Naiman Labs Newsletter #13. Before you select the app.

Hi friends and welcome to another issue of Naiman Labs weekly newsletter! 👋

Have you ever found yourself searching for a new app or tool to solve a problem with your work or personal activities? It’s a common trap many of us fall into, including me. We start by focusing on the tool, rather than the bigger picture.

For example, if you want to improve your task management process. What do you do? Let me guess, you go online and search for the most popular task management apps.

Another example for corporate life. Let’s imagine you need to improve your company’s performance management system. What do you do? You go online and search for the available tools and systems on the market (HR Tech is on the rise now).

However, the reality is that a new tool alone rarely solves the problem.

Often, when we try a new app, we end up repeating our existing process using the new tool. I’ve seen many people fall into this trap, and I’ve even done it myself. I’ve tried so many note-taking apps and task managers, but I didn’t see any improvement until I updated my processes.

When working with clients in HR, I’ve noticed a common request: “We need a system that could be easily 100% adjusted for our processes.” This is a valid request, but this also means that if there’s a problem with the processes or methodology behind a system, using a new app will likely only speed up inefficient processes or “make your chaos automated.”

So, how do you improve your system?

I suggest following this approach: Methodology → Process → Tools.

1️⃣ First, define the purpose, values, and key principles of your future system. Why are you implementing this? What do you want to achieve? What are the principles you or your team should follow within this system?

2️⃣ Next, think about the process. What are the key steps? Who should be involved? You don’t need to go too deep, as the tool you choose will help you. However, you do need to think about the high-level process.

3️⃣ Remember, the methodology and processes will set the requirements for the tool you choose. And, the tool you select might affect the process as well, so you may need to adjust the processes you designed.

Let’s take choosing a task manager as an example:

First, think about the approach (Methodology):

• Why do you need a task manager?

• What are you trying to achieve?

• Do you need it for personal tasks or work?

• What is your work style?

• Do you need your task manager to help you with short-term or long-term tasks?

• Do you need to track progress or add substantial notes and information for your tasks?

Second, think about the process (Process):

• Do you work on your tasks alone, or do you need to share them with someone else?

• Is it projects or more administrative operational tasks?

• What is your current task management process? What do you like and what don’t you like?

• Do you need a lot of reminders or do you conduct regular reviews of your tasks?

These two steps make a set of requirements for your task manager.

by the way, there are really many task managers on the market. You check this article as an example and make sure you don’t go to the tool search first 😄 23 Best Task Management Software Tools for Work in 2023 - ClickUp​

🙌 People management article of the week

AI in the workspace is a hot topic today, right? Some of professionals are worried that AI will take their jobs, while others are excited about the endless opportunities it brings. This week’s must-read article is all about how AI can boost productivity for knowledge workers. Check out the article here to learn more.

The though I like the most is that AI today is something like a pencil was centuries ago - a tool that can help you work better.

💼 Career tip of the week

This is the topic I am quite passionate about and this is the first thing I always ask to whoever come to me for any career-related advice: do you show your work? Short article by Korn Ferry to help you work on this.

​

​

I hope you found this helpful.

Have a joyful week!

Vlad from Naiman Labs