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Tips for organization of your team

After-work projects, like your own USE-IT map project, bring unique challenges and rewards. But balancing these projects with day jobs and personal commitments can be tricky. In this article, we’ll dive into five free online tools that can help team leaders and members work smarter together. So, if you’re looking to keep your after-work project on track, read on to discover tools that can save your team time, simplify coordination, and ultimately, make the process enjoyable and sustainable for everyone involved.

Article outline

After-work projects, like your own USE-IT map project, bring unique challenges and rewards. They’re a chance to collaborate with like-minded people and pursue passions outside of the standard 9-to-5. But balancing these projects with day jobs and personal commitments can be tricky. When time is already limited, making the best use of everyone’s energy and skills is essential to keep things moving forward without causing burnout.

The key? Effective organization and time management. While there are countless productivity tools out there, many are complex and often come with a hefty price tag. For after-hours teams, especially those working on tight budgets, simple and free tools that streamline communication, planning, and accountability can make all the difference.

In this article, we’ll dive into five free online tools that can help team leaders and members work smarter together. So, if you’re looking to keep your after-work project on track, read on to discover tools that can save your team time, simplify coordination, and ultimately, make the process enjoyable and sustainable for everyone involved.

Trello

Trello is one of the most popular project management tools, alongside Asana. With the free plan, you can create up to 10 boards and invite teammates to specific boards, assigning tasks and deadlines. You can attach files, create subtasks, and organize to-do lists. Trello also integrates with Google Drive and Gmail, as well as communication apps like Telegram or Discord to receive task updates, and Toggl to track time spent on specific tasks.

At USE-IT Olsztyn, we used Trello to manage our project from its very first edition in 2018. It gave us a clear overview of each project phase, helped us track task progress, and ensured deadlines were set and followed.

Toggl Track

For reporting or ensuring financial transparency, time tracking is essential for an after-hours project. A reliable tool like Toggl Track can help your team monitor the hours they spend on different tasks. Toggl’s free app allows you to easily record work time, naming and tagging tasks as needed. It also provides daily, weekly, and monthly reports, giving you insight into the time spent on each project.

Study Bunny

Gamifying work can make it more enjoyable, especially for those hard-to-start tasks. Gamification can also be beneficial for neurodivergent team members who may need an extra boost to focus and stay motivated. Study Bunny is a free app that’s helped my friends and me tackle everything from studying to writing grant applications.

With Study Bunny, you create a virtual bunny and set a timer for your tasks. Each time you complete a task, you earn carrots to feed your bunny and coins to purchase outfits or furniture for your bunny’s home. If you skip the timer or leave the app, your pet goes without rewards, giving a lighthearted incentive to stay focused!

Discord

Many younger team members are moving away from Meta-owned tools; Messenger is less commonly used, and WhatsApp tends to be reserved for private communication with family and friends. For team-based communication that respects work-life boundaries, Discord is an excellent alternative.

Originally popular among gamers, Discord is now a growing platform for team collaboration, used by both small and large organizations. It’s free to use and allows for dedicated channels on specific topics as well as private messaging. Discord supports video and audio calls via voice channels, so quick team calls don’t require Zoom or Google Meet links. It also integrates with Trello and other tools, allowing project updates and task tracking to stay organized in one space.

Doodle

Scheduling a meeting for a large team is challenging, especially when your project is an after-hours commitment. Instead of having lengthy conversations about potential dates, Doodle lets team members vote on available times, and you’ll get notified once everyone has chosen their preferences.

Doodle also offers features beyond group scheduling. You can set up 1:1 meetings by sharing your availability, and create sign-up forms for activities like new team member recruitment or extra events connected to your project.

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