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The main benefit of SEO is search engine visibility, which can increase brand awareness and site traffic. View the full article

Finding content gaps and focusing on user needs can help you increase engagement. Here are more tips. View the full article

Appear higher in Airbnb search results by adding amenities to your listing and responding to guests quickly. View the full article

There’s a bit of a misconception that it’s “too late” to get started as a creator in 2025. Sure, the TikTok boom of 2020 is behind us (RIP days where videos of your sourdough starter got 10K views), but that doesn’t mean you’ve missed the boat. For one thing, it’s probably never going to be as easy as it is right now, ever again. The space is crowded, but it’s only getting more so. And another: there's still plenty of room for authentic voices to make their mark. "Your voice and your perspective matter," says creator and marketer Aarushi Singh. "There's room for everyone in the creator economy, and the world needs more passionate people sharing their knowledge and creativity." Plus, you’ve got a secret weapon — the tried-and-tested advice of successful creators who have been there, done that, and got the blue check (or Top Voice badge). I spoke to several of my favorite creators across platforms and asked them, with all their years of experience (and cross-platform followings), what they would do differently if they were starting from scratch today. And they had some fascinating insights to share. Armed with their wisdom, Buffer’s data, and my own experience as a creator, I’ve pulled together this step-by-step guide. So, whether you're dreaming of becoming the next big TikTok star or building a meaningful community on LinkedIn, I've got you covered. Let’s start building your plan — and your following. ⚡P.S. You’ll find a little ‘worksheet’ at the bottom of this article you can copy and paste into your notes tool of choice.1. Find your ‘why’ — and write it downWhat is motivating you to start building your presence on social media? Setting an overarching goal will help you get clear on your audience, content, and more. On top of that, it’s a useful north star to revisit when you need some motivation to stick to your plan. Gina Sapién, a marketer who grew her LinkedIn following to over 10K in just six months in 2024, says this is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. “What’s your main reason for creating content? Are you growing a brand, closing deals, landing a job, or something else? Your strategy will depend on this.” She cautions against setting a goal like ‘get followers.’ “Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics like followers if they don’t align with your goal. For example, if you’re building a business, focus on leads, not likes.” In my case, I’m focused on building my audience on LinkedIn in 2025 (supported by content on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads). My overarching goal is not to get followers but to generate multiple income streams. That means landing creator partnerships with brands I love and picking up content marketing and podcasting freelance work. Once you’re clear on your why, write it down somewhere visible. Research supports the idea that writing down your goals makes it more likely you’ll achieve them — 50% more likely, according to a study out of the Dominican University of California. I’ll take those odds. 2. Find your (for now) sweet spotIf you’ve consumed any content about getting your start on social, you’ll likely have heard a thing or two about choosing your niche. It’s good advice, but one that, in my experience, might lead to some overthinking. According to social media strategist Lindsey Gamble, the key is picking a topic you can talk about day after day without wanting to throw your phone out the window. "While some topics may have broader appeal or better reach, I'd focus on one or two that I'm passionate about and can consistently develop content for," he explains. "Consistency is key to content creation, and choosing a topic you know or love helps prevent burnout and keeps you motivated." Gina has some great advice on this front, too: “What’s that one thing you could talk about all day without getting tired AND people actually want to hear about? Start there,” she suggests. “Then break it down into 3–5 smaller themes (content pillars) you can stick to each week. These will keep you focused and help you build trust with your audience.” For Aarushi, this step would include "a thorough self-analysis of my skills/interests and how they align with my big-picture goals." "For example, I'm a marketer by day, so it's naturally easier for me to talk about marketing and be more confident about it," she says. Still feeling a little overwhelmed by trying to narrow down all your passions? Lindsey shared this nugget, which will hopefully alleviate some pressure: “Ultimately, your niche is you and not just the topic you focus on.” Gigi Robinson, creative economy educator and chronic illness activist — who has more than 200K followers across TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram — shared something similar on Buffer Chat: The Podcast. Start by focusing on one area of content that you are passionate about and expand from there, she suggested. “Think of your own brand as a solar system. You are the sun, and all of your interests are planets that you build upon over time." 3. Find your ‘connection’ pointIn my original draft of this article, I had a rough note about ‘finding your audience.’ But Pretty Little Marketer director, Sophie Miller, shared a tip that takes this a step further. “My first step would be to define my connection point,” she says. “Community is everything in 2025, and it's integral to building a presence that stands the test of time, especially if you’re looking to build on a busy platform like Instagram.” Sophie certainly would know. She started out on her “first love” Instagram back in 2020, amassing more than 100K followers. Now, she’s more focused on LinkedIn, where she has an audience of 200K on her personal profile and more than 300K on Pretty Little Marketer’s page. “Your connection point is the shared interest between you and your audience, that you can use to build relationship, maintain a consistent personal brand and as direction for your content,” she explains.” “Who are you posting for? If it's Gen-Z fashion girlies, your connection point might be feelings of trend fatigue and desire for timeless pieces. If you're a foodie looking to connect with other treat lovers, it could be life's little luxuries and indulgent yet quick recommendations.” “Defining your connection point means that you know what you're creating, and they know what to expect from you — right from the get-go.” 4. Play to your strengths“I’d love to create content, but I really don’t want to be on camera.” If I had a dollar follower for every time someone told me that, I’d have about… 12 more followers. (Which is quite a few people, to be fair.) I get that this is a major blocker for loads of people, but the reality is that you really don’t need to be a pro videographer to make it on social. Yes, short-form video is (still) having a moment — but it’s far from your only option when it comes to building your audience on social media. Far more important than format is consistency. So, choose a format (or a mix of them) that works for you. “While short-form video is often recommended because of its popularity on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, I’d focus on formats that play to my strengths,” Lindsey says. “If short-form video doesn’t come naturally to you, starting with it might feel forced. Instead, I’d prioritize formats that allow me to create content effectively because that is what is likely going to resonate best with audiences.” So, if you’re comfortable on camera and enjoy editing videos, setting out to create three videos every week is great! If you don’t fall into that camp, then trying to churn out all that video content is going to lead to burnout faster than you can say, “Export to camera roll.” No matter what the naysayers might tell you, there is still room on social media for photo- and text-based content — just look at the incredible rise of text-based platforms Threads and Bluesky. And if you're looking for receipts, we have them — a recent analysis of millions of Instagram posts found that, while videos do get more reach on the platform, it’s carousels that get the most engagement. When you’ve landed on your preferred content format, it’s time to consider… 5. Choose your platforms (wisely)As an aspiring creator, I’m sure you already have a platform (or several) in mind you’re hoping to lean into. That’s great! But now you’ve already done some strategy leg work as you work through these steps, there are a few more things to consider: What is your ultimate goal? If it’s booking brand partnerships, Instagram is the #sponsoredpost OG, while LinkedIn is definitely up-and-coming. If you’re looking to monetize natively, YouTube should be your first port of call, though TikTok is another strong option. Looking to drive click-throughs to a website or online store? Pinterest is where you want to be.Where is your audience? I’d argue this is not as important a consideration as it once was, since you can find all sorts of niches on the sprawling social networks of today. That said, common sense rules apply. (In other words: You’re probably not going to find too many pensioners on TikTok.)What format can you stick to consistently? While most platforms do support a mix of formats, there are one or two that just work best in-feed. On TikTok and YouTube, it’s video. On Instagram, it’s videos and carousels. On LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, or X, text can still reign supreme.If you’re still feeling confused, here’s a deep dive on platforms with Lindsey Gamble: 5. Build your creator tool stackBy now, you’ll know what type of content you're creating, where, and for who. If you’re starting from scratch, you probably feel like you’ve got your work cut out for you — but don’t assume the brace position just yet. There are loads of wonderful tools out there that can help you make the process smoother and faster. Here’s a quick list of some tools and use cases you might want to consider: A social media calendar: Whether it's a simple diary or spreadsheet or a more powerful tool like Buffer or Notion, a social media calendar is essential for staying consistent and organized. Here are some social media calendar templates to get started (or watch the video below to build one from scratch with me.)Photo editor: Whether it’s resizing to the best dimensions for each platform or tweaking the colors to fit your feed, a photo editor should be your first port-of-call. I use Canva and Adobe Lightroom for most of this.Design app: For creating carousels, adding text to images, and even some lightweight animations, you’ll need a design tool. Canva is my go-to, though Figma is a great option if you’re looking for something a little more powerful.A text editor: If you’re a text-based creator, I’d recommend a tool that dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. Grammarly’s browser extension is my favorite for most text, though AI writing tools like ChatGPT, Writer, and Claude can also be handy. I also like to use Speechify to read longer posts aloud to me to make sure they make sense.Video editor: You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to great video editors. My favorites are CapCut and Veed, though it might take some experimentation to find a system that works for you. These video editing tools are all excellent options.Social media management: No surprises here, but I’m a huge fan of scheduling social media posts in advance. Plus, I crosspost to multiple channels and there is no way I’m going to do that manually. Buffer is, of course, my go-to for scheduling and crossposting (it’s an excellent choice for beginners, and it’s free). If it’s not the right fit for you, here’s a comprehensive list of social media management tools and who they’re best for.Social media analytics: Figuring out what content works best for your audience is a crucial (and ongoing) task for creator success. Most platforms do have native analytics baked in which can be helpful, but it gets really fiddly if you’re sharing on multiple channels. Again, Buffer’s my top choice here as it does the math for you (recommending your best day, frequency, and content type to post on most channels), but here’s a bumper list of all the great social media analytics tools out there.An ideas hub: Once you get posting, I can pretty much guarantee that your best content ideas will come to you at the gym/at the store/out on a walk. You need a tool you can use on the go to store these sparks of genius. Your Notes app, Notion, Google Keep, and Buffer’s Create Space will work a treat.⚡If you want to take your creator tooling to the next level, this episode of Buffer Chat a must-listen: My Creator Tool Stack: Productivity Tips + Tools for Consistency with Anna Burgess Yang →6. Lean on other creators who inspire youWhen I first started creating on TikTok more consistently, one of the best pieces of advice I ever received was from Buffer’s own Nathan Nannenga, who has built up more than 30K followers on TikTok for his game and hobby store, Riftgate. He advised me to find other creators in my niche who I love, and use their videos as a template for my own. That definitely doesn’t mean copying them outright of course (there’s no way to flop on TikTok faster than inauthenticity). I’d put my own spin on their ideas, filming similar shots for my videos and seeing where and how they incorporated transitions and other effects. Doing this really helped me find my feet as a video creator and define my own style. Gina has some similar advice for text-based creators. “Writing as a newbie can feel overwhelming, so find posts that work and use them as a starting point,” she says. “Just don’t copy and paste — and always give credit if you borrow an idea.” 7. Make some friendsNot all the work that goes into building an audience happens on a public feed. Kiran Shahid, a content strategist, says that one of the best things she ever did when building her 10K audience on LinkedIn was connecting with other creators. "I'd study their content, understand their journey, and then send them super personalized DMs that showed I'd actually done my homework,” she says. “I also left detailed, thoughtful comments that added real value to discussions. The key was being ridiculously consistent with this approach. I'd follow up with people, share their wins, and genuinely celebrate their successes.” This investment still pays dividends today, Kiran says. “These same people regularly engage with my content, but more importantly, they've become part of a tight-knit community where we all support each other's growth.” “I've gotten amazing referrals for work, and collaboration opportunities — all because I took the time to build relationships rather than just collecting connections." Similarly, Lindsey recommends fostering connections on your own content, too. “One advantage new creators have is a smaller audience, which allows for deeper, more personal engagement,” he says. “Early on, I’d make it a priority to interact with every comment, DM, or message on my content. This kind of direct engagement helps build strong relationships and can turn casual viewers into loyal, engaged followers.” “As your audience grows, scaling this level of interaction gets harder, so take advantage of it while you can.” 8. Set a realistic, flexible scheduleCreator burnout: A thing to be avoided at all costs. While posting more is often touted as better for most platforms, that’s pretty unrealistic for most folks. There’s no point in posting daily if that ignites your inner Icarus. To make sure you don’t fly too close to the sun, don’t put yourself under too much pressure. Callie Schweitzer, Head of Scaled Programs at LinkedIn, works with a lot of new creators. One of the things she stresses to all of them: Don't try to go from zero to daily posting overnight. "Don't set a New Year's resolution that if you have posted zero times in the last month, you're going to post every day," she warns. "That's unrealistic... and we can all tell when somebody's posting on a platform, and it feels forced." Instead, start small and build up gradually. Maybe that's one post a week, then two, then three. The key is finding a rhythm you can actually maintain. Again, consistency > frequency. 9. Consider building a home home baseIf there’s one thing we’ve learned from the rapid banning and unbanning of TikTok, it’s that there’s something to be said for the old adage, “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.” "With algorithms constantly evolving, policies changing, and the possibility of platforms being banned, creators should focus on building channels that they own too," Lindsey says. Consider starting: A blog (like Lindsey Gamble’s)A community platform (like Sophie’s PLM community)A newsletter (like Buffer’s Tami Oladipo’s Content-as-a-Career)These owned channels aren't just backup plans — they're potential early monetization opportunities too. It’s time to take the plunge — and postIf you’ve worked your way through this article, you’re ready. It’s time to get to the fun — and most challenging part — posting. I don’t say difficult because creating content is hard work. It is, but it’s no harder than working through the creator strategy you’ve just finished. Hitting ‘publish’ is tough because it means stepping into the unknown, to a degree, with every post. "That's the thing about being a creator. When you haven't started, you build a mountain of self-doubt and impostor syndrome that makes you believe you can't achieve things because someone else is better at it, has bigger numbers, or better equipment," Aarushi says. "But take it from someone who's been there and done that, you need to get over your perfectionism. You don't need a crazy new idea or an otherworldly genius interstellar craft to be a successful creator." More good news: It gets a little easier every single time. Which is where this brilliant advice from creator and social strategist Jayde Powell comes in: “Just post the content. I think over time, things will fall into place, but you won't have all the answers until you actually start posting. “But I would say, don't think so critically about it,” she adds. “This is supposed to be something that is really fun and enjoyable and natural to you because it is an extension of who you are.” “So just get to posting. And then, over time, things will fall into place accordingly.” New Creator WorksheetCopy and paste these questions to your notes tool of choice and work your way through them (a pen and paper will do just fine, too!). My ‘why’ is:Why am I starting as a creator? What's my overarching goal? (e.g. brand partnerships, driving traffic to my website, building my newsletter mailing list, finding new clients for my business...). What motivates me? My sweet spot is:What is the one thing I could talk about endlessly without getting tired? …and that leads to these content pillars: First core themeSecond core themeThird core themeThe connection point/s between me and my audience are:Who are you posting for and are your shared values and interests? What do they need/feel? (e.g. Gen-Z fashion girlies with feelings of trend fatigue and desire for timeless pieces). My strengths are:What formats (e.g., video, text, photo, etc.) or styles of content play to my abilities? The platforms I will focus on are:What channels align with my goals, audience, and strengths? My creator tool stack includes:Content calendar: e.g., Buffer, Notion, diaryPhoto editor: e.g., Canva, Adobe LightroomDesign app: e.g., Canva, FigmaText editor: e.g., Grammarly, ChatGPTVideo editor: e.g., CapCut, VeedSocial media management: e.g., Buffer, Sprout Social, HootsuiteAnalytics tools: e.g., Buffer, native platform analyticsIdeas hub: e.g., Notes app, Notion, Buffer’s Create SpaceThe creators who inspire me are:Whose work resonates with me? What lessons can I take from them? Pro tip: Keep a list of links to their profiles so you can regularly visit, engage, and learn from their latest content. My content schedule is:What posting frequency can I maintain without burning out? The owned channels I will explore are:What home base (e.g., blog, newsletter, or community) will I build to secure my content and diversify my income opportunities? My next steps:What is the very first piece of content I’ll post? When? How will I follow up? Looking for more support?As a new (or even experienced) creator, it can be easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. That’s why we kicked off Buffer’s Creator Camp, a program to help you post on social media consistently for 30 days. This high-touch, free challenge provides the structure, support, and community to make posting a habit. Learn more here → Missed the latest round of Creator Camp? No sweat: We kick off a new challenge every quarter! Until then, you can always join our Discord community to connect with other creators. View the full article

Rich snippets are a type of Google search result that displays additional information like ratings or reviews. View the full article

Learn proven tactics to improve your organic CTR and drive more traffic from search engines to your site. View the full article

Learn how to create a marketing strategy from scratch. Perfect for small business owners and beginners. View the full article

Learn how to use hreflang attributes to boost your multilingual or multiregional website‘s SEO results. View the full article

CPC is the amount you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Know its pros and cons plus how to lower it. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employees can’t move on after I yelled at them I do not deny I have yelled at some of my employees out of frustration. I am in my 60’s and had several strokes and my demeanor is short. I have apologized, but the group of employees cannot get past the fact that I yelled and are now holding it against me. I know that I am out of touch with the younger generation, having grown up in the late 60’s and early 70’s and in a military household I would like to say, “Knock it off and get over it,” but I know that would make things worse. As an engineer, I am black and white with no emotions….kind of “shut up and get the job done.” Any advice on how to address the employees to get them past my past harsh yelling? Normally I’d say to sincerely apologize and vow you’ll treat them more respectfully going forward … but that’s not going to sound genuine if you don’t really see what the big deal is and still think your employees should just “get over it.” Yelling is abusive and it’s not reasonable to be frustrated that they won’t just get over it. I’m skeptical that you’ll be able to move past this unless you can find a way to see their point of view … and to do that, you have to be sincerely interested in learning, not just in trying to make the problem go away. Part of what you need to learn is why your employees — and most employees, particularly people with options — won’t tolerate being spoken to abusively. The other thing you need to learn is better management skills; you yelled out of frustration, which means you don’t know how to get what you need as a manager. That’s a skills deficiency on your side, not theirs — and this won’t get better unless you learn how to get things done without losing your temper. More advice here and here. 2. My boss found out I’ve been hiding mistakes from her I work at a pharmacy. At the interview, my boss said that she demands one thing: to tell her when I make any mistakes. I’ve been there for a year, and I didn’t tell her that I forgot I’d left the keys to the pharmacy attached to the outside doors three times. In fact, she discovered that after my colleague found them attached to the door at closing. She then talked to me (with no yelling) and said that this should not be repeated. Fast forward to two months after that, I made a mistake by not telling a patient that they should pay an additional fee and didn’t tell her because I planned on paying the fee myself, and by that I would be solving the problem without her knowing. My colleague again told my boss, and she got mad at me. I talked to her, and she repeated her words but didn’t mention anything about firing me or repercussions. But I noticed that she and everyone at the pharmacy are ignoring me. I really love working there and I respect my boss and love her so much. What should I do ? This is my first official job after graduating. However, I worked while studying in a toxic environment for two years where hiding mistakes and trying to fix them yourself was done at a daily basis. Leaving the keys in the door outside a pharmacy is a really serious mistake; it’s giving access to a bunch of controlled substances to anyone who wanders by! Humans make mistakes, but if it happened three separate times, you’ve really got to figure out what’s happening that’s allowing that. Two times would be bad! Three is … very bad. I’m not trying to berate you, but I can’t tell from your letter if you realize that so I’m flagging it. The thing about not telling your boss that you messed up a fee and instead planned to pay it yourself — when she specifically told you the thing she cares about most is that you tell her about mistakes — is also bad. Strategizing to deceive her is a big deal! She needs to know because there could be consequences she’ll need to deal with. (For example, off the top of my head, if that patient is charged the correct fee in the future and is confused about why she wasn’t charged it previously, people need to know what happened. It could also point to a need for more training, which is info she’s entitled to as your boss.) It’s smart to identify that you’re carrying over behaviors from an old job where hiding mistakes was normal, but in this environment, it’s a dysfunctional behavior. Your boss sounds like someone who won’t respond harshly to mistakes themselves, but cover-ups could get you fired. To make this right, talk to your boss and explain that you used to work somewhere where mistakes were handled very differently but you understand how important it is to be open and up-front about mistakes at this job, and you’re committed to doing that going forward (and say you know that you’ve handled it wrong up until now). But you have to really mean that — if you cover up another mistake, it’s likely to be impossible to come back from it. Related: how to rebuild your credibility after messing up at work 3. When I provide info to a coworker, he forwards it as-is without warning me I have a coworker who is intermediating between me and other people (clients, our superiors, etc.). Several times now he has asked me for some information, and then followed-up with, “Okay, I’ll pass it on like that.” This feels really weird to me. I was writing my messages to him specifically, and I assumed he would repackage that information accordingly (possibly with a more formal message, or also with other data), before informing others. If I knew my message would be going directly to another party from the beginning, I would have written it very differently! Am I off-base here? It’s definitely not unusual to write differently for one audience than another; you might be much less formal with a peer than with a client or a manager, or you might use shorthand with the former that you wouldn’t use with the latter. That said, your coworker may be judging that what you provided works fine as-is for his purposes. Either way, now that you know he does this, just start assuming that it may get passed on exactly the way you say it and write it accordingly … or you can explicitly say, “If this needs to go to a client or higher-up, I’d like to express it a bit differently so please let me know if that’s the case.” (Or you can even ask that before responding.) 4. Are colorful tights okay for work? I work in government and there is no real dress code in my office. People wear polos and tees or blouses and dresses. Some people wear jeans. I like to be a little more dressed up and was wondering if I wear a pair of lilac tights under a white sweater dress would this be appropriate for the office. What do you think? Yes! 5. How can I reject a job offer and still be considered in the future? I just got my first adult job offer after finishing school. The job itself is perfect — the people are nice, the hours and workload are better than 90% of similar positions I’ve seen in this field, the compensation and benefits are great. I even felt like I clicked well with my potential colleagues. My problem is the location. The position is in a small town an hour away from a big city. The winters are known for being cold and gloomy, which I am normally okay with, except I would be moving by myself (I’m single with no children and no family in the area) and anticipate it could get very lonely quickly. I was originally planning to live in the city so I could more easily meet other young single professionals, but I don’t think the commute would be feasible with this type of work (I tested the drive when I flew in for my interview). I do know some of my potential colleagues from previous training, but one is my ex, and while we are on good terms, I don’t think it’s smart to have my main support system be my ex (especially if one of us starts dating someone new who isn’t comfortable with our friendship). If I declined the job offer at this time, is there a way to make it clear I still love the company and would happily reapply if my social situation changes? (I would happily move to the small town where the job is at once I’m married/have a partner, especially if we have kids. It’s an ideal family town, but not so ideal for singles.) How would I communicate that now and in the future, and without burning bridges? I wouldn’t make it about your social situation — that’s a little too much information. Instead you could say something like, “I really like the company and its work but after a lot of thought, I don’t think I’m ready to make the move right now. So I’m declining, but I’d love to leave the door open for the future if a move does become possible for me.” View the full article

At a point when businesses are so technology-driven, manual timesheet methods sound like a thing of the past. It brings to mind your first job at a grocery store 20 years ago when you had to punch in and out on one of these bad boys. But believe it or not, 38% of U.S. employees The post Hidden costs of manual timesheet methods: A closer look at productivity drain appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Construction contracts are legally binding documents between two parties outlining the terms and conditions of the working relationship between them, usually awarded after a construction bidding process. In this blog, we’ll explore the components, pros and cons of a cost reimbursement contract. What Is a Cost Reimbursement Contract? A cost reimbursement contract is an agreement between parties in a construction project that guarantees the owner reimburses the contractor for costs incurred while they work on the project. Reimbursement, however, is not unlimited. There is a ceiling. The contractor is not paid solely for the costs but is also guaranteed an additional payment. This additional payment will be the contractor’s profit. The contract will still include an estimate for the total cost of the project. Unlike a fixed-price contract where the overall price for the project is agreed on before the work starts and the price is final (and thus, the risk lies mostly with the contractor,) the cost reimbursement contract places risk more squarely on the project owner. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other risks, such as scope creep, where requirements are unclear. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/construction-gantt-resources-costs-150-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgMonitor real-time costs with ProjectManager’s cost control features. Learn more! When to Use a Cost Reimbursement Contract A cost reimbursement contract is particularly beneficial when used in certain scenarios, such as when: The project scope is uncertain and changes will likely be made as the project is being executed, such as when executing larger, complex projects. The project owner wants to control costs closely and audit the contractor, which is typical for government-funded projects. A long-term project is executed, as their costs are hard to forecast in advance. The contractors don’t want to assume the risk of a fixed-price contract due to factors that might increase costs beyond their forecasts, such as volatile prices of materials, labor or equipment. What Should Be Included in a Cost Reimbursement Contract? Construction contracts must be detailed so the parties involved can clearly understand their obligations. Below are some of the most important components of a cost reimbursement contract. Parties to the Contract This section identifies the entities involved in the contract including the buyer (client) who seeks the deliverables and the seller (contractor) responsible for providing them. Clear identification ensures accountability and defines roles to help prevent disputes or misunderstandings during contract execution. Scope of Work The scope of work specifies the tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities agreed upon by both parties. It serves as the foundation for performance expectations to ensure both the client and contractor understand the project’s boundaries and objectives. Type of Cost Reimbursement Contract This section outlines the nature of the cost reimbursement agreement, specifying whether it is Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF), Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee (CPIF), or Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF). It defines how reimbursement and fees are calculated and managed. Allowable Costs Allowable costs are those eligible for reimbursement under the contract. This section defines these expenses, such as labor, materials, and overhead and often references guidelines like FAR Part 31 for compliance with standards. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cost-reimbursement-contract-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free Cost Reimbursement Contract Use this free Cost Reimbursement Contract for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File Payment Terms This outlines how and when the contractor will be reimbursed, detailing the frequency (e.g., monthly, milestone-based) and the documentation required (e.g., invoices, receipts, reports). The clearer the terms, the smoother the financial transactions. Fee Structure The fee structure specifies how profit, incentives or fees are determined. It may include fixed fees or performance-based incentives that align the contractor’s earnings with project success metrics. Cost Ceiling A cost ceiling establishes the maximum amount reimbursable under the contract. It prevents unapproved over-expenditure and ensures financial control, requiring the contractor to get approval for exceeding this limit. Reporting Requirements Reporting requirements mandate cost tracking, financial reporting and audits. Regular and transparent reporting means the client can monitor expenditures and progress, maintaining accountability throughout the project. Change Management Process This section defines the process for controlling changes to the contract’s scope, cost or timeline. Clear procedures reduce disputes and ensure that both parties agree upon and document any adjustments. Dispute Resolution Dispute resolution outlines methods for resolving conflicts between the parties, such as arbitration, mediation, or legal proceedings. It provides a structured approach to address disagreements without disrupting the construction project. Termination Clauses Termination clauses specify the conditions under which the contract may be ended by either party. They outline the process and consequences of termination to protect the rights and interests of both parties. Compliance Requirements Compliance requirements ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations, and standards. This section helps maintain legal integrity and outlines the obligations contractors must meet to avoid penalties or contract breaches. Cost Reimbursement Contract Example To better illustrate what a basic cost reimbursement contract should look like, here’s a cost reimbursement contract example you can download for free. Imagine a scenario where an individual needs to hire a contractor to build a custom single-family home. In this case, the general contractor can execute all of the scope of work without needing to hire any subcontractors. The project owner and contractor have agreed to use a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) cost reimbursement contract. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cost-reimbursement-contract-example.png Disclaimer: The cost reimbursement contract examples in this blog are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered legal or financial advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney or contract specialist to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations when drafting or entering into a contract. What Are the Four Types of Cost Reimbursement Contracts? There is not a one-size-fits-all cost reimbursement contract. There are actually four distinct categories: Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) A CPFF reimburses the contractor for all incurred costs, plus a fixed fee. This additional fee is included regardless of the contractor’s performance of the project. The customer, then, bears the risk. These contracts are often used in high-risk projects where it might be difficult to get bidders to compete. The incentive is that the contractor is protected from risk. There are two types of CPFF contracts: Completion, in which a goal or product the contractor must deliver to receive their fee is identified Term, where the contract specifies a time period and level of effort the contractor must achieve Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) The CPIF gives the contractor a reimbursement for all incurred costs, and then adds an incentive based upon achievement of certain agreed-upon performance objectives, which are defined in the contract. The two parties will agree on a formula to determine what the incentive price is. The risk in this type of contract is with the customer (but less so than with a CPFF,) and the incentive motivates the contractor. Usually, the incentive is a percentage of savings both parties share. Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) The CPAF gives the contractor an award fee when they meet certain performance metrics outlined in the contract. This type of contract differs from the CPIF because the award is not based on a formula defined in the contract, but instead on the customer’s satisfaction. Therefore, it’s a subjective decision and cannot be appealed by the contractor. Cost Plus Percentage of Costs (CPPC) The CPPC awards the contractor all costs for the project and a percentage of those costs. This is not a popular choice with project owners unless they trust the contractor, as it shifts the risk to the owner. There is a risk of costs being artificially increased to profit the contractor. These contracts, therefore, have greater regulations applied to them to avoid such risks. Pros and Cons of a Cost Reimbursement Contract A cost reimbursement contract is best for projects where the scope is uncertain and risk is high, as the risk is being shouldered by the customer who pays for all costs. But a cost reimbursement contract is not always the best type of legal course to take between parties. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a cost reimbursement contract: Pros Contractors have little incentive to cut corners Ideal when quality over costs is the objective Final costs are typically lower because there’s no need to inflate prices to cover contractor risk Cons Final costs are not certain Needs oversight to make sure only those agreed-upon costs are paid Further oversight is needed for making any award or incentive fee fair Less incentive for efficiency There are reasons to use a cost-reimbursement contract over, say, a fixed-price contract, but all contracts have their pros and cons. It’s best to understand the scope and risk of the work to determine which contract is best. How ProjectManager Helps You With Cost Reimbursement Projects ProjectManager is award-winning software that allows you to create a budget, keep up with costs and report on those costs. If you use a cost reimbursement contract, you need to have a handle on what you’re spending. The less reimbursement needed, the more likely you’ll receive the incentive award and avoid breaking the price ceiling set up in the contract. Create Budgets You can create a budget at any time in the project, though it is most likely this will be done when you are in the planning stages. Your budget, however, can be changed at any time throughout the project’s life cycle. Once set, the project will be displayed on your real-time dashboard and accessible in reports to keep track of your costs. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dashboard-IT-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png Manage and Track Costs Manage both types of costs in our tool, both resources and general costs. Resource costs are automatically calculated as your team logs hours on their tasks when you set their hourly rate. This is all shown on the Gantt and sheet view, where you can organize all your tasks and create a schedule by seeing the whole project laid out on a visual timeline. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Gantt-Light-Mode-Timeline-Focus-1600x858.jpg Create Instant Reports One-click reporting gives you even more data on your costs and budget. You can get this information from reports such as the portfolio status, which is color-coded to easily see if you’re over or under budget. Project status, project plan and task report also give you cost figures. All reports can be filtered to zero in on just what you want to see and then shared to keep stakeholders updated. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reports-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png ProjectManager is online software that tracks costs in real-time to help you stay on your budget. Use our tool to manage every phase of your project from planning to closure. Get live data to make better decisions and use our collaborative platform to help everyone work better together. See what we can do to add efficiencies to your project by taking this free 30-day trial today. The post Cost Reimbursement Contract: A Quick Guide appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Managing construction projects is complex and stressful. You may stick to your schedule and budget, but if your project doesn’t meet quality acceptance criteria, then you’re not just going to upset your stakeholders; you might face lawsuits. Quality means different things to different people, which is why you should adhere to construction quality control. It’s a quality management system that allows you to define what quality is, track it and make necessary changes to ensure those benchmarks are met. What Is Construction Quality Control? Construction quality control is a management system aimed at ensuring the final deliverable meets the standards and guidelines set by the client. That includes completing the project within the scope of work and avoiding disputes throughout the life cycle of the project. Quality is defined by the client, regulatory agencies and environmental and policy guidelines. All these quality assurance requirements and procedures are documented in a construction quality management plan. Construction quality is controlled by good monitoring and tracking of your project. ProjectManager is online project management software that delivers real-time data, so you can catch issues before they become problems. Try ProjectManager free today! /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Construciton-dashbord-light-mode-CTA-1600x918.jpgProjectManager lets you control quality with better monitoring using a live dashboard. Learn more Before further defining the construction quality control process, it’s important to understand the difference between construction quality control and construction quality assurance. Construction Quality Control vs. Construction Quality Assurance There are two aspects of project quality management in construction: construction quality assurance (QA) and construction quality control (QC). Quality assurance sets the quality management expectations and standards, while construction quality control focuses on establishing procedures to measure whether those quality standards are being met or not. The construction quality control manager drives this construction quality control plan throughout all phases of the project. What Is a Construction Quality Control Plan? A construction quality control plan is a document that highlights the specific processes and procedures a construction team uses to ensure project quality. This is an essential part of construction project management as it helps meet (and exceed) client expectations, reduce risks and costs, improve efficiency and enhance safety. As a result of this document, construction teams can significantly improve their quality of work and build a respected reputation in the industry. What Should Be Included in a Construction Quality Control Plan? When putting together a construction quality control plan, you need to address quite a few things. Here is a list to keep you from missing any of the important steps: 1. Project Specifications In this section, outline the technical requirements of the project as this will be the foundation for quality control. This includes construction plans, design drawings and detailed specifications for materials, workmanship and finishes. State all applicable codes, standards and contractual obligations. If there are project-specific requirements like sustainability certifications, be sure to include them here. 2. Quality Objectives and Standards This is where you define the quality assurance standards for the project, which is done by collecting client specifications and expectations for the quality of the finished build. The objectives may include ensuring that the materials meet industry standards, regulatory requirements and client specifications. The materials should also achieve defect-free construction and minimize rework. Safety and environmental standards should also be considered in this section. Having clear quality objectives helps guide the team toward consistent outcomes while minimizing defects. But you’ll also want to go beyond their needs and address specifications from building codes and industry standards. Lay it all out so there’s no confusion on why the work was done the way it was done. 3. Quality Control Roles and Responsibilities In this section of the construction quality control plan, define the roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved in quality control. This includes roles such as the quality control manager who implements the plan as well as inspectors who oversee daily compliance. Subcontractors, suppliers and construction project managers should also understand quality control obligations. In many cases, an organizational chart is included to help clarify who is responsible for what. Below is more detail on each of these roles. Quality Control Manager: Choose someone to lead the effort—a quality control manager. The client needs to know who this person is and why they’re qualified for the position. The quality manager leads all quality management work and is responsible for the day-to-day field operations. The construction quality control plan needs to define the quality manager’s responsibilities and how they work with the rest of the crew. Quality Control Inspectors: These inspectors play an important role in ensuring the quality and safety of the project. They enforce building codes and standards, monitor construction activities, perform inspections and document findings for reports. If needed, they communicate with stakeholders as well. Subcontractors and Suppliers: First, inform your client of the suppliers and materials in use. Since these are organizations outside your governance, you need to add selection criteria for suppliers and subcontractors to your construction quality control plan. This includes price, naturally, but also if they’re delivering on the quality you expect. Quality Control Procedures Quality control in construction can’t happen without quality control procedures in place. In this section, outline the actions and processes needed to ensure quality at every stage of the project. This includes an inspection test plan (ITP) that notes when key inspection and testing activities will take place during various stages. During this stage, procedures for conducting quality control inspections, tests and audits are outlined. All of these processes work together to ensure the project has consistent quality management. Inspection Test Plan: Create an inspection test plan (ITP) to decide what is inspected, the construction quality control methods that will be used and let the team know when it’s inspected. Also, there must be a person responsible for carrying out the inspection, whether that’s someone in your crew or a third party. Quality Control Inspections and Tests: Inspect each phase of the construction as part of the overall construction project management of your build. Conduct tests to verify the quality of material used or the functioning of quality management systems. List the inspections and tests you will perform over the life cycle of the construction project, including the forms and test results you’ll use. Quality Control Audits: This is a systematic and independent examination of an organization’s quality management system (QMS) or the processes within it. This is a critical tool for organizations that want to ensure product quality, services and operations. Corrective Actions: No construction project ever goes completely as planned. When things go wrong, you need to have corrective actions in your plan in order to maintain the overall quality of the project. There should also be a record documenting these changes and how they were implemented, such as a decision log. Punch List and Final Walkthrough: This is where you outline how the final construction quality control inspection will be conducted, including what the punch list will look like and how the final walkthrough with the client will be conducted. Surveillance: Have monitoring be part of your construction quality control plan. You need to let your client know how you’ll monitor quality. Decide on the frequency of surveillance as well as how and what you’ll be monitoring. Detail this in the construction quality control plan. Materials and Equipment Quality Control In this section on quality control in construction, the focus is on ensuring that the used materials meet the requirements for safety, strength and durability. This includes material selection and testing, material handling and material inspection. We’ve broken down various aspects below. Material Submittal and Approval Process: Contractors will submit information about the materials and products they intend to use in a project to the design team for review and approval. Usually, the materials to be used are described in a bill of quantities document. Material Testing: This involves looking at the physical and mechanical properties of materials to ensure they meet the needed standards and requirements. On-site Material Storing Protocols: This is essential for safety, efficiency and overall project success. It ensures that all materials are stored securely and properly to reduce the risk of injury and follow compliance with regulations. Calibration of Equipment and Maintenance: Periodic equipment calibration and a clear maintenance schedule help ensure that construction tasks can be completed accurately. Vendor Quality Audits: This is a systematic evaluation of a vendor’s ability to consistently deliver the products or services that meet the needed quality standards. Communication and Reporting Quality control should be part of the discussion between the project owner and whoever is executing the construction project from start to finish, whether that is a general contractor or multiple subcontractors. Quality control should be part of the reports, test results and any inspection data. Your construction quality control plan must have a communications guideline to explain how, and with what frequency, this communication will occur. Some examples of construction quality control reports include: Non-conformance reports (NCRs) Corrective action reports (CARs) Root cause analysis reports Quality audit records Testing logs Final inspection report /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Quality-control-template.jpg Get your free Quality Control Template Use this free Quality Control Template for Excel to manage your projects better. Download Excel File Construction Quality Control Checklist After making a construction quality control plan, it’s still important to prepare a quality control checklist to make the process of inspection thorough and less likely to overlook items. A good construction quality control checklist should summarize the contents of the construction quality control plan in a much simpler and easy-to-read format. Here’s a comprehensive construction quality control checklist to help you manage quality as your construction project is executed. Conduct preconstruction quality meetings Inspect the site conditions and create a site inspection report Review project specifications, drawings and plans Confirm that all permits and approvals are in place Create an inspection test plan Ensure equipment is well maintained and works properly Check material deliveries to ensure they meet quality standards Establish best practices for material and equipment storage Implement various construction quality control inspection methods as applicable Perform daily or weekly inspections at the job site Document all quality defects using non-conformance reports Keep project stakeholders informed on quality inspections Use a punch list to ensure all quality defects are fixed Prepare a final quality report and submit documentation to the project owner Why Construction Quality Control Matters Your project isn’t a success if your client isn’t satisfied. Construction quality control is important because it improves client satisfaction. A happy client will work with you again, and even give recommendations to others. More practically, doing quality work means less rework. Not needing to redo work that should have been done right the first time reduces costs and keeps you on schedule. This is also a way to keep the morale of your crew high, which in turn means they’ll work more productively. Most important, though, is that construction quality control leads to a successful project. Everything done in construction project management rests on the quality of your work. Focusing on quality means fewer problems and changes, while also saving time and money. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-construction-ebook-banner-ad.jpg Construction Quality Control Inspection Methods Here are the some of the most commonly used construction quality control methods to ensure materials, workmanship and other aspects of a construction project meet quality objectives: 1. Non-Destructive Testing This is a collection of techniques that evaluate the properties of materials, systems, components and other project resources without causing permanent damage. It helps in areas such as safety, quality control, cost savings and maintenance. Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Radiographic Testing (RT) Magnetic Particle Testing (MPT) Dye Penetrant Testing (DPT) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) 2. Destructive Testing In quality control in construction projects, destructive testing includes subjecting materials or components to conditions or stressors that could cause failure or permanent damage. These tests are designed to offer important data on the material’s strength and behavior under extreme conditions. Compressive Strength Tests Tensile Strength Tests Pull-Off Adhesion Tests 3. Structural Load Testing In this aspect of construction quality control, the structural integrity and capacity of buildings (or other structures) are verified. This may include design verification, identification of defects, static load tests, proof load tests, etc. It can lead to improved safety, reduced risk and improved quality. 4. Sample and Laboratory Testing This helps ensure the quality, safety and performance of construction projects. The process involves collecting samples of materials from the construction site and putting them through tests in a controlled environment to determine if they’re suitable for their intended use. The goal is to verify material quality, prevent failures and ensure compliance. 5. Visual Inspection Methods Visual inspection is a widely used method to assess quality in construction. This approach typically involves the human eye that’s aided by simple tools to look at the materials, components and work in progress for defects or irregularities. This happens to check for material inspection, workmanship inspection and safety inspections. 6. Mock-Up Testing This is used to evaluate the design and construction details in a real-world environment. The key purpose is to offer visual and aesthetic review, functionality and performance testing, problem identification and resolution and collaboration. It helps reduce the risk of expensive rework and change orders, improves quality, increases safety and improves client satisfaction. Quality Control Template This quality control template is ideal for managing the quality of deliverables in a construction project. You can use it to log any quality management issues that are found at the job site, including who found the issue, the date when it was found and its priority level among other important quality management information. /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Quality-control-template-screenshot.png We offer a variety of free construction project management templates for Excel you can use to manage all aspects of your project. How ProjectManager Helps With Construction Quality Control Managing the quality of construction projects involves close monitoring of the work. To streamline this process, you’ll want to use construction project management software. ProjectManager is online software that gives you the real-time data you need to respond and meet your client’s quality expectations. Organize Construction Plans on Gantt Charts Organize all the tasks associated with your construction quality control plan with an online Gantt chart. ProjectManager lets you link dependencies, set milestones and filter for the critical path. Then you can set a baseline to compare actual progress against the planned effort. The Gantt can be easily shared with your client to keep them updated. Track Your Plan’s Progress on Dashboards ProjectManager’s live dashboard gives you real-time data on several project metrics, so you can catch any irregularities that might impact the quality of the work. There’s even a portfolio dashboard if you’re managing several projects at once. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Portfolio-Summary-Dashboard-Home-Screen-Light-Mode-1600x872.png Create Reports for Stakeholders in Seconds If you want to take a deeper dive into project data, use ProjectManager’s one-click reports. These are especially helpful for clients that don’t want to get granular but want to know if you’re on time, within budget and are meeting quality expectations. Share reports by email or print them out, depending on what the client prefers. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reports-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes tasks, teams and projects. Use ProjectManager to foster communications and control the quality of your construction project. With resource management, timesheet and task management features, ProjectManager can help you create a construction quality control plan, quickly find problems and resolve them before they impact time or costs. Try ProjectManager free today. The post Construction Quality Control: Essential Tips for Managing Quality appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Search engines help users find webpages related to specific search terms (called queries). Understanding how search engines work can help you make your pages more accessible. And ultimately direct more potential customers to your site. This guide explains how search engines discover, store, and rank content. You’ll also get tips on how to increase visibility in search results. How Do Search Engines Work? Search engines provide users with a list of relevant webpage results related to their search queries (i.e., the words they type into the search bar). They accomplish this by following a three-step process: Crawling: Discovering and downloading the content of webpages Indexing: Analyzing and storing that content in a database Ranking: Ordering results based on their relevance to a user’s search query Each page must pass through these stages to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). Discovering Webpages Search engines use web crawlers (also called bots or spiders) to follow links across the web and find new URLs. When a crawler discovers a new URL, it downloads the page’s text, images, and other elements. The crawler then follows links on that page to find more URLs. If your site relies heavily on JavaScript, Googlebot will take additional rendering steps to ensure it sees all of your content. Some situations prevent successful crawling. For example, website owners can use meta robots tags to block crawlers like Googlebot. Server errors can also prevent crawlers from accessing content. Crawl Budget Crawl budget is the amount of time a search engine’s crawler spends within a specific time frame. Two main factors influence crawl budget: Crawl demand: How popular and fresh the site’s content is Crawl capacity: How quickly the site responds to crawler requests Large websites with many pages may see slower crawling. Small sites usually have enough crawl budget for all pages. Sitemaps A sitemap is a file listing important pages on a website and guides crawlers to key content. This is a sample of Backlinko’s XML sitemap: Including important pages in a sitemap can help search engines index them faster. To learn how to create a sitemap, read our guide to the top sitemap generator tools. Pro tip: Semrush’s Site Audit tool can help you identify and address crawl budget issues or sitemap errors. Organizing Web Content After crawling, search engines analyze pages to understand their topics. They store processed information in a large database called the index. All search engines follow the same general process for indexing. They record details like keywords, metadata, and page quality signals. They also note technical factors such as Google’s Core Web Vitals and country associations. What Prevents a Page from Getting Indexed? Search engines don’t index every page they crawl because they only want to show users high-quality pages. A page might not be indexed if: The page is low-quality or violates Google’s content policies The page returns an HTTP status code error (4xx or 5xx) The page design creates issues for successful indexing The site owner has requested the page not be indexed (via a noindex tag) Among other possible reasons. Indexing isn’t guaranteed, so make sure your pages meet Google’s search quality standards to increase your chances. How to Get Indexed by Google To get indexed by Google, you have two options: Wait for Googlebot to discover your pages naturally Submit your site for indexing in your Google Search Console account Both options can take days or even weeks. To learn more about URL inspection, check out our Google Search Console guide. Determining Which Content to Rank Ranking determines the order of results that appear in response to a search query. Each search engine uses proprietary ranking algorithms and updates them frequently. Search engines use a variety of ranking factors to determine the order of search results, but some are more important than others. Google weighs the following factors heavily: Keywords: Terms that represent the page’s main topic Search intent: The user’s purpose (e.g., answering a question, finding a product, etc.) Location: The searcher’s geographic location User history: Past searches and visited pages Other factors like backlinks, page load times, content quality, and some meta tags are also used in ranking. For a comprehensive list, see our ranking factors guide. Why Search Results Change Over Time Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results. For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change. Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically. When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog. Presenting the Best Answers Search engines show more than simple links. They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience. For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients. Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents. But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent. Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product. SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users. Common types include: Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs. To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords. AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches. Like this: These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements. Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience. Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people. The next critical step? Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content. Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility. The post How Do Search Engines Work?<br> (Quick Guide for Beginners) appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Scheduling tasks to meet deadlines, assign resources and estimate costs are fundamental to the planning phase in project management. One of the most important tools for project managers to accomplish this is project timeline software. We review the best project timeline software, listing pros, cons, pricing and more to help customers make an informed decision. Use this guide to help find the right project timeline software for your projects. What Is Project Timeline Software? Project timeline software is designed to help project managers, teams and stakeholders visually plan, track and manage the project schedule. It provides a timeline view of tasks, milestones, deadlines, dependencies and progress to ensure projects stay on track and meet its objectives within the allotted time. This type of software has many benefits. It visually displays project tasks over time, offering a clear view of the entire project. This allows stakeholders to easily track progress and for project managers to identify potential delays or issues before they become critical. It also improves team communication. The software helps allocate resources, whether human or nonhuman, by allowing project managers to see who’s working on what, ensuring that no one is overburdened or underutilized. This also helps avoid resource bottlenecks. It can also help with risk management by identifying risks early. There’s also the benefit of using the tool to monitor progress. What Features Make the Best Project Timeline Software? Before reviewing project timeline software products, it makes sense to understand the key features they should have to be effective. The following is a list of those features that customers need to be aware of when looking for the right software. Project Scheduling: Allows users to define tasks, assign them to team members and set up deadlines when managing projects. Dependencies: Visualizes the relationship between tasks, showing which tasks must be completed before others can start. Gantt Charts: Most project timeline software includes Gantt charts, visually representing the project timeline with tasks displayed as bars along a horizontal time scale. Milestone: Marks key points or events in the project timeline to indicate significant achievements or deadlines. Resource Allocation: Helps manage human and nonhuman resources and their availability over time. Critical Path Analysis: Helps to determine the critical path of a project timeline to help estimate the project’s duration and shows which tasks have slack and which don’t. Time Tracking: Provides features for tracking the completion of status of tasks, such as timesheets, helping to monitor progress against deadlines. Collaboration: Many tools allow team members to collaborate in real-time, making updates, commenting and sharing documents. Customizable Views: Depending on the software, users can customize the timeline view to focus on specific details like tasks, deadlines, resources or milestones. 2025 Best Project Timeline Software Rankings There are a lot of project timeline software products on the market. The tyranny of choice could almost make a customer throw their hands up and just randomly pick one. That would be a mistake. There are good, bad and ugly tools out there. We’ve done the dirty work and below are the best of the best in descending order. 1. ProjectManager/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/auth0-pm-logo-dark.png ProjectManager is award-winning project timeline software and much more, which places it atop our best-of list. It’s collaborative, with real-time email and in-app notifications, document management, global search and version control, plus unlimited file storage. That should be a given in any software like this, but we’ve hardly started to heap our praises on this product. The software has multiple project views, which means that when projects are scheduled on timelines the team can execute them across kanban boards to visualize workload or task lists that can have attachments, prioritize, tag and more. There’s also a calendar view for stakeholders to get a monthly overview of progress. Plus, there’s a free 30-day trial to try it out. Schedule With Gantt Charts Now, let’s get to the meat of this product. Unlike many other project timeline software products, this one has one of the best Gantt charts we’ve ever used. It does everything a timeline can do, from organizing tasks, adding milestones, assigning resources and cost tracking, but has more advanced features. For example, this Gantt chart can link all four types of task dependencies. Many other timelines have dependencies, but only one or two. ProjectManager has them all to help avoid delays and cost overruns. There’s also a filter that shows the critical path without having to go through the lengthy and complicated calculations by hand. On top of that, once the schedule is done, users can set a baseline to track the plan against actual progress in real time. Monitor and Balance Resources The Gantt chart schedules human and nonhuman resources. Other tools track those resources to keep them productive. First, during the onboarding process, project managers can set the team’s availability, including PTO, vacation and global holidays, as well as skill sets, which helps when making assignments. Once that’s done, there’s a color-coded workload chart showing who is overallocated or underutilized. Workload can be balanced from this page to keep everyone working at capacity and avoiding burnout. There’s also a team page, which collects all the team members and their assignments, progress on tasks and more, across one or multiple projects. The team page can show a daily view or a weekly view. It can be further filtered to highlight progress, priority and more, which provides valuable insights into resource allocation and utilization. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Track Progress, Performance and Costs in Real Time This Gantt chart tracks progress by shading in the task bar as the task is being completed. However, other tools provide more detailed information. For a high-level overview, real-time project and portfolio dashboards collect live data and display key performance indicators (KPIs) on easy-to-read graphs and charts showing time, cost, workload and more. When project managers want more data, they can use customizable reports. There are status and portfolio status reports, plus, reports on variance, workload, timesheets and more. These reports can be quickly created and filtered to show only the data users want to view and can be shared with stakeholders to keep them updated. Then there are the secure timesheets that streamline payroll, but also give project managers a window into labor costs to help keep projects from going over budget. They also track the time team members are spending on their work. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/timesheet-lightmode-good-version-lots-of-tasks.png Other features that moved ProjectManager to the top of our list include risk management tools to identify risks, including a risk matrix to measure impact and likelihood, which also tracks issues until they’re resolved. There are custom and automated workflows to reduce repetitive tasks so teams can focus on more important work. Task approval settings ensure those deliverables maintain quality standards. There’s even a mobile app for Android and iOS that allows users to log hours anywhere and at any time. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software ProjectManager Pros & Key Features Online Gantt charts Resource planning, scheduling and tracking tools Dependencies management Critical path analysis Time tracking Mac-friendly Free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS ProjectManager Cons & Limitations Limited customization features No free plan ProjectManager Pricing Team: $13/user/month Business: $24/user/month Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote ProjectManager Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “ProjectManager works very well with both large and small-scale projects. Being able to use this with anything from a project involving only two members of staff, to hundreds, has been invaluable.” Peter W – from Capterra “We used to manage our projects, resources, and reporting in different systems. Enter ProjectManager. We have consolidated systems and work more efficiently.” Jeffrey M – from Capterra “Having the full scope of activities and who is responsible to do it, plus the time tracking is excellent.” Flavio M – from G2 “It has an excellent accounting system capable of calculating the time that a person has used to develop a task that was assigned to him. I like being able to collaborate with all my colleagues in the Finance sector through ProjectManager.” Jesus C – from G2 “The UI of the application is user-friendly, and it helps to identify what we are looking for with minimal effort.” Pavan H – from G2 2. Microsoft Project/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/MS_Project_Logo-600x600.png Microsoft Project is project timeline software. It has Gantt charts that visualize tasks over time, with task dependencies, critical path analysis and resource management features. It’s a popular tool with larger organizations and a good fit for those who want software that seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products. There is also detailed reporting that allows users to generate reports on project progress, resource utilization and timeline performance. Related: Best Microsoft Project Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Microsoft-Project-Gantt-chart-example.png Using Microsoft Project means carrying some uncomfortable baggage. It’s notoriously complex and the interface can feel overwhelming, especially for those unfamiliar with the tool. Then there’s the high cost of using the tool. It’s prohibitively expensive for smaller businesses and larger ones have to deal with the mounting licensing fees as they add users to the software. For collaboration, users have to purchase Project for the Web or Project Online, adding to the expense. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Integration With MS Tools Microsoft Project Key Features & Benefits Ideal for those familiar with Microsoft solutions Gantt charts with task dependencies, critical path analysis Free plan and free trial Mobile app for Android and iOS Microsoft Project Cons & Limitations Complicated to learn and overwhelming interface Depends on integrations and paid add-ons, for collaboration Expensive, especially adding more licenses Mobile app has only basic functionality Microsoft Project Pricing Standard: $5/user/month (billed annually) Premium: $10/user/month (billed annually) Enterprise: $17.50/user/month (billed annually) Microsoft Project Reviews G2 review: 4/5 Capterra review: 4.4/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It’s a powerful tool for managing complex projects, offering detailed features like task scheduling, resource allocation, and progress tracking.” Mazhar A – from Capterra “I love the automatically generated gantt charts and the timeline feature.” Eric B – from G2 3. Monday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Monday_logo.png Monday.com is a popular project timeline software due to its user-friendly interface. Users can create Gantt chart-like view to track project progress. The timeline view specifically gives a clear visual representation of tasks, deadlines and milestones. This is also a highly collaborative tool where teams can share real-time updates, comment on tasks and discuss project details. There are also automation features to simplify repetitive tasks and resource management tools. Related: Best Monday.com Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/monday.com-gantt-chart-2.webp Monday.com might look nice, but users will pay for that pleasant design. It can prove an expensive choice, especially for smaller teams or startups. There is a free version, but advanced features, such as the timeline, are locked behind premium pricing plans. A pretty interface doesn’t mean ease of use. There’s a learning curve to learn the various features and customization options. There’s also limited advanced reporting beyond basic project tracking. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for User-Friendly Interface Monday.com Key Features & Benefits: User-friendly interface Gantt chart-like tool Free trial and free plan Mobile app for Android and iOS Monday.com Cons & Limitations: Steep learning curve Expensive, especially for small teams and startups Lacks advanced project reporting features Free version lacks advanced project management features Monday.com Pricing Free: $0/user/month (maximum of 2 users) Basic: $12/user/month, billed monthly Standard: $14/user/month, billed monthly Pro: $24/user/month, billed monthly Monday.com Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I truly recommend using Monday to small to medium scale enterprises because of its ease of use.” Vikas G – from G2 “I really like the monday work management interface.” Luiz Fernando J – from G2 4. Asana/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/asana-logo.svg Asana is another popular project timeline software with a timeline feature. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate. The timeline is basically a Gantt chart, though without advanced features. It can, however, track task dependencies. This is a collaborative platform, as with most of the tools reviewed on this list, and offers real-time updates. But the tool is mostly a task management software, with task prioritization and milestone tracking. Related: Best Asana Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asana-gantt-timeline-1.png The issue with its Gantt chart is that there is no critical path analysis, cost management and resource tracking features, which will be a hard pass for some customers. While having a free version is a plus, the lack of advanced features makes it less attractive. Like other tools lower on this list, it has limited reporting capabilities, such as custom dashboards. More troublesome is that there is no time tracking built in. That will require third-party apps, which add costs and might put this out of reach for many customers. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Task Management Asana Pros & Key Features Friendly user interface and easy-to-use tools Timeline with milestones and dependencies Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Free trial Asana Cons & Limitations Timeline lacks critical path, cost management and resource tracking features Free version lacks advanced features No built-in time tracking Limited reporting capabilities Asana Pricing Premium plan: $13.49/user/month, billed monthly Business plan: $30.49/user/month, billed monthly Asana Reviews G2 review: 4.3/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Highlighted User Reviews “I can create tasks, set their dates, routines, collaborate with my teammates, see their tasks, private my tasks, and so much more.” Shivam K – from G2 “The dashboard view is the main benefit; it helped me organize the work into stages and gave me a clear picture of how far along the team was.” Carrie C – from G2 5. GanttPRO/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GanttPRO-600x72.png GanttPRO is project timeline software with an intuitive Gantt chart interface to easily visualize and track project timelines, tasks and milestones. It creates task dependencies and features a critical path view. The tool is also collaborative. Users can add comments, attach files and tag team members. It provides progress tracking, which helps monitor the project’s overall health. There are also robust export options so users can turn Gantt charts into PDFs, Excel files and PNG files. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GanttPro-gantt-chart.webp Users have complained about the cost of this project timeline software. There is a free trial, but the paid plans are expensive compared to others on this list. There’s also a free plan but with limited features. Another problem is the lack of integrations. It works with Google Drive and Dropbox, but not nearly as many others as customers would expect. Then there’s the steep learning curve that might not be worth considering these limitations. More troublesome is the lack of task prioritization and the absence of time management features. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Small Teams GanttPRO Pros & Key Features Download files in a variety of formats Tracks timelines, tasks and milestones Progress tracking Has a free 14-day free trial GanttPRO Cons & Limitations Free plan is limited Lack of integrations No task prioritization No time management features GanttPRO Pricing Basic: $9.99/user/month, billed monthly Pro: $15.99/user/month, billed monthly Business: $24.99/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales GanttPRO Reviews G2 review: 4.8/5 Capterra review: 4.8/5 Highlighted User Reviews “The ease of moving your projects along the timeline to accommodate changes in priorities as time passes is the most invaluable feature in my opinion.” Andree C. – from Capterra “Milestones, timelines etc are relatively straightforward to set up, and it looks good.” Josephine L. – from Capterra 6. Notion/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Notion-600x218.png Notion is used for note-taking, documentation and task management, but it can also be a project timeline software. It is customizable and allows users to build workflows and create custom templates, databases and layouts. It calls itself an all-in-one workspace, combining notes, tasks, calendars and project timelines. It enables real-time collaboration, adding comments, mentions and sharing content. /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/notion-gantt-chart-1.png It is not, however, a dedicated project management tool. It can handle project timelines but lacks Gantt charts, detailed reporting or deep task dependency management. The timeline feature isn’t advanced. It’s based on databases, so it can create simple timelines, but doesn’t feature advanced capabilities. There’s no built-in time tracking, which will require the purchase of third-party tools. There are some automations, but they also require third-party integrations. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Notetaking Notion Pros & Key Features Task management Notetaking Database creation Real-time collaboration Notion Cons & Limitations Limited advanced project management features No built-in time tracking Automation requires third-party software No Gantt charts Notion Pricing Free Plan: $0/user/month Plus: $12/user/month, billed monthly Business: $18/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales Notion Reviews G2 reviews: 4.7/5 Capterra reviews: 4.7/5 Highlighted User Reviews “It is versatile and user-friendly. I like it as a note-taking and planning tool.” Haocheng L. – from Capterra “Ease of use and cross-compatibility with other software like Asana, etc.” Laura S. – from Capterra 7. ClickUp/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ClickUp-logo1-600x231.png ClickUp is versatile project timeline software that helps with task management, collaboration and tracking projects. Its timeline view helps visualize tasks and deadliness across a project. It’s not an exclusively timeline-focused software, it does have multiple project views, task dependencies and is highly customizable. Built-in time tracking allows users to log time spent on tasks while automation helps streamline workflow. Related: Best ClickUp Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gantt___All_Folders___ClickUp__Gantt_.jpg Due to its range of features, this software can be difficult for new users to get a handle on, with a steep learning curve that might require training and time to master. It’s not great with larger projects as users have complained of performance issues, especially when working with many dependencies. The timeline is also limited and unavailable to users of lower tiers. The free version has limited functionality. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Team Collaboration ClickUp Key Features & Benefits: Document editing and whiteboards for brainstorming with teams Multiple project scheduling views, including timeline Mobile app for Android and iOS Free plan and free trial ClickUp Cons & Limitations: Not project management software Steep learning curve Performance issues with larger projects Timeline not available in lower tiers ClickUp Pricing Free: $0 user/month Unlimited: $10/user/month, billed monthly Business: $19/user/month, billed monthly Enterprise: Contact sales ClickUp Reviews G2 review: 4.7/5 Capterra review: 4.7/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Good for operational tasks and customer support.” Hovhannes G – from G2 “Overall, my experience with ClickUp has been highly positive. It has streamlined project management tasks and improved team collaboration significantly.” Paula L – from Capterra 8. Wrike/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/wrike-logo_color_black_RGB-600x120.png Wrike is another popular project timeline software. It has Gantt charts that allow users to map out tasks, milestones and deadlines. The software links task dependencies, shows the critical path and tracks progress, which makes it useful for complex projects. Real-time collaboration lets teams comment, share files and more. Customizable dashboards and reports track key metrics. There are also task and resource management capabilities. Related: Best Wrike Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Timeline_Snapshot_Wrike.png Wrike’s price might scare off customers. It can be expensive, especially for teams that need advanced features like Gantt charts, reporting and time tracking. The free version, as one might expect, is limited. The interface looks cluttered, which might turn some customers off. There’s also a steep learning curve for the advanced features. The permissions systems can be complex and difficult to manage. Plus, it lacks built-in communication tools. Verdict: Best Project Timeline Software for Complex Projects Wrike Pros & Key Features Maps out tasks, milestones and deadlines Has task dependency features 14-day free trial Mobile app available for Android and iOS Wrike Cons & Limitations Expensive Limited free version Cluttered interface Lacks built-in communication tools Wrike Pricing Professional plan: $10.00/user/month Business plan: $24.80/user/month Wrike Reviews G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.1/5 Highlighted User Reviews “Wrike has become essential in my day and keeps me organized and on top of my tasks.” Paige T – from G2 “Productivity has been enhanced by removing essential but repetitive chores.” Denise S – from G2 Related Project Timeline Content Project timeline software is only part of the larger topic of project timeline management. For those interested in learning more about timelines, such as how to create one in a variety of formats, check out the handful of links below. Project Timeline Maker: How to Make a Project Timeline Online 10 Must-Have Timeline Templates How to Create a Timeline in Excel (Free Templates Included) How to Make a Timeline in PowerPoint (Template Included) Free Google Sheets Timeline Template: Create Plans Online ProjectManager is online project timeline software that connects teams whether they’re in the office, out in the field or on the job site. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 8 Best Project Timeline Software of 2025 (Free + Paid) appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Last week we talked about malicious compliance — times when someone purposely exposed the absurdity of a rule by doing exactly what they were told to do. Here are 14 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The requisitions I worked for a fairly large, regional bank that covered about three states with nearly 9,000 employees. The CFO decided that everyone was wasting money on frivolous things like office supplies. He mandated that ALL requisitions for any supplies must come through him. ALL OF THEM. This of course held up the process so even getting a needed pen could take over a month. Some of the managers got together and quietly decided to do just that — send him a requisition/ request for every single box of pens, box of paper, box of toilet paper, single toners, etc. One box/item at a time. It lasted two weeks. 2. The jacket It’s not nearly as maliciously compliant as the teal polo guy, but I had something similar at an office where I worked where we had to wear these (ugly) button-down jacket things so we would all look neat and presentable for clients. It was in the employee handbook that you had to wear the jacket, closed, at all times. At one point I was pregnant and I knew it wouldn’t fit me much longer, so I emailed HR explaining the issue and asking if I could get another one in a bigger size or if I could stop wearing it. I was told no and no. Ummm. So I kept wearing it, even as it started stretching at the buttons (I wore a t-shirt underneath). Eventually there were certain buttons in the middle I couldn’t button (it was a long jacket), so I left those middle buttons open. I looked absolutely ridiculous. This lasted until one day in my eighth month, when HR came marching over to my desk to tell me I shouldn’t wear the jacket anymore. 3. The insulin pump I’m a type 1 diabetic, and I have an insulin pump. It beeps to alert me to issues, but different beeps mean different levels of urgency. After the first beep, I tend to pull my pump out of my pocket and silence it and/or immediately address the issue, depending on the level of urgency. My point is, it’s both lifesaving and as unobtrusive as possible. My ex-boss Dan knew about my insulin pump, but would often publicly chastise me for “checking my phone” with a weird smirk. Maybe he thought being diabetic was embarrassing? Not sure. His remarks often drew more attention than me just trying to fix my pump, which is obviously not what I was going for. Urgh. We had an internal meeting once where Dan was extremely strict about no phones in the room, to show our grandboss how focused and productive we were, or something. Because it apparently understands comedic timing, my insulin pump starts beeping halfway through this meeting. Adhering to the no phones rule, I shrug and keep talking through my slides. Beep-beep-beep-beep. My coworkers are starting to get anxious, because they all know (thanks, Dan!) that I should probably be fixing that. BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. I finish my presentation. Any questions? Two different coworkers ask me to sit down or if they can get me anything to drink. Someone asks if I need an ambulance. I’m totally fine – I know my urgent beeps from the non-urgent ones! – but I’m enjoying watching Dan squirm when his boss freaks out that he has coached me to ignore medical emergencies in favor of arbitrarily phone-free meetings. 4. The “accommodation” My last boss maybe broke the law by telling me I couldn’t work remotely for a few days while recovering from a complication of my disability. It’s an invisible disability and she was a jerk. She told HR that due to the nature of my job I couldn’t be out for consecutive days, which was patently untrue. When they denied my request and instead offered me one additional WFH day per month, I explained that this would be like telling someone who had a mobility issue that sure, they could work remotely for the next month — but only for half of each day. It needed to be consecutive days home for recovery, but I was still able to work. They said to just use up all my sick leave. When I accepted another job offer, I didn’t immediately put in my notice. I had that sick leave available and, as luck (?) would have it, the fussy nerve in my foot was ever so slightly acting up. So, what did I do? Explained to them that I was experiencing a mobility issue and wouldn’t be able to come into the office until it was better. And darn, I guess I won’t be able to work from home even though it’s crunch time due to their policy. I enjoyed a week off, came back on a Tuesday, put in my notice, and left that Friday. 5. The travel reimbursements This was many years ago. When traveling for work, I discovered that I couldn’t get reimbursed for customary tips on transportation (taxis, group airport shuttles). When I complained, it was just “too bad.” Only a few dollars here and there, but I was peeved. Why should I be out money while on work travel? I read the travel policies closely after this and realized I could get reimbursed for car rental and parking. Flying in for a client meeting less than two miles from the airport? Car rental. Spending a week downtown in an expensive city for which I didn’t particularly need a car? Car rental plus over $50/day in parking fees so the car could just sit there until I needed to drive back to the airport. Did this for all work travel for the remainder of my time there. 6. The write-up When I worked in a now-bankrupt bridal store as a supervisor, the assistant manager and district manager pulled me into a meeting about receipts that had gone missing from a Sunday in March I worked. They alleged that the whole day’s worth of receipts had gone missing, they checked the schedule and knew I worked / closed that day, and were writing me up. I was appalled, and asked for the date. When they gave it, I said, “Oh, I know what happened!” They didn’t want to hear it. I tried several times, until the DM told me they didn’t want my excuses, but if I had any kind of rebuttal I could fill out a paper to submit with the write-up. I just said OK and filled it out. They made me fax it to corporate myself from the front desk, admonishing me the entire time for my carelessness. Before I pressed send, I asked ONE LAST TIME if they wanted to hear my side. No. OK, off it goes! About an hour later I was talking to another associate at the counter, the assistant manager standing right next to us. My friend asked what the meeting was about, and I told her. She asked what date that was, I told her that too. She frowned, checked the calendar, then said, “But that was Easter! The store wasn’t even opened!” “I know,” I said, “but ASM and DM didn’t want to hear it. I put it on my rebuttal sheet, though.” Big smile at ASM as I said it, who looked horrified. Less than a week later, I was issued an apology from both of them. In writing. 7. The hours I had an employee get sick and need to go to the ER. I took her, stayed with her, waited until she got checked in, swung by drive through for lunch, and came back to the office. My manager blasted me for taking so much time off of work (about two hours). So I kept to my 9-5 schedule and cut the extra 20-30 hours a week I had been working. But I sure was in the office 40 hours a week just like he asked. And then I left and he got fired for not being able to do his job. His career has sunk over the years, with him taking lower and lower positions at each company. 8. The sandwich with “everything” I used to work at a small mom and pop sandwich shop. We had a lot of options for condiments and toppings. Every single day I’d take multiple phone orders along the lines of “I want a turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it.” When I tried to clarify, the customers would often get snippy and rude – even when I politely explained that we had four kinds of mustard, three kinds of mayo, three different hot peppers, two types of pickle, avocados, carrots, olives, and various other things that most people don’t want on a turkey sandwich. Inevitably it would turn out they meant something like turkey with regular mustard, mayo, lettuce, maybe some cheese or tomato. Not even close to “everything.” On my very last day, one of these rude customers called in yet again and demanded a turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it. So I said “Yes ma’am,” and made one. Alas, I clocked out before she picked up her turkey sandwich with EVERYTHING on it. 9. The Spanish speaker Year ago, I worked for a university that ran a busy healthcare clinic. I was the only Spanish-speaking person in our department. There happened to be a position open and my boss quickly hired the daughter of someone who worked at the university’s main campus. We had begged and begged beforehand that another Spanish-speaker be hired because we served a huge population of Spanish-speakers. If I was out sick or something, the clinic was screwed. So this gal gets hired and my boss says that she speaks Spanish! Great! It’s on her resume and everything. I introduced myself in Spanish and tried talking to her a couple of times. She responded with kind of a non-committal “si” or mumbled something and pretended to be busy. My spider-sense went off. I asked my boss and she assured me that the new person speaks Spanish. “Are you sure? Because she doesn’t…” “I’m sure!” So … I started forwarding about half my Spanish-speaker calls to her phone and started calling her to the front desk to help with interpreting. It only took about a week for her to angrily admit that she doesn’t actually speak the language. 10. The overshare At the Big Bookstore, our (nitpicky) district manager one day decided that the Information kiosk should never be left unattended. Not for one single second. On my first day back after a super-fun bout of food poisoning, I was assigned to the kiosk. I had to make a break for the restroom at one point, and returned to find the district manager, the day manager, and a line of about three people. Rather than helping the line, the district manager demanded to know — at the top of his lungs — why I was “abandoning my post and ignoring the needs of our valued customers.” Not quite at the top of my lungs but still very audibly, I said, “In the future, I will remember it’s preferable to vomit in the kiosk rather than leave it unattended. Can I help the next customer?” Surprisingly, none of those customers needed my help after all, and I got to go home early that day after the red-faced district manager left. 11. The flights I used to work for a major multi-national company in a division which did engineering work for ships. Headquarters came out with a rule that we always had to book the cheapest possible flights if we had to travel for a job. Most of us booked sensible flights, ticked the “out of policy – business needs” box and carried on as normal. One of the service technicals was booking flights for a job and found the cheapest option offered on the travel booking system was some crazy combination of five flights, via places like Istanbul and Amsterdam. He promptly booked the flights, spent three days in transit, and by the time he got to the dockyard the ship had sailed. He was very smug about it. 12. The physical My job involves some pretty physical field work, so we have to go through annual physicals for insurance purposes. Kind of a hassle, but whatever. Except for a few years ago, when a new staff doctor took over administrating the physicals and approvals, and anyone with any kind of psychiatric prescription got phone calls asking extremely detailed, frankly invasive questions about their medication, medication history, symptoms, how well each medication treated your symptoms, your side effects, the list went on – and if you’ve ever been prescribed anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications, you know that you usually have to try out quite a few to find the right fit. It became quite apparent that this person did not want to approve anyone on any of these medications for field work, which was about 70% of our job description. I got my call on a Friday afternoon, about 10 minutes before the end of a shift that started at 3:45 am. I was beyond over it. I was over EVERYTHING. I was so far over it I had broken through the atmosphere into a peaceful void of zen and mild heat exhaustion. The new doctor started out asking questions about my experience with Zoloft, which I had taken for six weeks over 20 years ago. I asked why that was relevant. She said it was important information to assess my fitness for field work, tell me about the side effects you experienced with Zoloft. I said, “Oh, well if it’s important information–” And then I became an unskippable cutscene. I experienced a lot of side effects with Zoloft. They were … gastrointestinal in nature, and I spent 40 minutes describing them in excruciating detail. I invoked all five senses and every colorful metaphor my sleep-deprived brain could come up with. Every time she tried to break in, I just said, “No, no, I want you to have all the information you need! It’s important!” When I finally ran out of steam, she decided we didn’t need to discuss the rest of my medication history. I went home, slept for something like 11 hours, sent an email to HR asking for clarification on why the staff doctor was asking about my full medication history, which wasn’t in my employment physical paperwork, since I hadn’t signed any releases for the rest of my medical records, and went back to bed. On Monday, I was informed I was cleared for field work. It was a different doctor administering physicals the next year. 13. The $20 My company uses a travel agency’s booking platform that invoices departments directly for costs. However, it doesn’t allow conference-rate bookings, which require going directly to the hotel’s website with a special code. So, employees can book outside the platform—but only if they’re willing to float the cost. On my first work trip, I booked a conference-rate hotel using my own card to save the company hundreds. My flight home wasn’t until evening, so I paid a $20 late check-out fee to work from my room instead of squatting in the loud hotel coffee shop. A month after submitting a reimbursement request for the travel charges, my entire request was denied because late check-out was “not a required business need.” Cue frustration: I’m now floating over a grand on my card for hotel charges because of a $20 fee. Determined, I enlisted ChatGPT to draft a multi-page thesis proving that $20 was, in fact, a legitimate business expense—complete with productivity analyses, co-working space cost comparisons, and detailed documentation of the work I was able to complete from the hotel room. Must have been compelling; Finance approved the reimbursement. But I didn’t feel great about eating the credit card interest incurred while waiting for reimbursement, which Finance didn’t want to cover. Out came ChatGPT to draft another exhaustive (exhausting?) argument, including opportunity cost analyses. 2 for 2, I got the interest charges reimbursed too. Now? I book everything through the travel agency’s platform, no matter how absurdly overpriced it is. All because they refused my entire reimbursement request over the $20 late check-out fee. 14. The twist In my first role ever managing people, I was a student “account executive” at the on-campus design shop that made posters for the on-campus clubs and activities. One of the designers I managed worked a completely different schedule than I did, due to class hours. He was consistently late on his projects and deliverables. So I asked him to start giving me a rundown of the projects he worked on during his shifts. I explained it just as a “I worked on projects X, Y, and Z. I’m almost done with X and Y, Z will be a little longer because of Reason. I will connect with client for project K on Tuesday.” Really brief and standard status updates. He responded with malicious compliance and gave me essentially a minute by minute reporting of what he did during his shift. Obviously trying to overwhelm me with detail so I’d stop asking. I responded – yes perfect. More of that. And just made him give me that level of detail for a week. I did finally catch him and tell him to knock it off and give me the correct level of detail. But I let him make himself miserable with his own “malicious compliance” for a week first. View the full article

In this guide, you’ll learn how to connect Asana projects to ServiceNow, allowing you to automatically sync data between the two tools. This no-code Unito flow will automatically create new ServiceNow records and Asana tasks, keeping fields up to date in both tools. This can allow support teams to seamlessly escalate relevant tickets, project managers to report on customer support data, and more. By the end of this ServiceNow-Asana integration guide, you’ll be able to: Create new Asana tasks automatically based on specific ServiceNow records. Create new ServiceNow records synced to Asana tasks. Update fields in real-time with 2-way sync whenever manual changes are made. In this article: Setup in ServiceNow Step 1: Connect ServiceNow and Asana to Unito Step 2: Choose a flow direction for new records and tasks Step 3: Set rules to sync specific Asana tasks and ServiceNow records Step 4: Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Asana Launch your ServiceNow-Asana integration Setup in ServiceNow In order to sync ServiceNow records, you must connect to Unito with a ServiceNow account that has CRUD rights (create, read, update and delete) for the records and tables you plan on syncing. For example, if this is an ITSM use case, you’ll need an account with the ITIL role in ServiceNow. If you’re not an admin, you can ask your IT department’s ServiceNow admin to create a service account for you with the right permissions. Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time A ServiceNow admin needs to connect your account to Unito. From there, you have two options: connecting using OAuth 2.0 or using a username and password. Here’s how to connect Unito with OAuth2.0. Make sure you have this information on hand: ServiceNow Domain URL: https://INSTANCENAME.service-now.com OAuth 2.0: An OAuth Client ID and Secret Username: Your ServiceNow username and password Step 1. Connect ServiceNow and Asana to Unito Sign up for Unito. Click +Create Flow in the Unito App. Click Start Here to connect ServiceNow and Asana. Click +Choose account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Choose a specific type of ServiceNow record to include in your flow. Click Confirm. Once your tools are connected, click Confirm. First time connecting tools to Unito? Check out our in-depth guide. Step 2. Choose a flow direction for new records and tasks When you create new ServiceNow records or Asana tasks, Unito can automatically create synced versions of these work items in the other connected tool. Flow direction determines where new work items are automatically created by Unito. Here are your options: 2-way: ServiceNow records and Asana tasks are automatically created to match what you create manually in each tool. 1-way from ServiceNow to Asana: Asana tasks will be automatically created by Unito to match ServiceNow records you manually create. Unito won’t automatically create new ServiceNow records. 1-way from Asana to ServiceNow: ServiceNow records will be automatically created by Unito to match Asana tasks you manually create. Unito won’t automatically create new Asana tasks. Here’s a full guide to how flow direction works in Unito. Step 3. Set rules to sync specific Asana tasks and ServiceNow records Rules allow you to set the conditions your Unito flow will look for before syncing Asana tasks and ServiceNow records. This allows you to control which work items your flow will sync, as well as automating a few other types of actions. Here are just a few examples of what rules can do: Only sync ServiceNow records with a Date field after a specific date. Only sync Asana tasks with certain Assignees. Automatically create Asana tasks in a specific section to match ServiceNow records. To create your rule, click Add a new rule. Then you can set the conditions for that rule, such as which sections Unito will look in for work items to sync and what to do with them. In this example, only records in the Application Development assignment group will sync to Asana. You can learn more about setting up rules here. Step 4. Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Asana Field mappings pair fields in ServiceNow records and Asana tasks so data always ends up in the right place. You can also tailor flow direction on a field-by-field basis, so that even a two-way flow, automatically creating new work items in both ServiceNow and Asana might only sync data from specific fields in one direction. You can choose to let Unito map your fields automatically or map them manually from scratch. How to map a field manually Here’s how you can add a new field mapping to your flow: Click +Add mapping to add new pairs of fields. Choose a field from the dropdown under each tool. Since virtually every field in ServiceNow can be customized, you’ll most likely need to set up the majority of your field mappings yourself. Most fields are automatically mapped for two-way updates, but you can change this as needed. How to configure field mappings Some fields, like status or dropdown fields, have gear icons next to them. These fields can be customized further after being mapped, allowing you to map individual inputs for those fields. NOTE: If you’re syncing statuses, be sure to add every relevant status option for your Asana tasks and ServiceNow records. Here’s an overview of status syncing in Unito. You can learn more about field mappings here. Launch your ServiceNow-Asana integration That’s it! You’ve just built your flow! If you’ve followed the steps above, your flow will now: Create a ServiceNow record automatically for every Asana task in your specified project. Create an Asana task for every ServiceNow incident or record. Allow teams to work across tools without any copying-and-pasting, extra meetings, or data requests needed. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out! Our support team is ready to jump in and help you get your flows working exactly as needed. See if this integration is right for your team Book a demo Ready to sync the rest of your tool stack? Check out some of our other walkthroughs to sync ServiceNow and Asana to every other tool your teams depend on. Smartsheet to Asana Asana to Airtable Asana to Jira Asana to Azure DevOps ServiceNow to Jira Service Management ServiceNow to Azure DevOps ServiceNow and monday.com ServiceNow with Google Sheets ServiceNow and Salesforce View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: The small company where I work offers good pay, generous PTO and other benefits, a fun and friendly environment, and good work-life balance. It also has an excellent product with a lot of growth potential. Generally, it’s considered by employees to be a great place to work. The problem for me is that apart from the good pay and friendly coworkers, I mostly miss out on the perks that others enjoy. To be clear, there is a spectrum within the company: some of my coworkers are more overworked and stressed than others. But I’m an outlier: I’ve been assigned responsibility for a lot of the most mission-critical and inflexible work that requires my attention every day without fail, so I cannot take any of my PTO. On top of that, I’m relied on for a lot of precise design and problem-solving that requires intersections of expertise no one else has, and it’s difficult to find interruption-free time for that kind of deep work, so that work gets pushed into my weekends. Meanwhile, everyone else gets to take vacations and have some time to chat and take breaks during the workday, while I have to maintain 10 to 12 hours of being on-task, and even that is not enough to keep up. A pattern has emerged over the years: when I call attention to my workload and how it’s creating key-person risk for the company as well as unsustainable conditions for myself, I get promises of relief and sometimes actual improvements, but my circumstances backslide before long. I might get approval to hire additional staff and things start functioning better, but then something else goes awry: upper management overpromises to a client, a key employee quits, a supplier falters and we have to plug that gap in-house, etc. Because I have a broad skill set and am seen as reliable, I’m usually the person assigned as the rescuer of whatever situation comes up, so it’s only a matter of time. Thus far, I’ve stuck around for the job security, pay, and potential for early retirement if our stock options pan out. But I’m also being required to bear a much heavier cost than my coworkers for the same upside, and I’m always teetering on the edge of burnout. Furthermore, the company is so heavily depending on me for crucial functions, much of that growth potential could evaporate if I quit or even just reduced my productivity to an average level. Upper management seems to have convinced themselves (despite what I’ve said) that I am so emotionally invested in their mission that I will endlessly sacrifice the rest of my life to keep their gears turning. That’s the story they tell other people, while also telling me that I should take my PTO, while also telling me, “We know you’re super busy but we really need X and Y and Z done ASAP!” Is there a plausible strategy for breaking this cycle of the company occasionally listening and improving, but then quickly forgetting and singling me out as the fixer for the next crisis? Or does this sound like a lost cause? You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it. View the full article

Hours worked aren't a badge of honor. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Hours worked aren't a badge of honor. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Don’t let them dictate your workflow. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Don’t let them dictate your workflow. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

But still “far from perfect.” By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

But still “far from perfect.” By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I went on a work trip and thought it went well. On the last day, I woke up to hear my senior teammate bashing me. We shared a wall, and it was paper-thin. I snore, and it’s something I’m embarrassed by, but there’s nothing I can do to control it. My teammate said he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep for the whole trip and accused me of doing it on purpose so I could transfer off the team. I don’t know where that came from — I’ve never indicated I wanted to leave. He also called me weird and nasty. I was shocked. Up until that point, he had been pleasant, engaging, and polite. My concern isn’t with him; it’s with his influence on the team and senior leaders. I love my job. It’s complex, fast-paced, and I’m always learning something new. It feels like my sweet spot. But he has a lot of influence and more time in the company than I do, and I’m worried I’ll be blackballed or not invited on any more work trips. This incident feels like the culmination of some insecurities I’ve been feeling. My personality doesn’t seem to be landing with the group. I’ve tried to make headway socially, but it feels like I’m hitting a wall. I also worry that certain things are being viewed in a bad light. For instance, I have a sensitive stomach that’s affected by stress and changes in schedule, so I didn’t hang out with the team every night — only two out of the four. This is new territory for me because, at my other jobs, it wasn’t expected. Everyone just did their own thing. But given my teammate’s strong reaction, I’m starting to think this may have added fuel to the fire. I’m bummed. I love the job and the team, but I don’t see a way forward. I strongly believe I’ll be forced out or iced out. Do you have any advice on how to interact with my teammate? We work together on a lot of programs, so I can’t avoid him. Usually, I don’t sit at tables where I’m the next topic when I get up, but in this case, it feels unavoidable. FYI, I am not having any performance issues, which may be the only thing that saves me. Well, wait — you’re giving way too much power to someone who sounds like an awful person. The idea that a colleague would intentionally snore loudly as some sort of plot to be able to transfer off the team is Incredibly Weird. It’s really unlikely that other people would hear what he said and think, “Wow, Snorer is a real jerk to do that.” They’re far more likely to think, “WTF? No one snores as a strategy to bother someone in a neighboring room; what a bizarre thing to say.” Truly, any sane person who heard your coworker accuse you of that is thinking there’s something wrong with him, not with you. Or, in the most generous reading, that he was just cranky after not sleeping well and was lashing out unreasonably. No one is going to think you were strategically snoring as an act of anti-social aggression. I suspect you’re giving this so much weight because of the rest of the situation — that you feel you’re having trouble meshing with the group. But even there, it’s worth questioning what you’re basing that on. Did anyone actually respond poorly to you for only hanging out two nights out of the four (which was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, by the way)? Or are you feeling anxious about the situation in general and assuming that may have been one more way you aren’t fitting in with them? It’s definitely possible that you’re not clicking well with the group. That’s really common! But it doesn’t usually mean the person who’s not fitting in gets pushed off the team. It just means things aren’t as socially comfortable — which isn’t ideal, but is a world away from being iced out or losing your job. It’s possible there’s more going on that didn’t make it into your letter — concrete signs that things aren’t going well in a way that could jeopardize your job. But it’s also possible that this is all an anxiety reaction — that your brain is catastrophizing in a way that doesn’t reflect anything that’s likely to happen. Would you feel comfortable talking to your boss about how things are going overall? That will give you more data to put all of this in context — and you might hear that as far as your boss is concerned, everything is fine. As part of that conversation, you could also say that you’re not sure you’re meshing well with the group and ask if she has advice on that — but whether that’s useful to do will depend on your relationship with her and your sense of how skilled she is on picking up on things like that. I’d also seriously consider talking to the coworker whose unkind remark you overheard. There’s no reason you can’t say to him, “I overheard you say my snoring kept you up, and I’m horrified — I had no idea that would be an issue, and I feel awful that you didn’t sleep well. For future work trips I’ll plan to ask for a room further away from the rest of the group so that doesn’t happen again.” Maybe that will jog him into realizing he was being a jerk, but if nothing else it’ll at least get you on the record as Not Snoring At Him … and also as someone who handles issues professionally and maturely, unlike what he’s chosen to do. View the full article