Workflows, work management, work management software…what do these words even mean? Do they even matter? I say YES! Understanding these terms helps you understand the systems that are out there. what they offer, and how to make them work for you.  

WORKFLOWS

Let’s start with workflows. It’s all the activities you do to complete a task.

Think about your process for submitting (or reviewing) a paid time off request. You probably check a calendar, check the time available, send a message or two, and then document it all somewhere. Those steps are the workflow for your PTO process.

Or imagine submitting a grant proposal – it’s a much more complex process, but a workflow nonetheless.

When you have good workflows, you get more done. You’re more productive. And if your whole team or organization uses good workflows, that’s when you really level up. 

WORK MANAGEMENT

Your workflows in their entirety are your work management. It’s the systematic approach you have to getting stuff done. It includes how you handle to-do lists, routine tasks, ongoing processes, and one-off and/or more complex projects.  

For a lot of us, work management is a combination of our email inbox(es), paper and digital to-do lists, calendar, and software like Google Workspace or Office. There’s a place for these tools for sure, but they don’t hold a candle to work management platforms. (I invite you to convince me otherwise.)

WORK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

I know you know what software is. But what makes a certain software the “work management” kind?

I’m going to say this because it is true, but stick with me, even if you don’t like what you’re about to hear…. 

Work management software is basically Excel….with a bunch of macros and add-ons laid on top of a much more approachable user interface. 

Maybe you already love spreadsheets, Maybe knowing Work Management = Excel just makes you more excited to choose a platform. Yay! But if you don’t like Excel…if it makes you feel the way I do about trying to shoot a layup or being asked to roller skate backwards, then stick with me. Don’t close the browser tab just yet.  

These platforms are like Excel because they’re all relational databases. A bunch of tables made up of rows and columns containing information that’s related. Imagine “Reconcile credit card statement” is a row, with columns saying who is going to do what by when sitting alongside it. But because there are a bunch of macros and add-ons built in, you get automatic color-coding, dropdown menus, comment threads, and calculations at your fingertips, without needing to know anything about formulas or programming languages. 

Work management software can also be defined as the place you go to get work done. It’s the place where your daily to-dos live (and can be checked off.) It’s where you can also send and receive updates on projects you’re collaborating with others on. It tells you who is doing what by when, and allows whole teams to see the big picture and the nitty gritty.

SO WHAT? WHO CARES?

I want you to know that work management software is not endlessly complex or something that requires a certification to work with (like say, Salesforce.) It’s just a bunch of gussied up spreadsheets (that can change your (work) life for the better.)

Bonus! What’s the difference between Work Management and Project Management?

These two phrases are often used interchangeably, but they’re not really the same thing. Work management tools are broader and more flexible than their project management counterparts. This makes them useful for more things.

A good work management system should have tools that let you manage to-do lists, routine tasks, and ongoing processes. And it can be used across the entire organization – rather than being useful for just one department. Project management software is often really good at one thing, but not versatile or accessible enough to be used for many different types of projects and processes.

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