improvement Plan

If you’re the person who’s received the performance improvement plan, there’s no need to panic and constantly ask yourself “Should I quit?”. The answer is “Absolutely, NO!” What you really should do is to look at the situation from a different perspective.

A performance improvement plan is a great opportunity for you to prove yourself and save the day (and your job). A PIP is a sign that the company isn’t ready to quietly terminate your contract but wants to give you a chance to improve the situation, spending its sources on your training and education.

What Are the Benefits You Can Get From Pip as an Employee?

• Get your manager’s support and work review, meaning that you can improve the parts of your performance you might have not understood at the beginning and get some more work experience.
• As your possible mistakes are corrected precisely, you can develop into a highly-skilled specialist, meaning that you may even be able to land that promotion in the future if you do everything right.
• If you have no time for extra studies, this is the time to take up training provided by the company and upgrade your skill level.
• Sometimes when an emergency situation happens, such as a PIP, we act contrary to our usual behavior. This method of action can help expand our career horizons. If you are a shy person, then PIP can push you towards communication with your co-workers and even giving speeches in front of the public. 

Heading for a PIP? Here’s What you Can do to Improve in Advance

• Organize your routine. It’ll make you more concentrated and significantly boost your productivity.
• Use timesheets and calendars. When you prioritize and systemize your tasks, you become able to do more in one day and as a result, have more time for rest.
• Use a handy time tracker. By integrating apps in your browser or everyday tools you use at work, you can estimate your working time and time-off work. You’ll understand how to allocate it better.
• Don’t stress too much and learn something new. 

Take Away

A performance improvement plan means that your company wants to help you improve your work rather than just push you towards resignation. Take this as the opportunity it is to improve and make sure your employee sees it that way too. 

Implementing a performance improvement plan requires lots of work from all the parties involved: 

1. The manager and HR should reflect deeply on the PIP and develop it in detail.
2. The employee should monitor the time and follow all the PIP’s steps to meet its objectives successfully.
3. The manager or supervisor and HR should monitor, help and correct the employee’s actions on the way to their improvement.
4. The employee, the manager, HR, and all the parties involved should be ready to meet the outcomes and consequences whether it’s a success or failure of the PIP.

Using a performance improvement plan can be a strong and helpful motivator for an employee to develop their skills and improve performance at work. Focus on how it can boost performance and less on the threat of dismissal, centering the plan around the negative dooms it to failure.

The post Performance Improvement Plan: Turning Around Employee Performance appeared first on Everhour Blog.

What Are Areas of Improvement?

Areas of improvement are skills and qualities that employees can develop or improve whether on their own or with the help of their managers. Each worker is an individual. They need their own set of areas of development at work and areas of opportunity for improvement or development. Areas to improve at work might include time management, organization and cooperation, interpersonal communication, and so many more.

This means that a manager and an employee can define areas of improvement on a personal level. This helps workers understand what skills they might lack in their positions and align their development goals with the company’s objectives. 

Along with businesses, employees also benefit from areas of improvement. As staff take up opportunities for improvement and start developing their skills, they quickly improve their productivity and may take on new responsibilities. 

Although each staff member’s skill set may need upgrading individually, there are some common areas needing improvement for employees in every company that stand the test of time. Examples of areas of improvement at work may include:

• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• Communication skills
• Cooperation skills
• Active listening
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Flexibility
• Honesty and straightforwardness
• Leadership

Areas of Improvement at Work – Why Bother?

By investing in developing your workers’ skill sets and knowledge, businesses nurture unique and experienced specialists. In turn, these specialists improve company performance with their talents and efficiency, making enterprises thrive. 

Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don’t want to.

– Richard Branson

Another great benefit that companies get when focusing on employees’ areas of improvement is employee retention. This way, the workers realize that their companies care about their development and promotion, making them stay at their positions longer. 

Top 9 List of Areas of Improvement for Your Employees

Let’s have a closer look at each area of improvement:

Time management 🕒

Time management is an essential skill for employees in any workplace. When workers manage their time wisely, they reduce their stress levels, avoid chronic fatigue syndrome, and get things done for your business.

👉 Why is time management important? Employees should know how to effectively schedule their tasks, create timelines, and estimate their task length. The better your employees are organized, the more activities they can do throughout the day. Therefore, it’s essential to teach your workers and team how to manage their time.

👉 How can your employees level up their skills? There are lots of activities and strategies you can take for time management. These are some of our favorites: 

• Keep a to-do list with tasks and deadlines;
• Avoid distractions such as social networking or unmuted messages;
• Work in intervals;
• Monotask; Multitasking is not humanly possible;
• Use the Pomodoro technique and Pomodoro apps to avoid work overload.

Everhour is the top time tracker for SMB teams, including software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it! Seamlessly integrating with popular PM tools, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution. With dedicated support, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Organizational skills 📝

Organizational skills and time management are closely linked. When organizing tasks, employees need to assign deadlines based on how much work can reasonably be done in one day. Overestimate and people are left disappointed. Underestimate, and productivity suffers.

👉 Why are organizational skills important? Organizational skills help workers stay more focused on the most essential tasks and better prioritize them. It can be done in the form of simple to-do lists, and scheduling in calendars and on kanban boards. 

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? There is a wide range of techniques that can help your employees train their organizational skills. They can learn how to:

• Avoid multitasking; prioritize tasks and accomplish them one at a time;
• Use time-blocking technique, to-do lists, and kanban boards to make daily, weekly, and monthly working schedules;
• Organize their working space by removing clutter and keeping only the needed things around;
• Switch to digital time-tracking apps. With these apps, your employees can easily prioritize tasks, establish their dependencies, follow them in sequence, define project milestones, and all that can be accessed on a mobile phone online.

Using time-tracking apps encourages your employees to organize their tasks better and track them in a project. They also help your workers worry less about their rest days as they can check their timetables away from work at any time.

Communication 💬

Another one of the key areas of improvement at work for an employee is expressing themselves clearly. Both written and verbal forms of communication are equally essential due to the increasing need for soft skills and the ability to use modern technologies such as messengers.

👉 Why is communication important? It shows others how professional an employee is and how well they know their work. Besides that, communication helps to avoid any conflicts and confrontations at work. 

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? Verbal communication requires a lot of practice. But you’re employees can level up their skills with: 

• Frequent public speeches and company meetings. Public speaking is hard, especially for introverts, as they usually feel worried and uneasy. But this feeling can be overcome with good preparation. For example, employees can use Monroe’s motivated sequence outline when preparing presentations for the next meeting to feel prepared and in control. 
• Team communication. One more great way to develop verbal communication is to organize team-building games. This way employees can lower their social anxiety levels. It becomes easier for them to express themselves as they get to know their colleagues better and are less likely to be worried when communicating.

Best Games & Activities To Unite Your Team And Boost Productivity

 One powerful and fascinating way of learning helpful time management techniques, without additional stress, is time management games.

Cooperation 🤝

Cooperation helps idea-sharing, meaning you can uncover some great, creative solutions to problems. But to get these insights your employees should know how to work in a team effectively. That means that they need to learn how to listen to their colleagues, solve project problems with others, resolve interpersonal conflicts, and more.

👉 Why is cooperation important? Cooperation is a skill that moves projects. As almost every project is done in a team, your employees need to cooperate to achieve results. 

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? Your employees can learn how to cooperate through:

• Team building activities that help your employees unite and get to know each other better
• Adoption of a collaborative policy applicable to every worker in the company. It helps to ensure that your employees aren’t afraid to express themselves and that even the most outrageous business idea will be heard and evaluated.

Why is Team Collaboration so Crucial?

Learn how to effectively bring your team together, what makes it tick, and how to get more from your employees!

Listening 👂

This is an integral skill that is a must-include in the communication and cooperation areas of improvement. While being able to talk well is great, being able to listen to others and actually hear what they’re saying is an art.

👉 Why is listening important? Active listening is an essential skill that helps understand what others say, give considered responses, and remember the necessary information for later. It requires lots of concentration and switching off the auto mode our brain loves so much.

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? For anyone who wants to improve active listening skills, they can:

• Minimize distractions. By putting away all the gadgets when talking to others, appoint a time for especially important conversations, and avoid noisy colleagues.
• Use non-verbal communication cues. Look into people’s eyes during a conversation, use gestures and positive body language, ask questions to find out more information, and reformulate sentences in case you don’t understand something. 

These golden rules can significantly enhance comprehension when listening to others. And it’s a good practice that could be established at all levels in your company. 

Professional development 👨‍💼

Continued training and non-stop self-development are becoming the new norm today. The professionals who want to meet labor market demand have to study new things throughout their careers.

👉 Why is the employees’ professional development important for your company? Self-motivation to study is a distinct sign that an employee is strongly interested in their work. 

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? As a business owner, you could help your employees to learn something new by:

• Establishing extra courses outside working hours
• Sending your employees to study related to their work subjects 
• Relocating workers to other company teams or the company’s subsidiaries. This cross-cutting exchange would broaden your workers’ experiences as well as motivate the newcomers to get to this level.

Giving and receiving feedback 📢

This is an integral part of any workplace improvement. It helps workers and teams see the mistakes they make at work and encourages them to find new ways to resolve them. 

👉 Why is giving and receiving feedback important? The purpose of giving feedback is simple. It aims at improving employee performance. Although, not every employer can give quality feedback to their employees. It’s a very subtle thing that requires mastering if you don’t intend to offend your employees.

👉 How can you and your employees level up this skill? Make sure it isn’t ‘personal.’ Being able to give a receive feedback is a true soft skill. Try these techniques to help both you and your team get it right:

• Assign a mentor to a struggling employee to help them improve
• Create a performance improvement plan so that your team member can improve their work step by step
• Make sure, when feedback is delivered it isn’t personal and seeks to solve concrete issues, not personal problems 

Performance Improvement Plan: How To Do It Right

Learn what a performance improvement plan is, how to compile a great one, and how to implement it effectively to get the results you need…

These techniques help to minimize possible negative emotions while encouraging an employee to learn and do better next time.

Flexibility 👌

To run a business smoothly, you’ll need your team to be ready to adapt quickly. Flexibility isn’t just about multitasking when one employee is responsible for multiple duties. It’s more about the willingness to learn new things and see how to resolve an issue in many ways. Improving flexibility might be stressful, but it’s an essential skill to be able to work in any circumstances.

👉 Why is flexibility important? Flexibility helps your workers adapt quickly to any working conditions, whether it’s a new schedule, people, or workplace. It’s part of stress resistance and helps your team solve problems if something goes wrong.

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? Being more flexible, within reason, takes time and energy to master. To target this key area of improvement for employees, you can try these techniques:

• Help your employees master the art of changing from one task to another
• Remind them that flexibility is a good thing in personal and professional life, you can do this by running stress training and other activities
• Encourage your employees’ creative problem-solving. For example, you can do it by arranging strategic games or business case training

Leadership 👑

Why do we talk about leadership as an essential skill for any employee – not only a manager? Well, because, arguably, we need to learn to lead ourselves in order to be able to lead others:

Among all the improvement areas above leadership is the most versatile. It involves a set of qualities starting from great communication and ending to encouraging cooperation and effective issue handling. That’s why practicing leadership involves the development of all the skills listed above.

👉 Why is leadership important? Encouraging individual and independent problem-solving is as important as promoting cooperation among your employees. When your team consists of cooperative individuals who are ready to take up a leadership position at any minute, you form a decentralized cooperation system in your company. This means that each employee can handle issues on their own while being able to easily switch to working in a team.

👉 How can your employees level up this skill? You can develop leadership in your employees by:

• Arranging team building events where employees need to take charge and solve issues within a team
• Encouraging your workers to participate in nonprofit organizations, do fundraising, or enroll in leadership courses after work.

Areas of Improvement: Wrap Up

Employees are the most valuable asset of any company. They are the ones that represent your business on the market and use their time and energy to make your business work to perfection. That’s why it’s not only important to invest in employee improvement areas. It’s a must! 

Opportunities for improvement are everywhere: from customer service to time management and interpersonal skills! By putting time, effort, and finances into employees’ improvement, companies are investing in the future of their business.

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The post 9 Areas of Improvement: Best Strategies for Identifying and Enhancing Your Strengths appeared first on Everhour Blog.

Project Charter Definition

Any project starts with an idea. That idea should be articulated, defined, and presented to stakeholders. But how to do this without project goals, any roles assigned, or even a project team? That’s where a project charter comes in!

What is a project charter?

In short, a project charter is a short formal document that gives the authorization to start or continue a project, states its purpose and key elements. So before you start a project, you create a draft that includes:

• a well-articulated idea
• purpose and objectives of the project
• project scope
• stakeholders
• roles and responsibilities
• project budget
• risks calculated

Typically a project charter is about 1-2 pages long and is written in a formal style by a project initiator or investor. However, it often becomes a project manager’s duty, due to their competence in the project management sphere. The project charter can also be seen as a skeleton for project development and will be used throughout the project lifecycle.

Project charter example

Project charter elements

A viable charter includes the following elements:

1. Introduction.
   Where you state a project name, its brief outline or a project list, and its scope. Here you can also cover the project’s goals, objectives, and requirements.
2. Project success.
   Should define success/fail criteria and how to estimate them.
3. Project organization.
   This should include a project’s ideal team, stakeholders and customers, their roles, duties, and responsibilities.
4. Resources.
   Should include the available budget, time, number of people involved in the project.
5. Schedule/milestones and deadlines.
   Establish a timeline that contains a possible working schedule, approximate deadlines, planned starting and end dates of the project. Introduce major milestones for overall project reviews.
6. Potential risks.
   Should contain the info on expected and possible problems the project may meet.
7. Approval section.
   Should include the agreement of all the project participants, such as stakeholders, project investors, customers, and team.

Everhour is the top time tracker for SMB teams, including software developers, marketers, designers, consultants, lawyers, you name it! Seamlessly integrating with popular PM tools, its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it the ultimate time tracking solution. With dedicated support, our team is here to help you promptly and with a smile!

Project charter benefits

There’s no doubt that a charter is a vital document. It defines the basics (and sometimes a little more) that a team needs to get started. Here’s why it’s so essential to each group of stakeholders:

1. Helps to define the project’s importance.
   By estimating the needed resources, evaluating expected outcomes, and measuring possible risks, you can determine if a project is worth it. 
2. Predicts possible problems.
   When describing in detail a project before its start date, you can foresee the issues and bottlenecks you may face at different project stages.
3. Clarifies your budget.
   Your charter should contain an approximate estimation of sums needed to start and develop a project. This way you can justify its investments and purposes to potential sponsors and participants.
4. Sets time limits and important milestones.
   For your team, it’s important to know the duration of the project, its main deadlines, and see its progress and success.
5. Boost your team’s spirits.
   If your team sees how the project will be developed by its success criteria, it encourages them to start working and keep going. They will have a clear vision of project stages and their outcomes.
6. Gives valuable insights to stakeholders.
   They become aware of the short-term and long-term project goals. They then know what results to expect and when, how time and finances are allocated, and what resources are needed to achieve desirable outcomes.

How to Write a Project Charter

A quick video

This video gives you a quick overlook of how to create a project charter for your business.

Project charter template

There are a lot of variants of project charter examples you can download online. A quick Google search will give you tons of examples. Most of them follow the same basic structure. 

Below is a free project charter template to get you started quickly. It’s simple and allows you to adapt it to suit the needs of any project or task. 

Project charter checklist

Just writing a charter and sending it via email is not enough to successfully implement one in your business. Make sure you use the following tips, techniques, and strategies to build, present and execute your next project charter!

1. Prepare an effective presentation.
   Project participants may not understand the benefits of your project well or unintentionally send your letter to spam. Prepare an effective presentation of your charter, engage them with a meeting and give a persuasive speech on why this project is really important. Monroe’s motivated sequence outline technique can help you.
2. Improve communication.
   Encourage project participants to use chats to discuss the project and ask questions. Discover how to facilitate group communication, the pros and cons of synchronous and asynchronous styles and which apps work best for it!
3. Find the right tools.
   Make a list of effective project management, time management, and timekeeping tools and use them for effective time, budget, and progress tracking. Use various integrations with your daily-used software to boost your and your team’s productivity.
4. Gather a close-knit team.
   Any project success heavily relies on a professional and highly-motivated team. You should know how to gather and maintain team productivity and morale high to get superb results in the project. Check out some games & activities to unite your team and boost productivity.

Wrap Up

A project charter is an essential part of any project that helps articulate its purpose, estimate resources, and set clear objectives. This data shows a project’s value and if it’s worth starting it.

All participants will have their own benefits from a project charter. It shows what constraints a project team may have, determines resource limits, and leads the parties involved in general agreements on the project. 

It can be used as an effective tool for project promotion. If you present your idea well, you can get massive support from the potential sponsors and your project team.

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